County food-access profile · Michigan
Kalamazoo County, MI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kalamazoo 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).
- 30.3%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 11.2%
- on SNAP
- 262K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.3% of Kalamazoo County residents live in a low-access area, and 10 of its 57 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 26
- low-access tracts
- 20K
- food-desert residents
- 7.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.7%
- 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).
USDA data puts Kalamazoo County's low-access share at 30.3%, above the national share. 26 of the county's 57 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 75,750 people. 10 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 20,206 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 Kalamazoo County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kalamazoo County's 30.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #912 most-affected nationwide.
Kalamazoo County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 57 census tracts in Kalamazoo County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Kalamazoo County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo County, MI
30.3 % 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 | 57 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 250,331 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 26 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 75,750 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 20,206 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 262,375 |
| Median Household Income | $72,532 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 12,009 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
About 11.2% of Kalamazoo County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 12,009 households here.
- 7.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 10 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 Kalamazoo County
above the national share
10 of Kalamazoo County's 57 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 17.5% of all its tracts.
A further 16 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 26.
An estimated 75,750 residents, roughly 30.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 20,206 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 31 tracts (54.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County has 210 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 120 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 120
- 13 1/2 quick stop, kalamazoo
- 7-eleven 15986b, kalamazoo
- 9th st citgo 39, kalamazoo
- atm gas, kalamazoo
- admiral 5726, portage
- augusta shell 1030, augusta
- bp gas, galesburg
- barrett's smokehouse, portage
- benipal gas & food mart llc, kalamazoo
- benipal liquor llc, kalamazoo
- bn food & gas, kalamazoo
- bottoms up, kalamazoo
- bp portage, portage
- bronco liquor llc, kalamazoo
- bronco mart, kalamazoo
- c store portage, portage
- circle k 4706312, comstock township
- campus marathon, kalamazoo
- circle k 4706205, kalamazoo
- circle k 6302, richland
- clark gas station, kalamazoo
- climax market, climax
- cork street johnnys 1130, kalamazoo
- crosstown johnnys 1160, kalamazoo
- d ave fuel plaza, kalamazoo
- d avenue citgo 615728, kalamazoo
- dn's party store, portage
- daane's, portage
- dayshas convenience store, kalamazoo
- devayu inc, galesburg
- doughterys corners market, kalamazoo
- douglas party store, kalamazoo
- dylan liquors, llc, kalamazoo
- dylan quick mart, kalamazoo
- ez mart, kalamazoo
- east main food and beverage, kalamazoo
- eastwood market, kalamazoo
- edison supermarket kalamazoo, kalamazoo
- express mart, vicksburg
- express stop 4682, schoolcraft
- express stop 4683, kalamazoo
- express stop 4684, richland
- gk 7 petroleum, kalamazoo
- galesburg shell 1250, galesburg
- gm party pantry, kalamazoo
- j and b discount liquor, kalamazoo
- j&h family stores - m-43 157, kalamazoo
- j&h family stores - shaver road 164, portage
- j&a convenience store, kalamazoo
- jj land llc, portage
- jack's party store, kalamazoo
- jhikka land llc, galesburg
- kalamazoo shell and mart, kalamazoo
- kalamazoo shell and mart, kalamazzoo
- kartaar aag, kalamazoo
- kilgore party store, kalamazoo
- kilgore sunoco, kalamazoo
- king market, kalamazoo
- lesmans market, kalamazoo
- long lake market 20-1215834, portage
- love's travel stop 878, alamo
- meijer gas station 119, kalamazoo
- meijer gas station 196, portage
- meijer gas station 21, kalamazoo
- meijer gas station 22, portage
- mill street market, kalamazoo
- milwood quick stop, kalamazoo
- mini mart, kalamazoo
- munchie mart, kalamazoo
- natural health food center, kalamazoo
- novedades y artesanias mireya llc, kalamazoo
- npkkg, fulton
- on the wings market, portage
- on the rocks, kalamazoo
- ps douglas, kalamazoo
- pv liquor llc, kalamazoo
- paul's pantry, kalamazoo
- portage citgo 19, portage
- portage rd shell 4770, portage
- priya,inc, kalamazoo
- rich oil 7785 7785, kalamazoo
- richland23 inc, richland
- s & m 2006 llc, kalamazoo
- sunny liquor store, kalamazoo
- sahajleen, kalamazoo
- sams discount liquor 1, kalamazoo
- sappers llc, portage
- south westnedge market llc, kalamazoo
- speedway 2275, portage
- speedway 2360, kalamazoo
- speedway 2380, kalamazoo
- speedway 2383, portage
- speedway 3561, kalamazoo
- speedway 3582, portage
- speedway 6610, kalamazoo
- speedway 6612, kalamazoo
- speedway 6615, vicksburg
- speedway 7096, schoolcraft
- speedway 7490 7490, kalamazoo
- speedway 7654, kalamazoo
- speedway 8729, kalamazoo
- speedway 8777, kalamazoo
- speedway 8778 8778, kalamazoo
- speedway 8827, portage
- sprinkle beer mart, portage
- sprinkle citgo 37, portage
- sprinkle rd bp, kalamazoo
- stadium dr citgo 615710, kalamazoo
- stadium liquor, kalamazoo
- stadium marathon, kalamazoo
- sunset market, vicksburg
- sweet convenience party store, portage
- the den party store, kalamazoo
- tri lakes portage llc, portage
- vag 1, kalamazoo
- valley market, kalamazoo
- vicksburg shell 4880, vicksburg
- west main marathon, kalamazoo
- west main party store, kalamazoo
- ziggy's, kalamazoo
Combination Grocery/Other · 37
- cvs 10548, kalamazoo
- dollar general 10081, richland
- dollar general 10793, kalamazoo
- dollar general 18105, kalamazoo
- dollar general 18543, portage
- dollar general 5869, kalamazoo
- dollar general 6414, galesburg
- dollar general 6916, kalamazoo
- dollar general 7318, vicksburg
- dollar general 7330, schoolcraft
- dollar general 8484, kalamazoo
- dollar tree 0120, kalamazoo
- dollar tree 0678, portage
- dollartree 9478, kalamazoo
- dollar general 21529, kalamazoo
- dollar general 21779, kalamazoo
- dollar general 21876, augusta
- dollar general 23222, kalamazoo
- dollar general 23281, kalamazoo
- dollar general 30713, vicksburg
- dollar tree 4642, kalamazoo
- dollar tree 5218, kalamazoo
- dollar tree 5480, portage
- family dollar 12269, kalamazoo
- family dollar 5492, kalamazoo
- family dollar store 6980, kalamazoo
- family dollar store 7574, kalamazoo
- honeybaked ham & cafe 1707, portage
- stubbys, vicksburg
- walgreens #7430 07430, kalamazoo
- walgreens 4991, kalamazoo
- walgreens 07894, kalamazoo
- walgreens 10080, portage
- walgreens 10081, portage
- walgreens 12849, kalamazoo
- walgreens 15690, kalamazoo
- world of spices, portage
Super Store · 21
- costco wholesale 1191, kalamazoo
- d&w fresh market 1575, kalamazoo
- family fare 1999, vicksburg
- fresh thyme market 607ptg, portage
- hardings market 421, richland
- hardings market 388, portage
- hardings market 397, kalamazoo
- hardings market 400, kalamazoo
- hardings marketplace 423, portage
- kalamazoo market ii inc., kalamazoo
- kalamazoo market inc, kalamazoo
- meijer inc 119, kalamazoo
- meijer inc 196, portage
- meijer inc 21, kalamazoo
- meijer inc 22, portage
- sam's club 6661, portage
- target store 604, portage
- target store 901, kalamazoo
- walmart 5065, kalamazoo
- walmart supercenter 5064, kalamazoo
- walmart supercenter 5280, portage
Supermarket · 15
- aldi 67040, portage
- aldi 67042 67042, kalamazoo
- aldi 67140, portage
- aldi 74174 74174, kalamazoo
- gordon food service store mp004, portage
- gordon food service store mp055, kalamazoo
- h & b market, portage
- hardings friendly market 382, kalamazoo
- hardings market, kalamazoo
- hardings market, schoolcraft
- hardings market 398, galesburg
- hardings market 902, kalamazoo
- sawall health food products inc, kalamazoo
- town and country supermarket, kalamazoo
- trader joe's 708, kalamazoo
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- asifiwe supermarket, kalamazoo
- bodega market, kalamazoo
- la hispanica, kalamazoo
- supercaniceria las palmas, kalamazoo
- tienda guatemalteca llc, kalamazoo
- v & v quality meats inc, kalamazoo
Farmers' Market · 4
- kalamazoo farmers market, kalamazoo
- portage farmer's market, portage
- texas township farmers' market, kalamazoo
- vicksburg farmers market, vicksburg
Large Grocery Store · 3
- el ranchero supermarket, kalamazoo
- keckler's save a lot 23379 23379, kalamazoo
- pacific rim food, portage
Bakery Specialty · 1
- aunt millies bakery outlet 50020, kalamazoo
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- peoples food co-op of kalamazoo, kalamazoo
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- galesburg meat company, galesburg
Small Grocery Store · 1
- africana, kalamazoo
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Kalamazoo County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kalamazoo County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Kalamazoo County? ▼
Is Kalamazoo County a food desert? ▼
What share of Kalamazoo 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.