Signature · 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts)
Ontonagon County, MI
Ontonagon County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of the book) alongside 34.2% low-access.
- 34.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 11.3%
- on SNAP
- 6K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ontonagon County, MI
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 34.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +12.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 67% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Clinton County ( -0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Ontonagon County sits in the upper national band (34.2%, #654 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #654
- national by low-access %
- #9
- in MI
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 895
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts) .
How Ontonagon County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ontonagon County's 34.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #654 most-affected nationwide.
Ontonagon County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
All 3 of Ontonagon County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Ontonagon County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- St. Clair
St. Clair 35.7%
35.7 % low-access
- Otsego
Otsego 35.2%
35.2 % low-access
- Mackinac
Mackinac 34.6%
34.6 % low-access
- Ontonagon
Ontonagon 34.2%
34.2 % low-access
- Clinton
Clinton 34.1%
34.1 % low-access
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 6,780 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,320 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 895 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,850 |
| Median Household Income | $54,398 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 356 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Ontonagon County
Ontonagon County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 10 authorized stores; Ontonagon holds 40% of them. 3 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Mass City, Trout Creek, White Pine.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Ontonagon | 4 | 1 |
| Bruce Crossing | 2 | 1 |
| Mass City | 2 | none |
| Trout Creek | 1 | none |
| White Pine | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 4
- circle k 2746180, ontonagon
- konteka convenience store, white pine
- krist food mart 009, ontonagon
- mass city, mass city
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 18896, ontonagon
- dollar general 19570, bruce crossing
- dollar general 23506, trout creek
Large Grocery Store · 1
- settlers co-op, bruce crossing
Small Grocery Store · 1
- northwoods meat market & grocery, mass city
Supermarket · 1
- pats foods, ontonagon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Michigan
One of 82 counties in Michigan, 6 are shown here.
Compare Ontonagon County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Michigan among East North Central states
Michigan ranks 3rd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (23.2%). Ontonagon County, at 34.2%, runs 11.0 pts above the Michigan rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Ontonagon County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26131. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.