County food-access profile · Michigan
Oceana County, MI
Oceana 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.
- 9.3%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 15.9%
- on SNAP
- 27K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.3% of Oceana County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 4.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.6%
- 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).
Oceana County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.3% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,459 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,161 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 Oceana County compares nationally
Oceana County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.3% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,542).
Oceana County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Oceana County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Oceana County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Oceana
Oceana County, MI
9.3 % 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 | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 26,570 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,459 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,161 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 26,915 |
| Median Household Income | $62,417 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,661 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
About 15.9% of Oceana County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,661 households here.
- 4.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Oceana County
near the national share
2 of Oceana County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.
An estimated 2,459 residents, roughly 9.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,161 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Oceana County
Oceana County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 16
- country dairy farm store, new era
- dave's party store, hart
- hart ez mart 544, hart
- j&h family stores - hart marathon 143, hart
- kwik mart llc, walkerville
- la mexicana, hart
- makkedah processing & bulk foods, hart
- new era ago 57, new era
- taylor bridge grocery, hesperia
- van pattens general store, rothbury
- wesco 14, fremont
- wesco 17, new era
- wesco 46, hesperia
- wesco 51, rothbury
- wesco 53, shelby
- wilsons general store, hart
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- dollar general 14325, shelby
- dollar general 5889, hart
- dollartree 10140, hart
- dollar general 15855, rothbury
- dollar general 21291, hart
- dollar general 21995, new era
- dollar general 23491, walkerville
- dollar general 25685, shelby
- dollar general store 16402, pentwater
- family dollar 11420, walkerville
- family dollar store 2842, hart
- family dollar store 6408, hesperia
- hansen foods, hart
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- carniceria la conasupo llc, shelby
- la probadita, hart
- tienda la palma, shelby
Farmers' Market · 2
- heritage farms mkt llc, fremont
- new era farmers market, new era
Large Grocery Store · 1
- cherry hill supermarket inc, shelby
Supermarket · 1
- ed's thrift-t shopping center, hesperia
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Oceana County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Oceana 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 Oceana County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Oceana County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Oceana County? ▼
Is Oceana County a food desert? ▼
What share of Oceana 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.