PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Fond du Lac County, WI

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Fond du Lac 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).

20.8%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
9.5%
on SNAP
104K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

20.8% of Fond du Lac County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
5.6%
households, no vehicle
9.2%
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 Fond du Lac County's low-access share at 20.8%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 20 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 21,095 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,796 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 Fond du Lac County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Fond du Lac County's 20.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,622 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Fond du Lac County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 20 census tracts in Fond du Lac 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 Fond du Lac County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 11 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 20 tracts evaluated. 11 tracts adequate (55.0%) 6 tracts limited (30.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (15.0%) Adequate 55% Limited 30% Severe 15% Food-access tier distribution: Fond du Lac County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Fond du Lac County vs. other Wisconsin counties

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

% 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 Fond du Lac County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts20
Atlas Population (2010 basis)101,633
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population21,095
Low-Access Share20.8%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,796

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Fond du Lac County
IndicatorValue
Population104,137
Median Household Income$74,275
Poverty Rate9.2%below the national average
SNAP Households4,095
SNAP Participation Rate9.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.4%
SNAP participation in Fond du Lac County 9.5%

About 9.5% of Fond du Lac County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,095 households here.
  • 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 tracts 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 Fond du Lac County

above the national share

3 of Fond du Lac County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.0% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 21,095 residents, roughly 20.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,796 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 11 tracts (55.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Fond du Lac County

Fond du Lac County has 70 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 33

  • ayah citgo express, fond du lac
  • downtown deli, market, cafe, fond du lac
  • eden corner express, eden
  • fast taco 2, fond du lac
  • hansen's bp, fond du lac
  • kwik trip 392, ripon
  • kwik trip 613, fond du lac
  • kwik trip 651, waupun
  • kwik trip 652, fond du lac
  • kwik trip 770, ripon
  • kwik trip 1176, fond du lac
  • kwik trip 235, fond du lac
  • kwik trip 242, fond du lac
  • kwik trip 486, fond du lac
  • kwik trip 579, fond du lac
  • love's travel stop 587, fond du lac
  • metro quick mart, fond du lac
  • metro quick mart llc, fond du lac
  • minute's mart, fond du lac
  • path petroleum, oakfield
  • paul & sons, fond du lac
  • philly on 4th, fond du lac
  • pioneer pit stop, fond du lac
  • refuel pantry- peters ave, fond du lac
  • rolling meadows bp, fond du lac
  • rstore 4511, fond du lac
  • rstore 4512, fond du lac
  • rstore 4513, fond du lac
  • sk quick stop corp, fond du lac
  • speedway 4313, fond du lac
  • station 23 llc, fond du lac
  • station prospect, north fond du lac
  • stop-n-go 606, fond du lac

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • dollartree 10724, fond du lac
  • dollar general 15009, campbellsport
  • dollar general 17883, north fond du lac
  • dollar general 21000, ripon
  • dollar general 21860, fond du lac
  • dollar general 22342, rosendale
  • dollar general 6554, waupun
  • dollar general 6586, ripon
  • dollar tree 1107, fond du lac
  • dollar tree 6801, waupun
  • dollar tree 7622, ripon
  • family dollar store 4805, fond du lac
  • family dollar store 5316, fond du lac
  • the butcher's block, llc, fond du lac
  • walgreens 01164, ripon
  • walgreens 10496, fond du lac
  • walgreens 10927, fond du lac
  • walgreens 15916, fond du lac

Super Store · 9

  • festival foods 14, fond du lac
  • hy-vee, ripon
  • pick 'n save 472, fond du lac
  • pick 'n save 6389, fond du lac
  • piggly wiggly 213, campbellsport
  • piggly wiggly 238, waupun
  • piggly wiggly 328, fond du lac
  • target store 808, fond du lac
  • walmart 1643, fond du lac

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • brandon meats & sausage inc., brandon
  • leroy meats of ripon, ripon

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la mexicana mini mart 1, fond du lac
  • village market, fond du lac

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • la patrona mini mart 1, fond du lac
  • los compadres meat market, north fond du lac

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza wi085, fond du lac

Farmers' Market · 1

  • downtown fond du lac farmers market, fond du lac

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • save a lot 45146, fond du lac

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 64013, fond du lac

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Fond du Lac County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Fond du Lac County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Fond du Lac County has low food access? ▼
20.8% of residents in Fond du Lac County, WI 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 Fond du Lac County? ▼
9.5% of households in Fond du Lac County receive SNAP, covering 4,095 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Fond du Lac County? ▼
The poverty rate in Fond du Lac County, WI is 9.2%, with a median household income of $74,275 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Fond du Lac County a food desert? ▼
3 of Fond du Lac County's 20 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 Fond du Lac County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.6% of households in Fond du Lac 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.