County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Lincoln County, WI
Lincoln County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 13.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 28K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.1% of Lincoln County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 4.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.6%
- 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).
Lincoln County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.1% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,757 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Lincoln County compares nationally
Lincoln County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.1% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,265).
Lincoln County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Lincoln County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lincoln County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Lincoln
Lincoln County, WI
13.1 % 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 | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,743 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,757 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,043 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,426 |
| Median Household Income | $68,164 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,674 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 13.1% of Lincoln County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,674 households here.
- 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $68,164 with a 10.6% poverty rate.
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 Lincoln County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 3,757 residents, roughly 13.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,043 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lincoln County
Lincoln County has 24 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- circle k 2746594, merrill
- express lane 9523, merrill
- holiday stationstore 2746482, merrill
- kwik trip 386, merrill
- krist food mart 88, merrill
- kwik trip 119, tomahawk
- kwik trip 241, merrill
- rstore 4488, merrill
- rstore 4489, tomahawk
- true north energy 859, tomahawk
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 10102, tomahawk
- dollar general 21051, merrill
- dollar tree 1752, merrill
- walgreens 10574, merrill
Super Store · 3
- dave's county market, merrill
- trig's tomahawk 15, tomahawk
- walmart 1366, merrill
Farmers' Market · 2
- merrill area farmers market, merrill
- tomahawk main street farmers market, tomahawk
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- prairie pines country store, gleason
- westside market, merrill
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- geiss meat service llc, merrill
Small Grocery Store · 1
- westside market 2 2, tomahawk
Supermarket · 1
- golden harvest market 2, merrill
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Lincoln County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Lincoln 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 Lincoln County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lincoln County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln County? ▼
Is Lincoln County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lincoln 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.