County food-access profile · Michigan
Jackson County, MI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Jackson 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).
- 30.4%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 13.7%
- on SNAP
- 160K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.4% of Jackson County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 17K
- food-desert residents
- 6.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.6%
- 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 Jackson County's low-access share at 30.4%, above the national share. 17 of the county's 38 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 48,665 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 17,395 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 Jackson County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Jackson County's 30.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #907 most-affected nationwide.
Jackson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 38 census tracts in Jackson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Jackson County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Jackson
Jackson County, MI
30.4 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger
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 | 38 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 160,248 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 48,665 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 17,395 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 160,060 |
| Median Household Income | $66,073 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,556 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.8% |
About 13.7% of Jackson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,556 households here.
- 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Jackson County
above the national share
8 of Jackson County's 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.1% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 17.
An estimated 48,665 residents, roughly 30.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 17,395 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 21 tracts (55.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Jackson County
Jackson County has 150 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 83 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 83
- 7-eleven 36925-a, jackson
- admiral, michigan center
- admiral, jackson
- admiral, jackson
- airport road shell 1000, jackson
- amanati's take out, jackson
- b & s corner convenience store, jackson
- b&b express 77, napoleon
- bob's takeout, jackson
- bp, jackson
- bp airport rd, jackson
- brooklyn convenience llc, brooklyn
- c store marathon gas station, springport
- express stop, jackson
- express stop 4644, horton
- express stop 4653, jackson
- express stop 4657, hanover
- express stop 4675, jackson
- express stop 4676, jackson
- gee farms nursery & greenhouses, stockbridge
- greenwood liquor & food market llc, jackson
- jacks take out 1, jackson
- jackson crossing shell 1400, jackson
- jackson sdm 173, jackson
- jugheads, norvell
- kelly express mart 53, clarklake
- kelly express mart 57, jackson
- kelly express mart 73, jackson
- kelly express mart 74, jackson
- kelly express mart 76, jackson
- keys party store, jackson
- lakeside party store, jackson
- lakeside liquor store, michigan center
- lansing ave ps mart 3004, jackson
- lightning quick gas n go 30, horton
- lightning quick gas n go 17, concord
- lightning quick gas n go 25, parma
- lightning quick gas n go 26, grass lake
- lightning quick gas n go 31, cement city
- m&m's liquor inc., jackson
- m50quickstop, rives junction
- mugg&bopps 11, pleasant lake
- mugg&bopps 16, munith
- mugg&bopps 8, grass lake
- meijer gas station 30, jackson
- meijer gas station 55, sterling heights
- meijer gas station 56, jackson
- michigan center johnny's 1690, michigan center
- new quick mart, jackson
- nwa fuel mart llc 1, jackson
- parnall party mart, jackson
- ps food mart 3007, jackson
- parma bp inc, parma
- parma sdm llc 172, parma
- power party store, jackson
- ps food mart 1027, concord
- pulaski mall, hanover
- raman, inc dba the party port, jackson
- royal liquor food market 1, jackson
- s a xpress, spring arbor
- s g mini mart inc, jackson
- smy mini mart, grass lake
- save time 96 96, jackson
- save time 97, jackson
- save time 98, grass lake
- seymour party store, jackson
- simple petroleum inc, jackson
- speedway 1407, jackson
- speedway 5519, jackson
- speedway 7784, jackson
- springport trading post, springport
- stop one party store 1, jackson
- take out party store, jackson
- tim's market, michigan center
- village liquor, jackson
- vandercook shell 1900, jackson
- vandy's liquor, jackson
- wesco 11, brooklyn
- wesco 12, jackson
- west ave ps mart 3006, jackson
- wildwood spee-d-mart 1960, jackson
- yogi's, jackson
- zina fuel, jackson
Combination Grocery/Other · 38
- cvs 8041, brooklyn
- cvs 8268, jackson
- dollar general 13699, jackson
- dollar general 18043, horton
- dollar general 18438, jackson
- dollar general 18885, jackson
- dollar general 19392, springport
- dollar general 5838, brooklyn
- dollar general 6025, jackson
- dollar general 7858, jackson
- dollar general 9410, michigan center
- dollartree 10750, jackson
- dollar general 11128, parma
- dollar general 12375, jackson
- dollar general 12490, spring arbor
- dollar general 16064, jackson
- dollar general 17068, concord
- dollar general 17943, clarklake
- dollar general 21198, jackson
- dollar general 21222, jackson
- dollar general 30739, jackson
- dollar general 5888, jackson
- dollar general 6278, jackson
- dollar general store 13201, jackson
- dollar general store 16401, napoleon
- dollar general store 17478, pleasant lake
- dollar general store 17713, grass lake
- dollar tree 169, jackson
- dollar tree 4546, jackson
- dollar tree 6936, brooklyn
- family dollar 13748, pleasant lake
- family dollar store 1334, jackson
- family dollar store 2310, jackson
- family dollar store 6911, jackson
- family dollar store 7313, jackson
- family dollar store 7731, jackson
- walgreens 5707, jackson
- walgreens 09133, jackson
Super Store · 12
- country market 66, brooklyn
- frank's shop-rite, grass lake
- kroger store 680, jackson
- meijer inc 056, jackson
- meijer inc 30, jackson
- polly's 5, jackson
- polly's country market 16, jackson
- polly's food service 14, jackson
- polly's food service 6, jackson
- sam's club 6658, jackson
- target store 673, jackson
- walmart 5160, jackson
Supermarket · 5
- a & a ii, jackson
- aldi 67030 67030, jackson
- aldi 67111, jackson
- gordon food service store mp018, jackson
- hutch's food center, spring arbor
Farmers' Market · 3
- grand river farmers market, jackson
- grass lake farmers market, grass lake
- green market at allegiance health, jackson
Large Grocery Store · 2
- prime cuts, jackson
- rives quality meats, rives junction
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- concord meats & sweets, concord
- the beef barn, jackson
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- hanover market, hanover
- seahouse fish & chicken ii 1, jackson
Small Grocery Store · 2
- keyes produce, jackson
- northwast meat market, jackson
Bakery Specialty · 1
- holsum bread box 50001, jackson
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Jackson County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Jackson 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 Jackson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Jackson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Jackson County? ▼
Is Jackson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Jackson 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.