County food-access profile · Michigan
Mackinac County, MI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Mackinac 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).
- 34.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.6% of Mackinac County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 10.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.1%
- 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 Mackinac County's low-access share at 34.6%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 5 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 3,850 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,553 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 Mackinac County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mackinac County's 34.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #621 most-affected nationwide.
Mackinac County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Mackinac County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mackinac County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Mackinac
Mackinac County, MI
34.6 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger 12.8
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 | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 11,113 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,850 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,553 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,957 |
| Median Household Income | $63,909 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 617 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.1%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.4% |
About 11.9% of Mackinac County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 617 households here.
- 10.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Mackinac County
above the national share
2 of Mackinac County's 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 3,850 residents, roughly 34.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,553 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mackinac County
Mackinac County has 13 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 5 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 18249, cedarville
- dollar general 17355, saint ignace
- dollar general 20373, curtis
- family dollar 8226, cedarville
- family dollar store 1421, saint ignace
Convenience Store · 4
- circle k 2746204, saint ignace
- k&v grocery inc, moran
- midjim convenience store, saint ignace
- pines trading post, saint ignace
Large Grocery Store · 1
- douds market, mackinac island
Small Grocery Store · 1
- d & d red owl, engadine
Super Store · 1
- family fare 1530, saint ignace
Supermarket · 1
- cedarville foods, cedarville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Mackinac County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Mackinac 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 Mackinac County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mackinac County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mackinac County? ▼
Is Mackinac County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mackinac 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.