County food-access profile · Michigan
Gogebic County, MI
Gogebic 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.
- 15.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.6%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.1% of Gogebic County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 799
- food-desert residents
- 7.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.4%
- 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).
Gogebic County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.1% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,472 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 799 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 Gogebic County compares nationally
Gogebic County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.1% low-access share that beats 32% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,118).
Gogebic County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Gogebic County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Gogebic County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Gogebic
Gogebic County, MI
15.1 % 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 | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,427 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,472 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 799 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 14,319 |
| Median Household Income | $52,732 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,301 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
About 18.6% of Gogebic County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,301 households here.
- 7.6% 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 Gogebic County
near the national share
1 of Gogebic County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 2,472 residents, roughly 15.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 799 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (85.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Gogebic County
Gogebic County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- cenex 109868, watersmeet
- circle k 2746185, wakefield
- holiday stationstore 2746112, ironwood
- krist food mart 010, ironwood
- krist food mart 011, bessemer
- krist food mart 027, watersmeet
- krist food mart 030, wakefield
- krist food mart 031, ironwood
- kwik trip 1174, ironwood
- kwik trip 1183, bessemer
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 13871, wakefield
- dollar general 22689, bessemer
- dollar tree 958, ironwood
- family dollar 11133, watersmeet
- family dollar store 2605, ironwood
- walgreens 11954, ironwood
Large Grocery Store · 2
- lvd plaza, watersmeet
- z's hometown market, wakefield
Farmers' Market · 1
- gogebic range farmers market association, ironwood
Small Grocery Store · 1
- northwind natural foods co-op, ironwood
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 5444, ironwood
Supermarket · 1
- super one foods 547, ironwood
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Gogebic County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Gogebic 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 Gogebic County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Gogebic County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Gogebic County? ▼
Is Gogebic County a food desert? ▼
What share of Gogebic 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.