PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Mecosta County, MI

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

22.9%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
14.4%
on SNAP
41K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

22.9% of Mecosta County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
7.1%
households, no vehicle
19.9%
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 Mecosta County's low-access share at 22.9%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,799 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,577 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 Mecosta County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mecosta County's 22.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,460 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Mecosta County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Mecosta 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 Mecosta County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (63.6%) 1 tracts limited (9.1%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 64% Limited 9% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Mecosta County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Mecosta County vs. other Michigan counties

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

% 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 Mecosta County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)42,798
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population9,799
Low-Access Share22.9%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,577

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Mecosta County
IndicatorValue
Population41,242
Median Household Income$60,951
Poverty Rate19.9%above the national average
SNAP Households2,402
SNAP Participation Rate14.4%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.4%
SNAP participation in Mecosta County 14.4%

About 14.4% of Mecosta County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,402 households here.
  • 7.1% 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 Mecosta County

above the national share

3 of Mecosta County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 9,799 residents, roughly 22.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,577 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (63.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Mecosta County

Mecosta County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 30 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 30

  • borland gas & grocery, morley
  • barryton ez mart 244, barryton
  • bay of the east, inc., chippewa lake
  • beacon & bridge market 18, big rapids
  • big rapids e-z mart 272, big rapids
  • big rapids shell 4050, big rapids
  • bulldog party store, big rapids
  • curries standard inc, big rapids
  • eastside market inc., big rapids
  • fate's mecosta mart, mecosta
  • grunst brothers, big rapids
  • hanson's party store inc, barryton
  • hometown health foods, remus
  • kings trading post company, mecosta
  • krist food mart 46, big rapids
  • m20 party store, mecosta
  • mannat 99 llc, stanwood
  • meijer gas station 203, big rapids
  • morley citgo, morley
  • morley depot, morley
  • northern heights citgo, big rapids
  • paris liquor, paris
  • rodney general store 1, rodney
  • singh petroleum 1, big rapids
  • singh petroleum 2, big rapids
  • speedway 7279, big rapids
  • trailside gas & grocery, big rapids
  • tubbs lake resort, mecosta
  • wee bees party store, morley
  • wesco 60, big rapids

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar general 18947, morley
  • dollartree 9383, big rapids
  • dollar general 21425, rodney
  • dollar general 21576, stanwood
  • dollar general 22977, big rapids
  • dollar general 23047, remus
  • dollar general 23740, blanchard
  • dollar general store 17449, barryton
  • dollar tree 854, big rapids
  • family dollar 11698, mecosta
  • family dollar store 2247, big rapids
  • hixson's family market, stanwood
  • walgreens 7416, big rapids

Super Store · 2

  • meijer inc 203, big rapids
  • walmart supercenter 1719, big rapids

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 67011, big rapids
  • fate's market 286, remus

Farmers' Market · 1

  • downtown big rapids farmers market, big rapids

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • mackersie market, barryton

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • red fox market, big rapids

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Michigan

Alcona County
15.6% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Alger County
12.8% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Allegan County
20.8% low-access · 7.8% SNAP
Alpena County
15.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Antrim County
0.2% low-access · 10.0% SNAP
Arenac County
0.0% low-access · 16.1% SNAP

Compare Mecosta County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Mecosta County sits inside Michigan (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 Mecosta County has low food access? ▼
22.9% of residents in Mecosta County, MI 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 Mecosta County? ▼
14.4% of households in Mecosta County receive SNAP, covering 2,402 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Mecosta County? ▼
The poverty rate in Mecosta County, MI is 19.9%, with a median household income of $60,951 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Mecosta County a food desert? ▼
3 of Mecosta County's 11 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 Mecosta County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.1% of households in Mecosta 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.