County food-access profile · Michigan
Gladwin County, MI
Gladwin County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 13.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 16.2%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.1% of Gladwin County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 7.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.9%
- 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).
Gladwin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.1% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,365 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,433 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 Gladwin County compares nationally
Gladwin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.1% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,265).
Gladwin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Gladwin County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Gladwin County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Gladwin
Gladwin County, MI
13.1 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger
Alger County, MI
12.8 % low-access
- Allegan
Allegan County, MI
20.8 % low-access
- Alpena
Alpena County, MI
15.9 % low-access
- Antrim 0.2
Antrim County, MI
0.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 25,692 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,365 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,433 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,693 |
| Median Household Income | $55,349 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,822 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.2%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.8%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 16.2% of Gladwin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,822 households here.
- 7.8% 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 Gladwin County
near the national share
3 of Gladwin County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,365 residents, roughly 13.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,433 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Gladwin County
Gladwin County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- b-town party store, beaverton
- beacon & bridge market 16, beaverton
- beacon & bridge market 20, gladwin
- beacon & bridge market 24, gladwin
- dores stores inc #21 21, gladwin
- forward shell beaverton 125, beaverton
- forward shell-gladwin 134, gladwin
- jiffy quick mart, beaverton
- lakeshore marina, gladwin
- liquor house inc, gladwin
- ppl petroleum gladwin, gladwin
- ross lake marketplace, beaverton
- sunrise stores llc 68, gladwin
- sandys market 0663384, beaverton
- satnam liquor inc, gladwin
- satnam petroleum llc, gladwin
- sugar shack party store, gladwin
- wildwood mercantile, alger
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 18771, gladwin
- dollar general 6713, beaverton
- dollar general 8486, gladwin
- dollar general 17533, gladwin
- dollar general 24315, gladwin
- dollar general 25147, gladwin
- dollar general 25716, beaverton
- dollar general 6185, gladwin
- dollar general store 17384, beaverton
- dollar tree 8290, gladwin
- family dollar store 1644, gladwin
Large Grocery Store · 3
- lambert's meat market, gladwin
- rosati's fresh market, beaverton
- rosati's fresh market 3, beaverton
Farmers' Market · 1
- gladwin farmers market, gladwin
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- buckeye market, gladwin
Super Store · 1
- family fare 1524, gladwin
Supermarket · 1
- save-a-lot 24480, gladwin
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Gladwin County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Gladwin County sits inside Michigan (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Gladwin County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Gladwin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Gladwin County? ▼
Is Gladwin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Gladwin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.