County food-access profile · Michigan
Montcalm County, MI
Most of Montcalm 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).
- 2.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.8%
- on SNAP
- 68K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
2.5% of Montcalm County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 661
- food-desert residents
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.6%
- 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, Montcalm County fares better than most: just 2.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 13 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,580 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 661 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 Montcalm County compares nationally
Food access in Montcalm County compares favorably nationally: its 2.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 6% of them (rank #2,940).
Montcalm County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Montcalm County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Montcalm County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Montcalm 2.5
Montcalm County, MI
2.5 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger
Alger County, MI
12.8 % low-access
- Allegan
Allegan County, MI
20.8 % low-access
- Alpena
Alpena County, MI
15.9 % low-access
- Antrim 0.2
Antrim County, MI
0.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,342 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,580 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 661 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,816 |
| Median Household Income | $67,344 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,130 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.0% |
About 12.8% of Montcalm County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 2.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,130 households here.
- 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Montcalm County
below the national share
1 of Montcalm County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.
An estimated 1,580 residents, roughly 2.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 661 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (92.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Montcalm County
Montcalm County has 84 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 43 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 43
- admiral 5870, edmore
- agam liquor store, howard city
- carson city citgo 24, carson city
- coral mart, coral
- crystal convenience store & gas station n/a, crystal
- greenville citgo 21, greenville
- greenville e-z mart 520, greenville
- howard city citgo 26, howard city
- j & h family stores - howard city mobil mart 117, howard city
- j & h family stores - stanton mobil mart 116, stanton
- j&h family stores m-46 102, howard city
- jb's country store, six lakes
- klinker's korner, sheridan
- m-46 citgo 22, howard city
- m-91 citgo 45, greenville
- m66minimart, stanton
- mac's rustic sport shop, howard city
- maple valley market, trufant
- mcbride country store, mcbrides
- meijer gas station 201, greenville
- murphy usa 7659, greenville
- new handy market, greenville
- next door food store 5037, carson city
- nuvu fuels greenville south 5, greenville
- om petroleaum, edmore
- pierson mobil mart 114, pierson
- pierson trading post, inc, pierson
- sheridan ago 615717, sheridan
- sheridan ez mart 836, sheridan
- sheridan marathon, sheridan
- sidney market, sidney
- spot party store, vestaburg
- stanton ago 615715, stanton
- the depot, edmore
- tri lakes general store, stanton
- trufant gas & party store, trufant
- turk lake market, greenville
- viking grocery mart 1, howard city
- wesco 45, greenville
- wesco 47, lakeview
- wilson's party store by mj, crystal
- zerka's general store, inc., stanton
- zerka's party store, stanton
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- dollar general 18141, stanton
- dollar general 5867, vestaburg
- dollar general 5868, stanton
- dollar general 5885, edmore
- dollar general 6181, carson city
- dollar general 6754, howard city
- dollar general 6810, greenville
- dollar general 19915, six lakes
- dollar general 22270, crystal
- dollar general 25207, howard city
- dollar general 25590, greenville
- dollar general 9884, lakeview
- dollar general store 13057, sheridn
- dollar tree 3053, greenville
- family dollar 13809, edmore
- family dollar 7532, howard city
- family dollar store 3700, greenville
- family dollar store 4991, stanton
- family dollar store 5423, lakeview
- rogers natural foods, edmore
- the meat shack, greenville
- walgreens 09132, greenville
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 67107, greenville
- blanchards thriftway, crystal
- leppinks food center, stanton
- leppinks inc 508, howard city
- save a lot stanton 444, stanton
- sheridan village market, sheridan
Super Store · 4
- carson village market, carson city
- leppinks food center, lakeview
- meijer inc 201, greenville
- walmart supercenter 3328, greenville
Large Grocery Store · 3
- daily deals iii 3, greenville
- edmore family foods, edmore
- save-a-lot 24139, stanton
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- jerky & more, howard city
- sage's meat processing catering, greenville
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- gowen general store, gowen
- jorgi's marketplace greenville 443, greenville
Farmers' Market · 1
- weaver farms frfl206905, sheridan
Small Grocery Store · 1
- farm country cheese house, lakeview
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Montcalm County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Montcalm County sits inside Michigan (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 Montcalm County has low food access? ▼
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What is the poverty rate in Montcalm County? ▼
Is Montcalm County a food desert? ▼
What share of Montcalm 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.