PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Isabella County, MI

Isabella 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.

9.2%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
11.4%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

9.2% of Isabella County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
7.2%
households, no vehicle
21.9%
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).

Isabella County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 15 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,442 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,492 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 Isabella County compares nationally

Isabella County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.2% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,552).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Isabella County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Isabella 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 Isabella County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (80.0%) 1 tracts limited (6.7%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (13.3%) Adequate 80% Limited 7% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Isabella County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Isabella 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 Isabella County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)70,311
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,442
Low-Access Share9.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,492

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Isabella County
IndicatorValue
Population64,565
Median Household Income$55,237
Poverty Rate21.9%well above the national average
SNAP Households2,830
SNAP Participation Rate11.4%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.1%
SNAP participation in Isabella County 11.4%

About 11.4% of Isabella County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,830 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 Isabella County

near the national share

2 of Isabella County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,442 residents, roughly 9.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,492 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Isabella County

Isabella County has 55 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • 7-eleven 36940-a, mount pleasant
  • beal city village store, mount pleasant
  • borders corner store, mount pleasant
  • coyne convenience store, mount pleasant
  • goldsworthy's marathon 3, blanchard
  • huggy bear's general store, mount pleasant
  • j & m farm market & produce center, shepherd
  • j&h family stores kountry korners 161, mount pleasant
  • kings trading post, blanchard
  • krist food mart 45, mount pleasant
  • m brothers iii inc, mount pleasant
  • meijer gas station 69, mount pleasant
  • next door food store 5036, mt pleasant
  • next door food store 5038, mount pleasant
  • next door food store 5039, mount pleasant
  • next door food store 5070, mount pleasant
  • next door food store 5071, mount pleasant
  • old mission wine cellar, mount pleasant
  • pump n shop, mount pleasant
  • rosebush ez mart 818, rosebush
  • speedway 8810, mt pleasant
  • speedway 8811, mt pleasant
  • tgs party store, blanchard
  • weidman ez mart 895, weidman
  • winn ez mart 898, winn

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs 10098, mt pleasant
  • dollar general 10305, mount pleasant
  • dollar general 10348, shepherd
  • dollar geneal 17917, mount pleasant
  • dollar general 14987, weidman
  • dollar general 22241, rosebush
  • dollar general 22723, weidman
  • dollar general 23177, mount pleasant
  • dollar general 25324, mount pleasant
  • dollar general 31101, farwell
  • dollar tree 1754, mount pleasant
  • family dollar 13327, weidman
  • rosebush farm market, rosebush
  • walgreens 07247, mt pleasant
  • walgreens 12346, mount pleasant

Super Store · 5

  • meijer inc 069, mt pleasant
  • ric's food center, mt pleasant
  • sam's club 4982, mount pleasant
  • target store 924, mount pleasant
  • walmart 1428, mt pleasant

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 67053, mount pleasant
  • greentree cooperative, mount pleasant
  • gordon food service store mp050, mt pleasant
  • r & r family stores, weidman

Farmers' Market · 2

  • mt. pleasant farmers' market, mount pleasant
  • mt. pleasant farmers' market ii, mount pleasant

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • schafer's bakery mt. pl 50043, mount pleasant

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • country corner market and deli, mount pleasant

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • smith & sons meat processing inc, mount pleasant

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • central international market, mount pleasant

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 Isabella County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Isabella 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 Isabella County has low food access? ▼
9.2% of residents in Isabella 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 Isabella County? ▼
11.4% of households in Isabella County receive SNAP, covering 2,830 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Isabella County? ▼
The poverty rate in Isabella County, MI is 21.9%, with a median household income of $55,237 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Isabella County a food desert? ▼
2 of Isabella County's 15 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 Isabella County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.2% of households in Isabella 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.