Signature · 4.7% SNAP (0th pct in MI)
Leelanau County, MI
Leelanau County lands in the lower national band on low-access (5.7%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 5.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.7%
- on SNAP
- 23K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Leelanau County, MI
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 5.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -16.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hillsdale County ( -0.3 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Leelanau County lands in the lower national band (5.7%, #2,775 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,775
- national by low-access %
- #66
- in MI
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 247
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 4.7% SNAP (0th pct in MI) (-7.4 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Leelanau County compares nationally
Food access in Leelanau County compares favorably nationally: its 5.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 11% of them (rank #2,775).
Leelanau County's lower-band USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 6 of Leelanau 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.
Leelanau County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Crawford 6.4
Crawford 6.4%
6.4 % low-access
- Leelanau 5.7
Leelanau 5.7%
5.7 % low-access
- Hillsdale 5.4
Hillsdale 5.4%
5.4 % low-access
- Van Buren 4.9
Van Buren 4.9%
4.9 % low-access
- Kalkaska 4.6
Kalkaska 4.6%
4.6 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,708 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,246 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 247 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 22,734 |
| Median Household Income | $99,422 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 457 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
SNAP retailers in Leelanau County
Leelanau County has 14 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
10 towns share the 14 authorized stores; Traverse City holds 21% of them. 5 of the 10 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Empire, Glen Arbor, Lake Leelanau, Leland, Manton.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse City | 3 | 1 |
| Northport | 2 | 1 |
| Suttons Bay | 2 | 1 |
| Cedar | 1 | 1 |
| Empire | 1 | none |
| Glen Arbor | 1 | none |
| Lake Leelanau | 1 | none |
| Leland | 1 | none |
| Manton | 1 | none |
| Maple City | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 5
- circle k 2746182, traverse city
- deeps corner store inc, northport
- empire ez mart 408, empire
- shady lane market, suttons bay
- speedway 2301 2301, traverse city
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- anderson glen arbor market, glen arbor
- dollar general 25881, manton
- leland mercantile co, leland
- nj's grocery, lake leelanau
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- buntings cedar market, cedar
- gabe's country smokes products, maple city
Supermarket · 2
- dc collective grocer, llc, suttons bay
- toms food markets 795, northport
Super Store · 1
- toms food markets 800, traverse city
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 Leelanau County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Leelanau County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Leelanau County (4.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Michigan.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (5.7% here).
- Lake County, MT · 5.7% low-access
- Polk County, NC · 5.7% low-access
- Early County, GA · 5.7% low-access
- Jackson County, OH · 5.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (4.7% here).
- Sarpy County, NE · 4.7% SNAP
- Washington County, NE · 4.7% SNAP
- Blanco County, TX · 4.7% SNAP
- Ralls County, MO · 4.8% 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%). Leelanau County, at 5.7%, runs 17.5 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 Leelanau County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26089. 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.