Signature · 4.6% low-access (10th pct)
Kalkaska County, MI
Kalkaska County lands in the lower national band on low-access (4.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 4.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 15.6%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Kalkaska County, MI
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 4.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -17.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Missaukee County ( -0.3 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Kalkaska County lands in the lower national band (4.6%, #2,831 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,831
- national by low-access %
- #69
- in MI
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 309
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 4.6% low-access (10th pct) (-17.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Kalkaska County compares nationally
Food access in Kalkaska County compares favorably nationally: its 4.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,831).
Kalkaska County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Kalkaska County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Kalkaska County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Van Buren 4.9
Van Buren 4.9%
4.9 % low-access
- Kalkaska 4.6
Kalkaska 4.6%
4.6 % low-access
- Missaukee 4.3
Missaukee 4.3%
4.3 % low-access
- Newaygo 4.3
Newaygo 4.3%
4.3 % low-access
- Montmorency 3.9
Montmorency 3.9%
3.9 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 17,153 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 790 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 309 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,239 |
| Median Household Income | $68,578 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,216 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Kalkaska County
Kalkaska County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 9 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 23 authorized stores; Kalkaska holds 61% of them. 3 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Fife Lake, South Boardman, Mancelona.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska | 14 | 2 |
| Fife Lake | 3 | none |
| Rapid City | 3 | 1 |
| South Boardman | 2 | none |
| Mancelona | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 13934, rapid city
- dollar general 8831, kalkaska
- dollar general 20810, mancelona
- dollar general 21017, kalkaska
- dollar general 21666, fife lake
- dollar general 22111, south boardman
- dollar general 30899, kalkaska
- family dollar 11018, fife lake
- family dollar store 1413, kalkaska
Convenience Store · 9
- beacon & bridge market 21, fife lake
- country store & market 0, south boardman
- east lake general market, kalkaska
- j&h family stores - kalkaska 174, kalkaska
- kalkaska ez mart 626, kalkaska
- next door food store 5019, kalkaska
- northland speed mart, llc, kalkaska
- rapid city marketplace, rapid city
- shoppers save, kalkaska
Super Store · 2
- family fare 1513, kalkaska
- village market, rapid city
Farmers' Market · 1
- kalkaska farmers' market, kalkaska
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- cherry street market, kalkaska
Supermarket · 1
- northland food & family center, kalkaska
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Michigan
One of 82 counties in Michigan, 6 are shown here.
Compare Kalkaska County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Kalkaska County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Kalkaska County, both outside Michigan so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (4.6% here).
- Gibson County, IN · 4.6% low-access
- Sullivan County, NY · 4.6% low-access
- District of Columbia, DC · 4.6% low-access
- Baltimore city, MD · 4.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (15.6% here).
- Attala County, MS · 15.6% SNAP
- Penobscot County, ME · 15.6% SNAP
- St. Francois County, MO · 15.6% SNAP
- Payette County, ID · 15.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Michigan among East North Central states
Michigan ranks 3rd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (23.2%). Kalkaska County, at 4.6%, runs 18.6 pts below the Michigan rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Kalkaska County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26079. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.