County food-access profile · Michigan
Ingham County, MI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ingham 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).
- 38.0%
- low-access pop.
- 25
- food-desert tracts
- 12.1%
- on SNAP
- 284K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
38.0% of Ingham County residents live in a low-access area, and 25 of its 80 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 47
- low-access tracts
- 40K
- food-desert residents
- 8.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.7%
- 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 Ingham County's low-access share at 38.0%, above the national share. 47 of the county's 80 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 106,765 people. 25 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 40,215 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 Ingham County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ingham County's 38.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #485 most-affected nationwide.
Ingham County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 80 census tracts in Ingham County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Ingham County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Ingham
Ingham County, MI
38 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger 12.8
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 | 80 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 280,895 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 47 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 25 |
| Low-Access Population | 106,765 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 40,215 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 283,913 |
| Median Household Income | $65,526 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 14,161 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.3% |
About 12.1% of Ingham County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 38.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 14,161 households here.
- 8.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 25 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 Ingham County
above the national share
25 of Ingham County's 80 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 31.3% of all its tracts.
A further 22 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 47.
An estimated 106,765 residents, roughly 38.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 40,215 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 33 tracts (41.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Ingham County
Ingham County has 232 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 117 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 117
- 117 tj fuel, williamston
- 7-eleven # 36924c 36924, east lansing
- 7-eleven #36897 36897, holt
- 7-eleven 36896-c, east lansing
- 7-eleven 36928-b, okemos
- airport party store, lansing
- admiral 181, williamston
- admiral 5816, lansing
- ba brown llc, lansing
- bad habits 1, lansing
- baker super liquor, lansing
- big ten party store holt 1, lansing
- bs liquor, lansing
- clones country store, onondaga
- capital city wine & spirits, lansing
- capital party store 1, lansing
- clark gas station, lansing
- drsd party store, lansing
- dewitt sunoco, lansing
- eric's market, lansing
- express stop 4668, stockbridge
- fairview corners market, mason
- fox island party store, lansing
- gas & go 7 llc, lansing
- go green 754, lansing
- grand river sunoco corner, lansing
- gursirat inc, holt
- holt convenience inc., holt
- j&h family stores - carriage hills marathon 139, east lansing
- j&h family stores - trowbridge marathon 138, east lansing
- jackpot party store, lansing
- kajal liquor inc, lansing
- kirat oil inc, lansing
- krish krisha 2, haslett
- louies party store, lansing
- lansing citgo 48, lansing
- lansing gas station, lansing
- liquor express lansing inc, lansing
- mugg&bopps 4, stockbridge
- marathon, lansing
- marathon of haslett, haslett
- mario's market, lansing
- market on the squared na, lansing
- md mini mart, lansing
- meijer gas station 174, mason
- meijer gas station 25, okemos
- meijer gas station 253, east lansing
- meijer gas station 324, lansing
- mlk corner inc, lansing
- motown mini mart inc, lansing
- mt hope fuel mart inc, lansing
- naing myanmar international grocery, lansing
- penn mill plaza liquor, lansing
- pete's hy-grade market, lansing
- quality dairy co 04, lansing
- quality dairy co 06, lansing
- quality dairy co 10, lansing
- quality dairy co 11, lansing
- quality dairy co 15, haslett
- quality dairy co 17, lansing
- quality dairy co 18, holt
- quality dairy co 2, lansing
- quality dairy co 20, lansing
- quality dairy co 22, lansing
- quality dairy co 25, lansing
- quality dairy co 27, east lansing
- quality dairy co 28, lansing
- quality dairy co 3, lansing
- quality dairy co 30, mason
- quality dairy co 31, okemos
- quality dairy co 5, lansing
- quality dairy co 9, lansing
- quicky 2, lansing
- rich oil 2334, leslie
- rich's country store, lansing
- rocks party store 1, lansing
- romarios convenience store llc 1, lansing
- ronalds international supermarket, lansing
- ronny's liquor store, lansing
- royal liquor, lansing
- royal wine and spirits, holt
- save on market, lansing
- shaanveer llc 1, dansville
- short stop mkt, lansing
- south washington liquor store, lansing
- speedway 2211, east lansing
- speedway 2234, mason
- speedway 2298, okemos
- speedway 2305 2305, lansing
- speedway 2371 2371, lansing
- speedway 6616 6616, lansing
- speedway 7090 7090, lansing
- speedway 7190, east lansing
- speedway 8784 8784, lansing
- speedway 8785, lansing
- speedway 8789, lansing
- speedway 8791, lansing
- speedway 8792 8792, lansing
- speedway 8793 8793, lansing
- speedway 8795, lansing
- speedway 8796, lansing
- speedway 8877, williamston
- st ides village food market, lansing
- st louis ez mart 231643111 860, east lansing
- stockbridge holdings, stockbridge
- sunoco, lansing
- t jat llc, lansing
- tonys party store, lansing
- toolan's, lansing
- vice convenience, lansing
- village party store, lansing
- von's food market, lansing
- webberville party store, webberville
- webberville service station, llc, webberville
- westside spirts, lansing
- willow sunoco llc, lansing
- z&m holdings, lansing
Combination Grocery/Other · 52
- cvs 8054, holt
- cvs 8282, east lansing
- chin star asian grocery 1122, lansing
- dollar general 10041, stockbridge
- dollar general 10261, lansing
- dollar general 18481, lansing
- dollar general 18841, dansville
- dollar general 7957, lansing
- dollar general 9868, lansing
- dollar general 9958, holt
- dollar tree 2269, lansing
- dollar tree 4677, lansing
- dollartree 10377, holt
- dollartree 10729, haslett
- dollartree 10792, east lansing
- dollartree 7072, lansing
- dollartree 9362, williamston
- dollartree 9652, leslie
- darrells market, mason
- didas marketplace, lansing
- dollar general 12234, leslie
- dollar general 14891, lansing
- dollar general 15185, mason
- dollar general 16869, lansing
- dollar general 20716, lansing
- dollar general 24217, onondaga
- dollar general 25223, stockbridge
- dollar general 30344, williamston
- dollar general store 10748, lansing
- dollar general store 12869, webberville
- dollar tree 185, okemos
- dollar tree 5770, lansing
- dollar tree 7172, mason
- dollar tree 8053, lansing
- family dollar 9434, lansing
- family dollar store 10062, lansing
- family dollar store 3882, holt
- family dollar store 5516, lansing
- family dollar store 5523, lansing
- family dollar store 7329, lansing
- family dollar store 7715, mason
- fish market & grocery, lansing
- honey baked ham & cafe 1709, okemos
- lotte market, okemos
- new oriental mart, east lansing
- swadesh food mart, okemos
- swagath foods, east lansing
- walgreens #6369 06369, lansing
- walgreens 5503, lansing
- walgreens 5841, lansing
- walgreens 11286, okemos
- win family grocery store llc 1, lansing
Super Store · 21
- capital city market 662, lansing
- costco wholesale 1277, east lansing
- d&w 1903, williamston
- fresh thyme market 601lan, east lansing
- kroger store 793, okemos
- kroger store 852, lansing
- kroger store 890, east lansing
- kroger 884, lansing
- kroger 887, holt
- meijer 253, east lansing
- meijer inc 052, east lansing
- meijer inc 174, mason
- meijer inc 25, okemos
- meijer inc 324, lansing
- sam's club 4781, lansing
- target store 361, lansing
- target store 365, okemos
- target store t3278, east lansing
- walmart 2866, okemos
- walmart 2867, lansing
- whole foods market 10541, east lansing
Medium Grocery Store · 14
- 1910 investments inc, lansing
- american international bulk food, lansing
- bobo asian grocery & gift, lansing
- dong an market, lansing
- global food market, lansing
- halal meat & grocery, lansing
- international food mart, lansing
- international market one 0, lansing
- iwacu international supermarket, lansing
- karibu international food market, lansing
- merts speciality meats, okemos
- seahouse fish & chicken inc 1, lansing
- sunset food market, lansing
- zee's supermarket, lansing
Farmers' Market · 8
- allen neighborhood center, lansing
- east lansing farmers market, east lansing
- farmers markets at the capitol, lansing
- holt farmers market, holt
- meridian township farmers market, okemos
- south lansing farmers market 1, lansing
- sowing growth, inc 1, williamston
- westside lansing farmers market, lansing
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 67018 67018, okemos
- aldi 67019 67019, lansing
- better health market, lansing
- gordon food service store mp003, lansing
- gordon food service store mp151, okemos
- great giant of lansing, lansing
- trader joe's east lansing 804, east lansing
- tom's food center 97, okemos
Small Grocery Store · 7
- east lansing food co-operative, lansing
- king world mini mart, lansing
- la frontera south, lansing
- plane food market, stockbridge
- swagath foods, okemos
- triple e international market llc, lansing
- umoja supermarket network, lansing
Large Grocery Store · 5
- don pancho market, lansing
- gormans food market, lansing
- merindorf meats and more, mason
- supermercado la estrellita, lansing
- westlund's apple market, lansing
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Ingham County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Ingham 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 Ingham County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ingham County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Ingham County? ▼
Is Ingham County a food desert? ▼
What share of Ingham 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.