PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Manitowoc County, WI

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Manitowoc 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).

21.5%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
10.3%
on SNAP
81K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

21.5% of Manitowoc County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
5.3%
households, no vehicle
9.6%
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).

USDA data puts Manitowoc County's low-access share at 21.5%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 19 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 17,546 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,525 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 Manitowoc County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Manitowoc County's 21.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 50% of them and ranked #1,567 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Manitowoc County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 19 census tracts in Manitowoc County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Manitowoc County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 19 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (52.6%) 5 tracts limited (26.3%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (21.1%) Adequate 53% Limited 26% Severe 21% Food-access tier distribution: Manitowoc County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Manitowoc County vs. other Wisconsin counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Manitowoc County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts19
Atlas Population (2010 basis)81,442
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population17,546
Low-Access Share21.5%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,525

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Manitowoc County
IndicatorValue
Population81,406
Median Household Income$69,148
Poverty Rate9.6%below the national average
SNAP Households3,617
SNAP Participation Rate10.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%
SNAP participation in Manitowoc County 10.3%

About 10.3% of Manitowoc County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 21.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,617 households here.
  • 5.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Manitowoc County

above the national share

4 of Manitowoc County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.1% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 17,546 residents, roughly 21.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,525 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (52.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Manitowoc County

Manitowoc County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 22

  • bonde's quik mart, cleveland
  • casey's 3793, newburg
  • chandraagiri petroleum llc, two rivers
  • citgo, manitowoc
  • citgo-family pantry 3, manitowoc
  • dewey stop mobil, manitowoc
  • dino stop manitowoc 7849, manitowoc
  • family pantry marathon, manitowoc
  • j mart 6, manitowoc
  • kwik trip 491, manitowoc
  • kwik trip 627, manitowoc
  • kwik trip 634, kiel
  • kwik trip 636, manitowoc
  • kwik trip 637, manitowoc
  • kwik trip 638, two rivers
  • kwik trip 656, manitowoc
  • krishna food mart llc, two rivers
  • manitowoc shell, manitowoc
  • meijer gas station 304, manitowoc
  • nistha quick stop, saint nazianz
  • north shore liquor, manitowoc
  • popps university bp, manitowoc

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • ann asian market, manitowoc
  • cvs pharmacy 8545, manitowoc
  • dollar general 6413, kiel
  • dollar general 20867, two rivers
  • dollar general 20870, mishicot
  • dollar general 23864, reedsville
  • dollar general 24016, valders
  • dollar general 25448, cleveland
  • dollar general 25694, francis creek
  • dollar general 31040, whitelaw
  • dollar tree 2564, manitowoc
  • family dollar 13386, kiel
  • family dollar store 2166, two rivers
  • family dollar store 5822, manitowoc
  • walgreens 03104, manitowoc
  • walgreens 09166, two rivers

Super Store · 8

  • festival foods 17, manitowoc
  • meijer 304, manitowoc
  • pick 'n save 185, manitowoc
  • pick 'n save 6408, two rivers
  • piggly wiggly #330, kiel
  • piggly wiggly #334, two rivers
  • piggly wiggly #335, manitowoc
  • walmart 1449, manitowoc

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 34r, manitowoc
  • rob's family market, manitowoc

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's pizza wi005, manitowoc

Farmers' Market · 1

  • city of manitowoc farmer's market, manitowoc

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Manitowoc County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Manitowoc County sits inside Wisconsin (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Manitowoc County has low food access? ▼
21.5% of residents in Manitowoc County, WI live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Manitowoc County? ▼
10.3% of households in Manitowoc County receive SNAP, covering 3,617 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Manitowoc County? ▼
The poverty rate in Manitowoc County, WI is 9.6%, with a median household income of $69,148 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Manitowoc County a food desert? ▼
4 of Manitowoc County's 19 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Manitowoc County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.3% of households in Manitowoc County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.