PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Juneau County, WI

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

25.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
14.9%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

25.4% of Juneau County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.3%
households, no vehicle
13.0%
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 Juneau County's low-access share at 25.4%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,777 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,514 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 Juneau County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Juneau County's 25.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 60% of them and ranked #1,264 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Juneau County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Juneau 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 Juneau County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (42.9%) 2 tracts limited (28.6%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 43% Limited 29% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Juneau County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Juneau County vs. other Wisconsin counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin

% 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 Juneau County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)26,664
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population6,777
Low-Access Share25.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,514

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Juneau County
IndicatorValue
Population26,689
Median Household Income$67,270
Poverty Rate13.0%near the national average
SNAP Households1,635
SNAP Participation Rate14.9%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.9%
SNAP participation in Juneau County 14.9%

About 14.9% of Juneau County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,635 households here.
  • 4.3% 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 Juneau County

above the national share

2 of Juneau County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,777 residents, roughly 25.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,514 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Juneau County

Juneau County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • cedar springs bp, new lisbon
  • gas and go llc, mauston
  • home front travel mart 2, camp douglas
  • kwik trip 320, elroy
  • kwik trip 399, necedah
  • kwik trip 776, mauston
  • kwik trip 836, new lisbon
  • kwik trip 775, mauston
  • kwik trip 847, union center
  • mauston interstate bp, mauston
  • mike' food & liquor, mauston
  • necedah kwik mart, necedah
  • pilot travel center 164, mauston
  • pops 206, lyndon station
  • pops 207, camp douglas
  • the landing, mauston
  • wagner new lisbon, new lisbon

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 19382, elroy
  • dollar general 9944, mauston
  • dollar general 11714, necedah
  • dollar general 23970, new lisbon
  • dollar general 30501, lyndon station
  • dollar general store 17126, new lisbon
  • dollar tree 7839, mauston
  • family dollar store 3695, mauston
  • walgreens 09008, mauston

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • heritage market, wonewoc
  • jam 2 2, mauston
  • jb deli, inc., necedah

Super Store · 2

  • festival foods 42, mauston
  • hansen's iga - elroy 5, elroy

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • wisconsin river meats, mauston

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • miller's general store, lyndon station

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Juneau County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Juneau County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Juneau County has low food access? ▼
25.4% of residents in Juneau County, WI 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 Juneau County? ▼
14.9% of households in Juneau County receive SNAP, covering 1,635 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Juneau County? ▼
The poverty rate in Juneau County, WI is 13.0%, with a median household income of $67,270 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Juneau County a food desert? ▼
2 of Juneau County's 7 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 Juneau County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.3% of households in Juneau 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.