County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Kenosha County, WI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kenosha 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).
- 28.6%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 12.2%
- on SNAP
- 168K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.6% of Kenosha County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 35 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 16K
- food-desert residents
- 4.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.5%
- 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 Kenosha County's low-access share at 28.6%, above the national share. 19 of the county's 35 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 47,552 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 15,890 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 Kenosha County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kenosha County's 28.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 67% of them and ranked #1,034 most-affected nationwide.
Kenosha County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 35 census tracts in Kenosha County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Kenosha County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Kenosha
Kenosha County, WI
28.6 % low-access
- Adams 9.9
Adams County, WI
9.9 % low-access
- Ashland
Ashland County, WI
28.5 % low-access
- Barron
Barron County, WI
17.8 % low-access
- Bayfield
Bayfield County, WI
30.2 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, WI
25 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 35 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 166,426 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 47,552 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 15,890 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 168,438 |
| Median Household Income | $81,239 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,401 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.2%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
About 12.2% of Kenosha County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,401 households here.
- 4.9% 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 Kenosha County
above the national share
8 of Kenosha County's 35 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.9% of all its tracts.
A further 11 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.
An estimated 47,552 residents, roughly 28.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 15,890 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 16 tracts (45.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Kenosha County
Kenosha County has 117 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 62 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 62
- 52nd street quick stop, kenosha
- 6119 food mart inc, kenosha
- 7-eleven #35842b #35842b, kenosha
- ali petroleum of kenosha inc, kenosha
- american gas, kenosha
- billionaire choice gas mart, kenosha
- bono, kenosha
- bp express, kenosha
- bp kenosha travel plaza, kenosha
- brass ball mobil, salem
- bristol bp, bristol
- citgo quickmart, kenosha
- fiza inc. no, kenosha
- fontes food store, kenosha
- food mart, kenosha
- kwik trip 312, kenosha
- kwik trip 371, kenosha
- kenosha food mart, kenosha
- kenosha gas stop, kenosha
- kwik spirits 528, kenosha
- kwik trip 107, somers
- kwik trip 1091, pleasant prairie
- kwik trip 1092, salem
- kwik trip 172, pleasant prairie
- kwik trip 230, pleasant prairie
- kwik trip 296, pleasant prairie
- kwik trip 597, kenosha
- kwik trip 938, kenosha
- kwik trip 974, kenosha
- kwik trip 975, kenosha
- lakeview sales of kenosha 1, kenosha
- mannys food & liquor, kenosha
- marj petro, kenosha
- mehrana petroleum llc, kenosha
- meijer gas station 284, kenosha
- mobil gas genoa city, kenosha
- moe moes supermarket, kenosha
- northside superette, kenosha
- ohm fuel mart, kenosha
- paddock lake citgo, salem
- pantry 41 citgo, pleasant prairie
- preet petroleum, bristol
- quality grocery, kenosha
- r&d iv, pleasant prairie
- roosevelt citgo, kenosha
- salmeron-aguirre market, kenosha
- shahin petroleum, kenosha
- somers amoco, kenosha
- speedway 2088, kenosha
- speedway 2122, kenosha
- speedway 4029 4029, kenosha
- speedway 7434, kenosha
- speedway 7465, kenosha
- stateline quik shop gei - 102, pleasant prairie
- stein bp, kenosha
- tom's bp, kenosha
- trevor citgo, trevor
- trevor mini mart, trevor
- twin lakes bp, twin lakes
- wilson foods, kenosha
- woodcreek bp, kenosha
- westown foods & liquor, kenosha
Combination Grocery/Other · 27
- cvs 2933, kenosha
- cvs pharmacy 8774, kenosha
- cvs pharmacy 8777, kenosha
- dollar general 10934, kenosha
- dollartree 8084, salem
- dollartree 8703, pleasant prairie
- dollartree 9486, twin lakes
- dollar general 20784, kenosha
- dollar general 21226, trevor
- dollar general 21533, kenosha
- dollar general 25216, salem
- dollar general store 12482, twin lakes
- dollar tree 3962, kenosha
- dollar tree 5498, kenosha
- dollar tree 752, kenosha
- family dollar store 10987, kenosha
- family dollar store 1761, kenosha
- family dollar store 4014, kenosha
- family dollar store 6019, kenosha
- indian spice & grocery, kenosha
- walgreens 03153, kenosha
- walgreens 03617, kenosha
- walgreens 03738, kenosha
- walgreens 5935, salem
- walgreens 07965, pleasant prairie
- walgreens 09605, kenosha
- walgreens 12413, kenosha
Super Store · 15
- berkot's super foods 1483, twin lakes
- costco wholesale 1198, pleasant prairie
- express market by festival foods 35, salem
- festival foods 25, kenosha
- festival foods 32, kenosha
- fresh thyme market 704ken, kenosha
- kenosha north piggly wiggly, kenosha
- meijer 284, kenosha
- pick 'n save 6871, kenosha
- pick 'n save 6874, kenosha
- piggly wiggly supermarket 209, kenosha
- sam's club 6331, kenosha
- target store 2251, pleasant prairie
- walmart supercenter 1167, kenosha
- woodman's food market 27, kenosha
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 64096, kenosha
- aldi 65007, kenosha
- best bargains inc, burlington
- lomeli butcher shop, kenosha
Farmers' Market · 3
- harbormarket at lincoln park live, kenosha
- kenosha common markets, inc., kenosha
- kenosha public market, inc., kenosha
Small Grocery Store · 3
- moe moes fresh market, kenosha
- tacos to go supermarket, kenosha
- westown 3, kenosha
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- super mercado nuevo centro, kenosha
- supermercado los corales, kenosha
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- hometown meats, kenosha
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Kenosha County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Kenosha County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Kenosha County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kenosha County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Kenosha County? ▼
Is Kenosha County a food desert? ▼
What share of Kenosha 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.