PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Emmet County, MI

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Emmet County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

23.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
7.4%
on SNAP
34K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

23.6% of Emmet County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.0%
households, no vehicle
8.5%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

USDA data puts Emmet County's low-access share at 23.6%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,721 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,066 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Emmet County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Emmet County's 23.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,393 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Emmet County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Emmet County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Emmet County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts limited (37.5%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 50% Limited 38% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Emmet County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Emmet County vs. other Michigan counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Emmet County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,694
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population7,721
Low-Access Share23.6%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,066

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Emmet County
IndicatorValue
Population34,125
Median Household Income$78,112
Poverty Rate8.5%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,118
SNAP Participation Rate7.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Emmet County 7.4%

About 7.4% of Emmet County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,118 households here.
  • 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Emmet County

above the national share

1 of Emmet County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 7,721 residents, roughly 23.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,066 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Emmet County

Emmet County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (29% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 10

  • alanson e-z mart 220, alanson
  • bill and carol's inc, petoskey
  • carp lake general store, carp lake
  • j&h family stores - petoskey 175, petoskey
  • louie's fresh market alanson 650, alanson
  • meijer gas station 257, petoskey
  • next door food strore 5027, petoskey
  • petoskey ez mart 748, petoskey
  • the party shoppe on pickerel lake, petoskey
  • tom and dick's, petoskey

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 12605, alanson
  • dollar general 20009, pellston
  • dollar general 9006, petoskey
  • dollar tree 954, petoskey
  • family dollar store 6800, harbor springs
  • family dollar store 7440, pellston
  • plath's meats 2, petoskey
  • walgreens 05481, petoskey
  • walgreens 12534, petoskey

Super Store · 4

  • d&w fresh market 1525, petoskey
  • meijer 257, petoskey
  • olesons food store 609, petoskey
  • walmart supercenter 2417, petoskey

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 14, petoskey
  • gordon food service store mp085, petoskey
  • grain train natural foods co-op, petoskey
  • louie's fresh market petoskey 654, petoskey

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • harbor springs market, harbor springs
  • mackinaw iga, mackinaw city
  • pellston general store llc, pellston

Farmers' Market · 2

  • downtown petoskey farmers market, petoskey
  • harbor springs farmers market, harbor springs

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • bill's farm market, petoskey

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • jureks meats & grocery, pellston

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Michigan

Alcona County
15.6% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Alger County
12.8% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Allegan County
20.8% low-access · 7.8% SNAP
Alpena County
15.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Antrim County
0.2% low-access · 10.0% SNAP
Arenac County
0.0% low-access · 16.1% SNAP

Compare Emmet County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Emmet County sits inside Michigan (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Emmet County has low food access? ▼
23.6% of residents in Emmet County, MI live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Emmet County? ▼
7.4% of households in Emmet County receive SNAP, covering 1,118 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Emmet County? ▼
The poverty rate in Emmet County, MI is 8.5%, with a median household income of $78,112 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Emmet County a food desert? ▼
1 of Emmet County's 8 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Emmet County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.0% of households in Emmet County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.