County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Marathon County, WI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Marathon 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).
- 23.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 9.9%
- on SNAP
- 138K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.2% of Marathon County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 27 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- food-desert residents
- 4.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.7%
- 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).
USDA data puts Marathon County's low-access share at 23.2%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 27 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 31,131 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,565 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 Marathon County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Marathon County's 23.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 54% of them and ranked #1,430 most-affected nationwide.
Marathon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 27 census tracts in Marathon County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Marathon County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Marathon
Marathon County, WI
23.2 % 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 | 27 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 134,063 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 31,131 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,565 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 138,403 |
| Median Household Income | $77,884 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,745 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 9.9% of Marathon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,745 households here.
- 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Marathon County
above the national share
3 of Marathon County's 27 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.
A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 31,131 residents, roughly 23.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,565 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 16 tracts (59.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marathon County
Marathon County has 113 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 56 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 56
- asian pacific market co, wausau
- bread & butter shop 4535, stratford
- farmview country store llc, stratford
- fast fuel mart, wausau
- fast fuel mart, wausau
- gandaki mart, wausau
- gandaki mart 1 llc, wausau
- holiday gas 3805, wausau
- hy-vee fast and fresh 5836, wausau
- jasleen enterprises dba fast break, rothschild
- kwik trip 322, wausau
- kwik trip 356, schofield
- kwik trip 601, wausau
- kwik trip 787, schofield
- krist food mart 061, wausau
- krist food mart 89, wausau
- krist food mart 91, rothschild
- kwik trip 1033, wausau
- kwik trip 1286, marathon
- kwik trip 140, weston
- kwik trip 1723, wausau
- kwik trip 188, wausau
- kwik trip 204, wausau
- kwik trip 319, spencer
- kwik trip 440, mosinee
- kwik trip 728, wausau
- kwik trip 735, wausau
- kwik trip 851, wausau
- kwik trip 986, weston
- reliance fuel, schofield
- reliance fuel llc the store 61, wausau
- reliance fuel llc-store #60, schofield
- rstore 4473, mosinee
- rstore 4474, wausau
- rstore 4475, wausau
- rstore 4476, wausau
- rstore 4477, wausau
- rstore 4480, rothschild
- rstore 4481, mosinee
- rstore 4482, rothschild
- rstore 4490, marathon
- rstore 4491, edgar
- rstore 4493, rothschild
- rstore 4495, wausau
- rstore 4496, hatley
- rstore 4501, wausau
- rstore 4504, schofield
- store 62 wa the 62, wausau
- tobacco outlet plus 559, wausau
- townline market, wausau
- true north energy 853, schofield
- true north energy 854, schofield
- true north energy 855, wausau
- true north energy 856, mosinee
- true north energy 857, marathon
- weiler convenience stores 3, marshfield
Combination Grocery/Other · 20
- abby county market, abbotsford
- cvs 10172, wausau
- dollar general 10715, spencer
- dollar general 19380, stratford
- dollar general 19724, athens
- dollar general 10595, schofield
- dollar general 17575, edgar
- dollar general 20419, hatley
- dollar general 22543, kronenwetter
- dollar general 23526, schofield
- dollar tree 1161, wausau
- dollar tree 1183, marshfield
- dollar tree 3772, schofield
- family dollar 12422, wausau
- family dollar store 5241, mosinee
- schofield oriental market, schofield
- walgreens 07009, wausau
- walgreens 09609, weston
- walgreens 13771, wausau
- wausau oriental foods llc, wausau
Super Store · 14
- express market by festival foods 52, schofield
- festival foods 50, wausau
- hy-vee, wausau
- lamb's fresh market, wausau
- lambs fresh market, wausau
- lee's piggly wiggly 202, mosinee
- piggly wiggly - lee's 202, mosinee
- pick 'n save 6404, rothschild
- pick 'n save 6405, wausau
- pick 'n save 6406, weston
- sam's club 6535, wausau
- target store 364, schofield
- walmart 2127, wausau
- walmart 2813, marshfield
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- c & b super market, wausau
- downtown grocery.com llc, wausau
- hmoob mart, wausau
- red clover market, schofield
- super international food store, wausau
- tres hermanos, wausau
Large Grocery Store · 4
- edgar iga, edgar
- kohlmans inc, wausau
- main street market, athens
- stratford family foods 310, stratford
Farmers' Market · 3
- wausau area farmer's market, wausau
- wausau winter farmers market, llc, wausau
- weston farmers market, schofield
Small Grocery Store · 3
- la canasta mexican street food & grocery store, wausau
- la patrona mexican tienda, schofield
- la weracruzana, abbotsford
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 64038, wausau
- aldi 64098, schofield
- county market wausau 5611, wausau
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's of wausau wi078, wausau
- papa murphy's of weston wi029, schofield
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- mekong fresh meats, mosinee
- smith bros. meats, inc., colby
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Marathon County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Marathon 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 Marathon County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Marathon County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Marathon County? ▼
Is Marathon County a food desert? ▼
What share of Marathon 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.