Signature · 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts)
Mecosta County, MI
Mecosta County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of the book) alongside 22.9% low-access.
- 22.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 14.4%
- on SNAP
- 41K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Mecosta County, MI
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 22.9% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 7.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Presque Isle County (+ 0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Mecosta County ranks #1,457 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #32 of 80 counties in MI (22.9% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,457
- national by low-access %
- #32
- in MI
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts) .
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.
Mecosta County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Mecosta County has 3 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Mecosta County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Wexford
Wexford 24.8%
24.8 % low-access
- Emmet
Emmet 23.6%
23.6 % low-access
- Presque Isle
Presque Isle 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Mecosta
Mecosta 22.9%
22.9 % low-access
- Huron
Huron 21.1%
21.1 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 42,798 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,799 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.9%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,577 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 41,242 |
| Median Household Income | $60,951 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,402 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.4% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Michigan
One of 82 counties in Michigan, 6 are shown here.
Compare Mecosta County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Nationwide peers for Mecosta County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Mecosta County, both outside Michigan so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (22.9% here).
- Morehouse Parish, LA · 22.9% low-access
- Morehouse Parish, LA · 22.9% low-access
- Vermilion County, IL · 22.9% low-access
- Vermilion County, IL · 22.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (14.4% here).
- Koochiching County, MN · 14.4% SNAP
- Koochiching County, MN · 14.4% SNAP
- Douglas County, MO · 14.4% SNAP
- Douglas County, MO · 14.4% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Mecosta County sits inside Michigan (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Mecosta County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26107. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.