County food-access profile · Michigan
Marquette County, MI
Marquette 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.
- 17.1%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 9.6%
- on SNAP
- 67K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.1% of Marquette County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.0%
- 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).
Marquette County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.1% per the USDA Atlas. 8 of the county's 24 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 11,483 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,424 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 Marquette County compares nationally
Marquette County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.1% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,937).
Marquette County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 24 census tracts in Marquette County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Marquette County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Marquette
Marquette County, MI
17.1 % 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 | 24 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 67,077 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,483 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,424 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,112 |
| Median Household Income | $65,429 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,701 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.2% |
About 9.6% of Marquette County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,701 households here.
- 5.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Marquette County
near the national share
2 of Marquette County's 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 11,483 residents, roughly 17.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,424 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 16 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Marquette County
Marquette County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 23
- buck's party store, negaunee
- circle k 2746528, champion
- circle k 2746086, negaunee
- circle k 2746159, marquette
- circle k 2746165, ishpeming
- ez stop north, marquette
- holiday stationstore 2746231, marquette
- kassel's korner, marquette
- kassel's midway, negaunee
- kennys corner store, marquette
- krist food mart 006, marquette
- krist food mart 012, negaunee
- krist food mart 022, marquette
- krist food mart 023, marquette
- krist food mart 034, marquette
- kwik trip 1712, ishpeming
- kwik trip 1721, marquette
- kwik trip 1722, gwinn
- lakeshore depot, marquette
- m & m westgate shell, inc, ishpeming
- marquette neighborhood spot, marquette
- meijer gas station 302, marquette
- midjim university bp, marquette
Combination Grocery/Other · 12
- dollar general 19619, ishpeming
- dollartree 10230, ishpeming
- dollartree 8966, marquette
- dollar genaral 13476, negaunee
- dollar general, gwinn
- dollar general 16569, gwinn
- dollar general 30520, marquette
- dollar general 31246, champion
- family dollar store 3069, gwinn
- family dollar store 3582, marquette
- family dollar store 3597, ishpeming
- walgreens 12776, marquette
Supermarket · 6
- gordon food service store mp079, marquette
- harvey foods llc, marquette
- jubilee foods, ishpeming
- larry's family foods, gwinn
- super one foods 593, negaunee
- super one foods 595, marquette
Super Store · 5
- marquette food co-op, marquette
- meijer store 302, marquette
- tadych's marketplace foods 2751, marquette
- target store 1334, marquette
- walmart 2079, marquette
Small Grocery Store · 3
- bertocchi family foods inc, gwinn
- cram's general store, big bay
- martis market, michigamme
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- cal's party store, marquette
- jim's super foods, ishpeming
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza, marquette
Farmers' Market · 1
- marquette downtown development authority, marquette
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Marquette County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Marquette 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 Marquette County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Marquette County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Marquette County? ▼
Is Marquette County a food desert? ▼
What share of Marquette 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.