County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Marinette County, WI
Marinette 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.
- 18.9%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 12.1%
- on SNAP
- 42K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.9% of Marinette County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.8%
- 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).
Marinette County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.9% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,903 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,122 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 Marinette County compares nationally
Marinette County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.9% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,783).
Marinette County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 12 census tracts in Marinette County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Marinette County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Marinette
Marinette County, WI
18.9 % 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 | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 41,749 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,903 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,122 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 42,046 |
| Median Household Income | $63,809 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,313 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 12.1% of Marinette County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.9% 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 2,313 households here.
- 3.9% 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 Marinette County
near the national share
4 of Marinette County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 7,903 residents, roughly 18.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,122 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marinette County
Marinette County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 24
- corner convenience, crivitz
- cougar shell, coleman
- exxon quik stop, wausaukee
- high falls one stop, crivitz
- holiday stationstore 2746230, marinette
- krist food mart 051, niagara
- krist food mart 052, marinette
- krist food mart 058, peshtigo
- krist food mart 068, crivitz
- krist food mart 076, peshtigo
- krist food mart 081, wausaukee
- kwik trip 1101, crivitz
- kwik trip 574, marinette
- kwik trip 577, marinette
- meatski's quality meats, pound
- niagara mart, niagara
- peshtigo shell, peshtigo
- porterfield pit stop, marinette
- reliance fuel llc, marinette
- royal petro, marinette
- rstore 4484, pound
- t&b one stop, crivitz
- the store 66, peshtigo
- true north energy 865, marinette
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- dollar general 14373, peshtigo
- dollar general 18396, pembine
- dollar general 22345, crivitz
- dollar general 22346, niagara
- dollar general 22348, wausaukee
- dollar general 25740, pound
- dollar general 6637, crivitz
- dollar tree 1116, marinette
- family dollar 11011, coleman
- family dollar store 6027, marinette
- family dollar store 6028, crivitz
- jack's fresh market, marinette
- jack's fresh market, marinette
- ranger city market place, wausaukee
- walgreens 07634, marinette
Small Grocery Store · 3
- amberg party store & groceries, amberg
- eden restored health market, wausaukee
- leo's mercado, marinette
Super Store · 3
- piggly wiggly - witt's 282, crivitz
- piggly wiggly #281, coleman
- walmart supercenter 2545, marinette
Large Grocery Store · 2
- niagara foods llc, niagara
- sal's foods, wausaukee
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 64002, marinette
- lofaro's fresh market, peshtigo
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's of marinette wi089, marinette
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- tinker's summer kitchen, niagara
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- starzer meats, pound
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Marinette County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Marinette 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 Marinette County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Marinette County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Marinette County? ▼
Is Marinette County a food desert? ▼
What share of Marinette 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.