PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Oconto County, WI

Most of Oconto 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).

6.6%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
9.0%
on SNAP
40K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

6.6% of Oconto County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
829
food-desert residents
3.4%
households, no vehicle
8.2%
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, Oconto County fares better than most: just 6.6% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 10 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,488 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 829 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 Oconto County compares nationally

Food access in Oconto County compares favorably nationally: its 6.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 13% of them (rank #2,726).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Oconto County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Oconto 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 Oconto County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (80.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 80% Limited 0% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Oconto County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Oconto 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 Oconto County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,660
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,488
Low-Access Share6.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population829

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Oconto County
IndicatorValue
Population39,589
Median Household Income$75,049
Poverty Rate8.2%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,510
SNAP Participation Rate9.0%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Oconto County 9.0%

About 9.0% of Oconto County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 6.6% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,510 households here.
  • 3.4% 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 Oconto County

below the national share

2 of Oconto County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,488 residents, roughly 6.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 829 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Oconto County

Oconto County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 828 pulaski 828, pulaski
  • brookside shell, abrams
  • dino stop abrams 7847, abrams
  • dino stop little suamico 7845, little suamico
  • gillett shell, gillett
  • kelly lake kwik stop, suring
  • krist food mart 078, suring
  • krist food mart 084, oconto
  • krist food mart 82, oconto falls
  • kwik trip 233, oconto
  • kwik trip 587, lena
  • martin's junction, suring
  • north chase citgo, sobieski
  • oconto bp, oconto
  • reliance fuel llc the store 65, oconto
  • rstore 4485, gillett
  • rstore 4502, mountain
  • true north energy 830, oconto
  • true north energy 832, lakewood

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 21191, suring
  • dollar general 21658, lena
  • dollar general 22944, oconto falls
  • dollar general 23863, lakewood
  • dollar general 24181, gillett
  • dollar general 24434, mountain
  • dollar general 6588, oconto
  • dollar tree 8311, oconto
  • family dollar store 3013, oconto
  • family dollar store 7187, lakewood
  • family dollar store 9424, gillett

Super Store · 3

  • iverson's piggly wiggly, oconto falls
  • lakewood supervalu, lakewood
  • thompson's county market, oconto

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • el hidalguense grocery store, gillett
  • la mexicana, gillett

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • pat's market, gillett

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • wisco meat's, oconto

Supermarket · 1

  • mike's supermarket, townsend

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 Oconto County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Oconto 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 Oconto County has low food access? ▼
6.6% of residents in Oconto 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 Oconto County? ▼
9.0% of households in Oconto County receive SNAP, covering 1,510 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Oconto County? ▼
The poverty rate in Oconto County, WI is 8.2%, with a median household income of $75,049 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Oconto County a food desert? ▼
2 of Oconto County's 10 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 Oconto County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.4% of households in Oconto 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.