Signature · 35.2% low-access (81st pct)
Otsego County, MI
Otsego County sits in the upper national band on low-access (35.2%, +13.1 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 35.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 10.5%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Otsego County, MI
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 35.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +13.1 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: St. Clair County (+ 0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Otsego County sits in the upper national band (35.2%, #583 of 3,079).
- #583
- national by low-access %
- #7
- in MI
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 35.2% low-access (81st pct) (+13.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Otsego County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Otsego County's 35.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #584 most-affected nationwide.
Otsego County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Otsego County has 3 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Otsego County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Michigan, not a full county-board reprint
- Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft 46%
46 % low-access
- Genesee
Genesee 35.9%
35.9 % 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
- Arenac 0
Arenac 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,164 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,506 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,561 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,584 |
| Median Household Income | $68,183 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.0%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,174 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Otsego County
Otsego County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (61% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 23
- 7-eleven inc f 36918-a, gaylord
- big bear trading post, johannesburg
- bragg family farm nafmnp, gaylord
- busy bee market, johannesburg
- circle k 2746175, gaylord
- d & d interstate llc, vanderbilt
- derminer's parkside market, gaylord
- family fare express 838, gaylord
- forward enterprises 147, gaylord
- forward shell-gaylord south 144, gaylord
- j&h family stores - bronco 169, gaylord
- j&h family stores - chalet 168, gaylord
- j&h family stores - gaylord 178, gaylord
- j&h family stores - hilltop 170, waters
- j&h family stores - lewiston 176, lewiston
- j&h family stores - south end 172, gaylord
- j&h family stores - stony hill 171, gaylord
- meijer gas station 250, gaylord
- murphy usa 7602, gaylord
- otsego lake corner store, gaylord
- redwing corner, vanderbilt
- speedway 8760, gaylord
- waters ez mart 894, waters
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 20965, johannesburg
- dollar general 23264, gaylord
- dollar general 24258, gaylord
- dollar general 31305, gaylord
- dollar general 9658, gaylord
- dollar tree 909, gaylord
- family dollar 12068, vanderbilt
- walgreens 10404, gaylord
Super Store · 3
- family fare 1510, gaylord
- meijer 250, gaylord
- walmart 1542, gaylord
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 67033, gaylord
- family fare 1515, lewiston
- gordon food service store mp052, gaylord
Small Grocery Store · 1
- jojo's natural market, gaylord
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 Otsego County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Counties near Otsego County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Otsego County, both outside Michigan so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MI (35.2% here).
- Cumberland County, NJ · 35.2% low-access
- Cumberland County, NJ · 35.2% low-access
- Osceola County, FL · 35.3% low-access
- Roberts County, SD · 35.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MI (10.5% here).
- Kandiyohi County, MN · 10.5% SNAP
- Kandiyohi County, MN · 10.5% SNAP
- Hancock County, MS · 10.5% SNAP
- Hancock County, MS · 10.5% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Otsego County inside a higher low-access state context
Otsego County sits inside Michigan (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Otsego County, MI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 26137. 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.