Signature · 3 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Monroe County, WI
Monroe County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 18.3% low-access.
- 18.3%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 14.0%
- on SNAP
- 46K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Monroe County, WI
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 18.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.0% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Clark County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Monroe County ranks #1,832 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #38 of 71 counties in WI (18.3% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,832
- national by low-access %
- #38
- in WI
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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 (33.3% of tracts) .
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).
Monroe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Monroe County has 3 urban and 6 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.
Monroe County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Wisconsin, not a full county-board reprint
- Richland
Richland 52.9%
52.9 % low-access
- Marinette 18.9
Marinette 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Clark 18.4
Clark 18.4%
18.4 % low-access
- Monroe 18.3
Monroe 18.3%
18.3 % low-access
- Barron 17.8
Barron 17.8%
17.8 % low-access
- Waushara 17.7
Waushara 17.7%
17.7 % low-access
- Pepin 0
Pepin 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 44,673 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,192 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,936 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 46,208 |
| Median Household Income | $69,467 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,553 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.3%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Wisconsin
One of 71 counties in Wisconsin, 6 are shown here.
Compare Monroe County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Nationwide peers for Monroe County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Monroe County, both outside Wisconsin so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside WI (18.3% here).
- Braxton County, WV · 18.3% low-access
- Braxton County, WV · 18.3% low-access
- Henderson County, TX · 18.3% low-access
- Henderson County, TX · 18.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WI (14.0% here).
- Morgan County, WV · 14.0% SNAP
- Morgan County, WV · 14.0% SNAP
- Carbon County, UT · 14.0% SNAP
- Carbon County, UT · 14.0% 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, Wisconsin in context
Monroe County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Monroe County, WI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 55081. 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.