PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Ogemaw County, MI

Most of Ogemaw 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).

0.1%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
18.3%
on SNAP
21K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

0.1% of Ogemaw County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

0
low-access tracts
5
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
16.7%
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, Ogemaw County fares better than most: just 0.1% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 7 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 11 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Ogemaw County compares nationally

Food access in Ogemaw County compares favorably nationally: its 0.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 2% of them (rank #3,079).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Ogemaw County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in Ogemaw 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 Ogemaw County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (100.0%) Adequate 100% Limited 0% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Ogemaw County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Ogemaw 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 Ogemaw County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)21,699
Low-Access Tracts0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population11
Low-Access Share0.1%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Ogemaw County
IndicatorValue
Population20,885
Median Household Income$54,666
Poverty Rate16.7%above the national average
SNAP Households1,712
SNAP Participation Rate18.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Ogemaw County 18.3%

About 18.3% of Ogemaw County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 0.1% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 18.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,712 households here.
  • 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $54,666 with a 16.7% poverty rate.

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 Ogemaw County

below the national share

An estimated 11 residents, roughly 0.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

None of Ogemaw County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.

SNAP retailers in Ogemaw County

Ogemaw County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • clear lake party store, west branch
  • dores store 17, prescott
  • forward shell west branch 113, west branch
  • forward shell west branch mini 126, west branch
  • forward shell-rose city 127, rose city
  • jax lakeside, west branch
  • kens car wash & convenience store, prescott
  • lovewells corner store, lupton
  • meijer gas station 326, west branch
  • murphy usa 7844, west branch
  • parkview acres, lupton
  • prescott party store, prescott
  • sunrise stores llc 14, west branch
  • sunrise stores llc 65, prescott
  • sunrise stores llc 66, west branch
  • sahibji inc. dba corner express 2, west branch
  • shady's market, lupton
  • towne club of west branch, west branch
  • west branch castle inc, west branch

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 19036, rose city
  • dollar general 9571, west branch
  • dollar general 18109, precott
  • dollar general 23773, lupton
  • dollar tree 2723, west branch
  • family dollar store 6950, prescott
  • walgreens 10406, west branch
  • wanglers farm store, west branch

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 67007, west branch
  • family fare 1505, rose city
  • rosati's marketplace no.3 llc, prescott

Super Store · 2

  • meijer store 326, west branch
  • walmart 5159, west branch

Farmers' Market · 1

  • rose city farmer's market, rose city

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • klemmers processing, west branch

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 Ogemaw County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Ogemaw 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 Ogemaw County has low food access? ▼
0.1% of residents in Ogemaw 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 Ogemaw County? ▼
18.3% of households in Ogemaw County receive SNAP, covering 1,712 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Ogemaw County? ▼
The poverty rate in Ogemaw County, MI is 16.7%, with a median household income of $54,666 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Ogemaw County a food desert? ▼
0 of Ogemaw County's 7 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Ogemaw County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Ogemaw 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.