PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Newaygo County, MI

Most of Newaygo 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).

4.3%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
16.6%
on SNAP
51K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

4.3% of Newaygo County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
860
food-desert residents
4.7%
households, no vehicle
12.8%
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, Newaygo County fares better than most: just 4.3% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,082 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 860 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 Newaygo County compares nationally

Food access in Newaygo County compares favorably nationally: its 4.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 9% of them (rank #2,850).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Newaygo County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Newaygo 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 Newaygo County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (90.9%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 91% Limited 0% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Newaygo County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Newaygo 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 Newaygo County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)48,460
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,082
Low-Access Share4.3%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population860

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Newaygo County
IndicatorValue
Population50,792
Median Household Income$63,304
Poverty Rate12.8%near the national average
SNAP Households3,271
SNAP Participation Rate16.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Newaygo County 16.6%

About 16.6% of Newaygo County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 4.3% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,271 households here.
  • 4.7% 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 Newaygo County

below the national share

1 of Newaygo County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,082 residents, roughly 4.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 860 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (90.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Newaygo County

Newaygo County has 57 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • bitely market, bitely
  • bob's party store, white cloud
  • bridgeton general store, grant
  • brohman ez mart 294, brohman
  • cb trading post, newaygo
  • croton ez mart 376, newaygo
  • grant citgo 2, grant
  • hesperia sunoco, hesperia
  • hilltop ez mart 570, white cloud
  • hilltop express 569, newaygo
  • hilltop general ez mart 571, newaygo
  • hometown express llc, sand lake
  • johns home grown produce, white cloud
  • knotty pine general store, bitely
  • meijer gas station 310, fremont
  • midway party store, white cloud
  • river mart inc, fremont
  • sippy flats general store, bitely
  • speedway 3569, newaygo
  • speedway 6308, fremont
  • wesco 22, white cloud
  • wesco 40, newaygo
  • wesco 43, fremont
  • wesco 44, grant
  • woodville country store, white cloud

Combination Grocery/Other · 19

  • dollar general 19443, fremont
  • dollar general 19571, brohman
  • dollar general 6997, newaygo
  • dollar general 7345, hesperia
  • dollar general 9974, white cloud
  • dollartree 8760, fremont
  • dollartree 9288, newaygo
  • dollar general 16512, grant
  • dollar general 21014, white cloud
  • dollar general 24765, newaygo
  • dollar general 25393, bitely
  • dollar general 30750, newaygo
  • dollar general store 16465, white cloud
  • family dollar store 3796, fremont
  • family dollar store 5370, newaygo
  • family dollar store 5814, white cloud
  • gene's family market, grant
  • gene's family market, newaygo
  • walgreens 12533, fremont

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 67115, fremont
  • bird farm meats, howard city
  • houseman's foods, white cloud
  • leppinks 502, newaygo
  • save a lot 24312, newaygo

Farmers' Market · 2

  • grant farmer's market, grant
  • newaygo county farmer's market, newaygo

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • brookside discount grocery llc, newaygo
  • m 37 meat shack, bitely

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • hilcrest bulkfood, white cloud
  • la esperanza supermarket llc, grant

Super Store · 2

  • meijer store 310, fremont
  • walmart 1791, fremont

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 Newaygo County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Newaygo 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 Newaygo County has low food access? ▼
4.3% of residents in Newaygo 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 Newaygo County? ▼
16.6% of households in Newaygo County receive SNAP, covering 3,271 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Newaygo County? ▼
The poverty rate in Newaygo County, MI is 12.8%, with a median household income of $63,304 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Newaygo County a food desert? ▼
1 of Newaygo 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 Newaygo County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.7% of households in Newaygo 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.