County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Marquette County, WI
Most of Marquette County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 1.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 16K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
1.7% of Marquette County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 50
- food-desert residents
- 4.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.1%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Marquette County fares better than most: just 1.7% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 5 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 269 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Marquette County compares nationally
Food access in Marquette County compares favorably nationally: its 1.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 5% of them (rank #2,979).
Marquette County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 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 Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Marquette 1.7
Marquette County, WI
1.7 % 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 | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,404 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 269 |
| Low-Access Share | 1.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 50 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 15,746 |
| Median Household Income | $65,681 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 831 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 11.9% of Marquette County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 1.7% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 831 households here.
- 4.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $65,681 with a 13.1% 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 Marquette County
below the national share
An estimated 269 residents, roughly 1.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 50 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
None of Marquette County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.
SNAP retailers in Marquette County
Marquette County has 18 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- gohl post, endeavor
- kwik trip 626, montello
- refuel pantry- oxford, oxford
- refuel pantry- oxford hwy 39, oxford
- refuel pantry- westfield bp, westfield
- refuel pantry- westfield mart, westfield
- refuel pantry- westfield pioneer, westfield
- the mason station, briggsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 18858, neshkoro
- dollar general 10915, montello
- dollar general 13661, oxford
- family dollar 13356, montello
- family dollar store 7001, westfield
Small Grocery Store · 2
- andy's meats, endeavor
- reetz meats and groceries, neshkoro
Large Grocery Store · 1
- freitag's food center, montello
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- harvest market, oxford
Supermarket · 1
- westfield supervalue, westfield
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Marquette County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Marquette 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 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.