PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Iosco County, MI

Iosco 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.

12.9%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.8%
on SNAP
25K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

12.9% of Iosco County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
7.2%
households, no vehicle
17.7%
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).

Iosco County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.9% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,352 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,369 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 Iosco County compares nationally

Iosco County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.9% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,281).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Iosco County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Iosco 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 Iosco County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (77.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 78% Limited 0% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Iosco County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Iosco 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 Iosco County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)25,887
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population3,352
Low-Access Share12.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,369

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Iosco County
IndicatorValue
Population25,347
Median Household Income$50,066
Poverty Rate17.7%above the national average
SNAP Households1,739
SNAP Participation Rate14.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Iosco County 14.8%

About 14.8% of Iosco County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,739 households here.
  • 7.2% 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 Iosco County

near the national share

2 of Iosco County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

An estimated 3,352 residents, roughly 12.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,369 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (77.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Iosco County

Iosco County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • corky's general store, hale
  • county fair store, hale
  • dam store, oscoda
  • dores store 22, tawas city
  • dores stores 10, whittemore
  • east tawas ez mart, east tawas
  • forward marathon-oscoda 137, oscoda
  • forward shell tawas 117, tawas city
  • forward shell-hale 128, hale
  • gilberts drug store inc, oscoda
  • hale marathon, hale
  • lakebreeze party store, national city
  • murphy usa 7694, tawas city
  • party and food center, oscoda
  • pete's party store, oscoda
  • south branch general store, south branch
  • speedway 5503, oscoda
  • sunrise travel centers inc, oscoda
  • the bear store, hale

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar general 6738, oscoda
  • dollartree 10749, tawas city
  • dollartree 9681, oscoda
  • dollar general 20085, whittemore
  • dollar general 25882, oscoda
  • dollar general 25937, hale
  • dollar general 30786, tawas city
  • dollar general 30843, hale
  • family dollar store 3292, oscoda
  • family dollar store 5456, hale
  • neiman's family market -tawas, tawas city
  • roger's, oscoda
  • rogers family foods, hale

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • freels market, tawas city
  • klenows market, east tawas
  • our daily bread bulk food, whittemore

Super Store · 2

  • family fare 1519, oscoda
  • walmart supercenter 5376, tawas city

Farmers' Market · 1

  • northeast michigan regional farm market, east tawas

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • alward's market of hale, hale

Supermarket · 1

  • louie's fresh market oscoda 653, oscoda

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 Iosco County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Iosco 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 Iosco County has low food access? ▼
12.9% of residents in Iosco 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 Iosco County? ▼
14.8% of households in Iosco County receive SNAP, covering 1,739 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Iosco County? ▼
The poverty rate in Iosco County, MI is 17.7%, with a median household income of $50,066 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Iosco County a food desert? ▼
2 of Iosco County's 9 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 Iosco County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.2% of households in Iosco 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.