County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Oneida County, WI
Oneida 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.
- 10.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.9%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.1% of Oneida County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 900
- food-desert residents
- 4.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.5%
- 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).
Oneida County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.1% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,628 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 900 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 Oneida County compares nationally
Oneida County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.1% low-access share that beats 21% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,478).
Oneida County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Oneida County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Oneida County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Oneida 10.1
Oneida County, WI
10.1 % low-access
- Adams 9.9
Adams County, WI
9.9 % low-access
- Ashland
Ashland County, WI
28.5 % low-access
- Barron
Barron County, WI
17.8 % low-access
- Bayfield
Bayfield County, WI
30.2 % low-access
- Brown
Brown County, WI
25 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 35,998 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,628 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 900 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 38,167 |
| Median Household Income | $69,371 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,383 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 7.9% of Oneida County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,383 households here.
- 4.3% 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 Oneida County
near the national share
1 of Oneida County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.1% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 3,628 residents, roughly 10.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 900 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (78.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Oneida County
Oneida County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- chohan brothers inc, lake tomahawk
- county line store, minocqua
- holiday stationstore 2746218, rhinelander
- krist food mart 055, woodruff
- krist food mart 059, minocqua
- krist food mart 072, rhinelander
- krist food mart 083, minocqua
- krist food mart 67, three lakes
- kwik trip 173, rhinelander
- kwik trip 588, arbor vitae
- kwik trip 860, rhinelander
- minocqua motomart 3402, minocqua
- rstore 4497, woodruff
- rstore 4498, minocqua
- three lakes convenience store, three lakes
- trig's minocqua shell 10, minocqua
- true north energy 860, rhinelander
- true north energy 861, rhinelander
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- bessey's meat market, rhinelander
- dollar general 10580, rhinelander
- dollar general 18894, minocqua
- dollar tree 1553, rhinelander
- dollar general 18230, three lakes
- trig's, rhinelander
- trig's 30, minocqua
- walgreens 07880, rhinelander
- walgreens 01158, woodruff
Super Store · 4
- golden harvest market, rhinelander
- save more marketplace, minocqua
- walmart supercenter 1931, rhinelander
- walmart supercenter 2510, minocqua
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza #wi019, rhinelander
- papa murphys take n bake pizza wi 095, minocqua
Large Grocery Store · 2
- three lakes town market, three lakes
- wild berry market, minocqua
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 64047, rhinelander
- village market, manitowish waters
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- lake tomahawk custom processing & meats, lake tomahawk
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Oneida County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Oneida County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Oneida County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Oneida County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Oneida County? ▼
Is Oneida County a food desert? ▼
What share of Oneida 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.