PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Ionia County, MI

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

27.3%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
13.6%
on SNAP
67K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

27.3% of Ionia County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.2%
households, no vehicle
10.6%
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 Ionia County's low-access share at 27.3%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 17,433 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,384 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 Ionia County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ionia County's 27.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,133 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Ionia County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Ionia 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 Ionia County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (69.2%) 3 tracts limited (23.1%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 69% Limited 23% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Ionia County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Ionia 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 Ionia County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)63,905
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population17,433
Low-Access Share27.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,384

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Ionia County
IndicatorValue
Population66,574
Median Household Income$75,611
Poverty Rate10.6%below the national average
SNAP Households3,177
SNAP Participation Rate13.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.1%
SNAP participation in Ionia County 13.6%

About 13.6% of Ionia County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,177 households here.
  • 6.2% 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 Ionia County

above the national share

1 of Ionia County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 17,433 residents, roughly 27.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,384 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (69.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Ionia County

Ionia County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 31

  • 66 riverside llc, orleans
  • admiral 5882, ionia
  • belding ago 4, belding
  • belding marathon, belding
  • even more purks, ionia
  • fabiano's westside grocery, portland
  • ionia city market, ionia
  • ionia marathon, ionia
  • ionia shell 4380, ionia
  • joe's market, palo
  • lake o mart, lake odessa
  • lake odessa express 83, lake odessa
  • lake odessa shell 4450, lake odessa
  • m-21 mobil, ionia
  • m66 mobil, ionia
  • more purks, ionia
  • mays corner, ionia
  • meijer gas station 303, ionia
  • muir mini mart, muir
  • om one stop shop, ionia
  • orleans petroleum llc, orleans
  • pilot travel center 23, ionia
  • portland citgo ago 615720, portland
  • portland shell 1755, portland
  • sai belding oil llc, belding
  • sai portland oil, portland
  • seans pop shop, orleans
  • speedway 2319, portland
  • speedway 3592, saranac
  • wesco 39, belding
  • woods deli llc, pewamo

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 6876, belding
  • dollar general 7564, ionia
  • dollar general 10781, saranac
  • dollar general 17765, muir
  • dollar general 20393, orleans
  • dollar general 21381, clarksville
  • dollar tree 3227, ionia
  • family dollar store 2205, belding
  • family dollar store 3746, portland
  • family dollar store 5591, lake odessa
  • jones farm market, saranac
  • walgreens 07952, ionia

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 67027 67027, ionia
  • carls market of lake odessa, lake odessa
  • ken's farm market, llc, ionia
  • leppinks inc 509, belding
  • save a lot belding 456, belding

Farmers' Market · 4

  • denny farms, saranac
  • ionia farmers market, ionia
  • ionia harvest marketplace, inc. n/a, ionia
  • market on main, ionia

Super Store · 3

  • meijer inc 303, ionia
  • toms food center inc, portland
  • walmart supercenter 5411, ionia

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • pinckney hill meat co, saranac
  • yes deer pro, orleans

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • sav-a-lot 23503, belding

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • muir village market, muir

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • hubbardston market, hubbardston

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 Ionia County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Ionia 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 Ionia County has low food access? ▼
27.3% of residents in Ionia 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 Ionia County? ▼
13.6% of households in Ionia County receive SNAP, covering 3,177 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Ionia County? ▼
The poverty rate in Ionia County, MI is 10.6%, with a median household income of $75,611 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Ionia County a food desert? ▼
1 of Ionia County's 13 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 Ionia County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.2% of households in Ionia 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.