Signature · 7.5% SNAP (7th pct in MI)
Grand Traverse County, MI
Grand Traverse 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.
- 17.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.5%
- on SNAP
- 96K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Grand Traverse County, MI
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 17.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -5.1 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 6% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Marquette County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Grand Traverse County ranks #1,941 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #39 of 80 counties in MI (17.0% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,941
- national by low-access %
- #39
- in MI
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 7.5% SNAP (7th pct in MI) (-4.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Grand Traverse County compares nationally
Grand Traverse County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.0% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,948).
Grand Traverse County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
16 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Grand Traverse County has 8 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Grand Traverse County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Marquette 17.1
Marquette 17.1%
17.1 % low-access
- Grand Traverse 17
Grand Traverse 17%
17 % low-access
- Alpena 15.9
Alpena 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Menominee 15.9
Menominee 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Monroe 15.9
Monroe 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 86,986 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,814 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,662 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 96,166 |
| Median Household Income | $81,647 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,009 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
Thick SNAP store book in Grand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County has 75 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 30 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 30
- 7-eleven, inc. (a texas corporation) 36909, traverse city
- 7-eleven, inc. 36919, traverse city
- acme 258, williamsburg
- anami, llc, traverse city
- cherry knoll 257, traverse city
- chum's corner 254, traverse city
- circle k 2746255, traverse city
- eighth street 250, traverse city
- family fare 861, traverse city
- fast break ez mart 426, kingsley
- fife lake ez market, fife lake
- garfield 256, traverse city
- gas n shop, kingsley
- grawn 255, grawn
- meijer gas station 33, traverse city
- munson 251, traverse city
- northland speed mart llc, kingsley
- roy's general store, traverse city
- south airport 252, traverse city
- speedway 3588, traverse city
- speedway 44454, williamsburg
- speedway 5498 5498, traverse city
- speedway 8340, traverse city
- speedway 8868, traverse city
- super 7 inc, traverse city
- townhall 253, traverse city
- village pantry 5056, traverse city
- wings enterprises, traverse city
- williamsburg 259, williamsburg
- williamsburg east 275, williamsburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs 6843, traverse city
- dollar general 10105, kingsley
- dollar general 6711, interlochen
- dollartree 8077, traverse city
- dollar general 12658, traverse city
- dollar general 24575, grawn
- dollar general 25880, traverse city
- dollar general 30738, williamsburg
- dollar tree 4194, traverse city
- dollar tree 853, traverse city
- oleson's food store 607, traverse city
- oryana community co-op west, traverse city
- oryana food cooperative, traverse city
- walgreens 07874, traverse city
- walgreen's 10186, traverse city
- walgreens 07369, traverse city
- walgreens 12894, traverse city
Super Store · 13
- costco wholesale 1279, traverse city
- family fare 641, traverse city
- family fare 642, traverse city
- kingsley food mart, kingsley
- meijer 236, williamsburg
- meijer inc 33, traverse city
- olesons food store 608, traverse city
- sam's club 6419, traverse city
- target store 671, traverse city
- tom's food markets 792, interlochen
- tom's food markets 797, traverse city
- toms food markets 793, traverse city
- walmart 2338, traverse city
Farmers' Market · 4
- east bay corners farmers market, traverse city
- kingsley farmers market, kingsley
- sara hardy downtown farmers market, traverse city
- village at grand traverse commons farmers market, traverse city
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- edson farms natural foods, traverse city
- mikowski's meat market & deli, llc, interlochen
- tc latino grocery, traverse city
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 67013, traverse city
- gordon food service store mp026, traverse city
- save a lot 24583, traverse city
Large Grocery Store · 2
- fresh coast market, traverse city
- the butcher's block by maxbauer, traverse city
Small Grocery Store · 2
- deerings market inc, traverse city
- traverse asian market 1, traverse city
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- wagner farms meat store, grawn
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Michigan
One of 82 counties in Michigan, 6 are shown here.
Compare Grand Traverse County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Nationwide peers for Grand Traverse County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Grand Traverse County (7.5%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Michigan.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (17.0% here).
- Lancaster County, NE · 17.0% low-access
- Lancaster County, NE · 17.0% low-access
- Muscatine County, IA · 17.0% low-access
- Muscatine County, IA · 17.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (7.5% here).
- DeSoto County, MS · 7.5% SNAP
- DeSoto County, MS · 7.5% SNAP
- Cumberland County, ME · 7.5% SNAP
- Cumberland County, ME · 7.5% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Grand Traverse County sits inside Michigan (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Grand Traverse County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26055. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.