County food-access profile · Michigan
Manistee County, MI
Manistee 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.
- 9.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.1%
- on SNAP
- 25K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.6% of Manistee County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 527
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.7%
- 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).
Manistee County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.6% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,367 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 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 #2,517).
Manistee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Manistee County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Manistee County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Manistee
Manistee County, MI
9.6 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger
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 | 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% |
About 12.1% of Manistee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,275 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $63,516 with a 12.7% 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 Manistee County
near the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 2,367 residents, roughly 9.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 527 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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.
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 retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Manistee County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Manistee 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 Manistee County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Manistee County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Manistee County? ▼
Is Manistee County a food desert? ▼
What share of Manistee 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.