PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Monroe County, WI

Monroe 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.

18.3%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
14.0%
on SNAP
46K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

18.3% of Monroe County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
8.3%
households, no vehicle
11.7%
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).

Monroe County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.3% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,192 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,936 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 Monroe County compares nationally

Monroe County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.3% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,834).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Monroe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Monroe 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 Monroe County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 44% Limited 22% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Monroe County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Monroe County vs. other Wisconsin counties

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

% 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 Monroe County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)44,673
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population8,192
Low-Access Share18.3%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,936

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Monroe County
IndicatorValue
Population46,208
Median Household Income$69,467
Poverty Rate11.7%below the national average
SNAP Households2,553
SNAP Participation Rate14.0%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.3%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Monroe County 14.0%

About 14.0% of Monroe County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 18.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,553 households here.
  • 8.3% 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 Monroe County

near the national share

3 of Monroe County's 9 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.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,192 residents, roughly 18.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,936 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Monroe County

Monroe County has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • 71 express, norwalk
  • bp - maha kali inc, warrens
  • casey's general store 1927, sparta
  • casey's general store 1933, tomah
  • cataract mart, sparta
  • circle k 2746556, sparta
  • eddies convenience store llc, sparta
  • jnc latin grocery store, tomah
  • kwik trip 484, tomah
  • kwik trip 718, tomah
  • kwik trip 796, tomah
  • kwik trip 317, sparta
  • kwik trip 318, sparta
  • love's travel stop 345, tomah
  • r&t liquidation, kendall
  • road ranger 209, tomah
  • sparta cooperative services, sparta
  • sparta market & pharmacy, sparta
  • the berry vine, warrens
  • tomah mini mart, tomah

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 19383, cashton
  • dollar general 22629, wilton
  • dollar general 25643, cashton
  • dollar tree 2058, tomah
  • dollar tree 6157, sparta
  • family dollar store 4797, tomah
  • foss fine meats, sparta
  • walgreens 09168, sparta

Super Store · 6

  • hansen's iga - cashton 4, cashton
  • hansen's iga - sparta 7, sparta
  • hansen's iga market tomah 15, tomah
  • molter's fresh market, tomah
  • walmart 979, sparta
  • walmart supercenter 965, tomah

Small Grocery Store · 4

  • j-mart japanese/asian grocery store, sparta
  • plaza mexicana, sparta
  • supermercado guerrero llc, sparta
  • supermercado oaxaca, sparta

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphys wi098, sparta
  • papa murphys wi100, tomah

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • brocks butcher block, sparta
  • the meat shop, tomah

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • northwood country market., sparta
  • organic valley, cashton

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 64052, tomah
  • aldi 64082, sparta

Military Commissary · 1

  • fort mccoy commissary 2713, fort mccoy

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Monroe County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Monroe County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Monroe County has low food access? ▼
18.3% of residents in Monroe County, WI 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 Monroe County? ▼
14.0% of households in Monroe County receive SNAP, covering 2,553 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Monroe County? ▼
The poverty rate in Monroe County, WI is 11.7%, with a median household income of $69,467 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Monroe County a food desert? ▼
3 of Monroe County's 9 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 Monroe County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.3% of households in Monroe 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.