PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Huron County, MI

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Huron 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).

21.1%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
11.3%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

21.1% of Huron County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.3%
households, no vehicle
12.6%
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 Huron County's low-access share at 21.1%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,994 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,655 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 Huron County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Huron County's 21.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 49% of them and ranked #1,597 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Huron County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Huron 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 Huron County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (66.7%) 2 tracts limited (16.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 67% Limited 17% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Huron County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Huron 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 Huron County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,118
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,994
Low-Access Share21.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,655

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Huron County
IndicatorValue
Population31,113
Median Household Income$58,870
Poverty Rate12.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,593
SNAP Participation Rate11.3%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Huron County 11.3%

About 11.3% of Huron County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,593 households here.
  • 6.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Huron County

above the national share

2 of Huron County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,994 residents, roughly 21.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,655 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Huron County

Huron County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 1st & main party store, bay port
  • caseville one stop shop, caseville
  • elkton one stop shop 02, elkton
  • express stop 4655, bad axe
  • forward sebewaing, sebewaing
  • forward shell-bad axe 185, bad axe
  • forward shell-pigeon 182, pigeon
  • kabban convenience store, bad axe
  • kinde one stop shop, kinde
  • meijer gas station 315, bad axe
  • myasski's east side party store, bad axe
  • pigeon one stop shop, pigeon
  • port hope pit stop, port hope
  • sebewaing market, sebewaing
  • speedyq markets 8213, harbor beach
  • speedyq markets 8260, bad axe
  • speedyq markets 8261, ubly
  • stacks market, owendale
  • the store of port hope, port hope

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 10167, caseville
  • dollar general 10298, pigeon
  • dollar general 10739, bad axe
  • dollar general 18453, port austin
  • dollar general 9848, sebewaing
  • dollar general 19909, ubly
  • dollar general 24263, elkton
  • dollar general store 16859, harbor beach
  • dollar tree 3153, bad axe
  • family dollar 13129, sebewaing
  • walgreens 09450, bad axe

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • hurons finest, bad axe
  • harbor beach party store, harbor beach
  • port austin foodliner, port austin

Super Store · 2

  • meijer 315, bad axe
  • walmart 1592, bad axe

Supermarket · 2

  • caseville family market 464, caseville
  • lukes supermarket, sebewaing

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • walts meat market, port austin

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • sandmann's grocery store, harbor beach

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 Huron County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Huron 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 Huron County has low food access? ▼
21.1% of residents in Huron 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 Huron County? ▼
11.3% of households in Huron County receive SNAP, covering 1,593 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Huron County? ▼
The poverty rate in Huron County, MI is 12.6%, with a median household income of $58,870 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Huron County a food desert? ▼
2 of Huron County's 12 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 Huron County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.3% of households in Huron 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.