County food-access profile · Michigan
Osceola County, MI
Most of Osceola 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
- 15.1%
- on SNAP
- 23K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
0.1% of Osceola County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 6
- food-desert residents
- 7.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.8%
- 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, Osceola 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 6 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 12 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 Osceola County compares nationally
Food access in Osceola 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).
Osceola County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Osceola County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Osceola County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Osceola 0.1
Osceola County, MI
0.1 % 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 | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,528 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 12 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,227 |
| Median Household Income | $58,267 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.8%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,411 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
About 15.1% of Osceola 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.
- 15.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,411 households here.
- 7.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $58,267 with a 15.8% 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 Osceola County
below the national share
An estimated 12 residents, roughly 0.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
None of Osceola 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 Osceola County
Osceola County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- branimal's party store, marion
- chuck's corner, inc., marion
- evart ez mart 418, evart
- g and l petroleum l.l.c, marion
- marion 270, marion
- reed cityjohnnys 1780, reed city
- sears ez mart 832, sears
- the kountry store, hersey
- tustin ez mart 888, tustin
- wesco 50, reed city
- wesco 61, reed city
- wesco 63, evart
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- dollar general 10323, reed city
- dollar general 6929, evart
- dollar general 15853, leroy
- dollar general 20586, marion
- dollar general 31467, reed city
- family dollar 10060, tustin
- family dollar store 3607, evart
- family dollar store 5092, reed city
- family dollar store 6949, marion
Supermarket · 3
- ebels general store 1562, reed city
- m & j food market 5517, marion
- village market leroy, llc, leroy
Farmers' Market · 2
- evart farmers' market, evart
- reed city farmers market, reed city
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- ashton general store, reed city
- northend meat & produce llc, reed city
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- elders dairy beef, evart
Super Store · 1
- ebels general store 250, evart
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Osceola County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Osceola 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 Osceola County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Osceola County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Osceola County? ▼
Is Osceola County a food desert? ▼
What share of Osceola 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.