Signature · 9.6% low-access (20th pct)
Manistee County, MI
Manistee County lands in the lower national band on low-access (9.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 9.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.1%
- on SNAP
- 25K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Manistee County, MI
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 9.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -12.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Cheboygan County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Manistee County lands in the lower national band (9.6%, #2,514 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,514
- national by low-access %
- #60
- in MI
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 527
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 9.6% low-access (20th pct) (-12.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Manistee County compares nationally
Manistee County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.6% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,514).
Manistee County's lower-band USDA tier split
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Manistee County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (6 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Manistee County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Houghton 10.5
Houghton 10.5%
10.5 % low-access
- Manistee 9.6
Manistee 9.6%
9.6 % low-access
- Cheboygan 9.4
Cheboygan 9.4%
9.4 % low-access
- Oceana 9.3
Oceana 9.3%
9.3 % low-access
- Isabella 9.2
Isabella 9.2%
9.2 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,733 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,367 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 527 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,350 |
| Median Household Income | $63,516 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,275 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Manistee County
Manistee County has 28 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 28 authorized stores; Manistee holds 43% of them. 4 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Copemish, Kaleva, Brethren, Onekama.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Manistee | 12 | 2 |
| Bear Lake | 6 | 2 |
| Wellston | 4 | 1 |
| Copemish | 2 | none |
| Kaleva | 2 | none |
| Brethren | 1 | none |
| Onekama | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 12
- b c 2 256, bear lake
- brethren ez mart 292, brethren
- copemish e-z mart 360, copemish
- dublin ez mart 396, wellston
- family fare express 711, manistee
- filer e-z mart 432, manistee
- kaleva party store, kaleva
- meijer gas station 279, manistee
- onekama ez market 734, onekama
- orchard lane country store, bear lake
- wesco 33, manistee
- wesco 36, manistee
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 6328, manistee
- dollar general 6632, bear lake
- dollar general 12354, wellston
- dollar general 19959, kaleva
- dollar general 24436, bear lake
- dollar general store 12652, copemish
- dollar tree 1531, manistee
- family dollar store 2622, manistee
- walgreens 11310, manistee
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- bear lake market, bear lake
- saddle up gas & grocery, bear lake
Super Store · 2
- family fare 647, manistee
- meijer 279, manistee
Farmers' Market · 1
- manistee farmers market, manistee
Small Grocery Store · 1
- m-55 market, wellston
Supermarket · 1
- dublin general store, wellston
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 Manistee County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Manistee County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Manistee 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 (9.6% here).
- Hancock County, IA · 9.6% low-access
- Rolette County, ND · 9.6% low-access
- Warren County, TN · 9.6% low-access
- Jefferson County, WI · 9.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (12.1% here).
- Crawford County, MO · 12.1% SNAP
- Marion County, MO · 12.1% SNAP
- Muscatine County, IA · 12.1% SNAP
- Steuben County, NY · 12.1% 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%). Manistee County, at 9.6%, runs 13.6 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 Manistee County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26101. 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.