PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Ozaukee County, WI

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ozaukee County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

33.8%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
5.0%
on SNAP
93K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

33.8% of Ozaukee County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

12
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
3.9%
households, no vehicle
5.0%
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).

USDA data puts Ozaukee County's low-access share at 33.8%, above the national share. 12 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 29,230 people. 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 Ozaukee County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ozaukee County's 33.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #687 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Ozaukee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Ozaukee 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 Ozaukee County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 12 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (33.3%) 12 tracts limited (66.7%) Adequate 33% Limited 67% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Ozaukee County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Ozaukee County vs. other Wisconsin counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin

% 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 Ozaukee County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)86,395
Low-Access Tracts12
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population29,230
Low-Access Share33.8%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,618

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Ozaukee County
IndicatorValue
Population92,966
Median Household Income$96,996
Poverty Rate5.0%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,921
SNAP Participation Rate5.0%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Ozaukee County 5.0%

About 5.0% of Ozaukee County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,921 households here.
  • 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $96,996 with a 5.0% 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 Ozaukee County

above the national share

A further 12 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.

An estimated 29,230 residents, roughly 33.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,618 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Ozaukee County

Ozaukee County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (37% of the total), followed by super store.

Convenience Store · 17

  • belgium plaza inc,, belgium
  • big joe's, fredonia
  • casey's 3762, fredonia
  • casey's 3791, cedarburg
  • casey's 3795, saukville
  • kwik trip 325, mequon
  • kwik trip 1010, cedarburg
  • kwik trip 1281, belgium
  • kwik trip 879, saukville
  • mequon mobil 004, mequon
  • mobil grand avenue mart, port washington
  • rstore 4509, port washington
  • rstore 4510, port washington
  • speedway 4203, cedarburg
  • station 60 llc, grafton
  • station cedarburg, cedarburg
  • welcome mobil mart, grafton

Super Store · 13

  • costco wholesale 0628, grafton
  • fox bros. piggly wiggly, inc. 086, port washington
  • meijer 274, grafton
  • metro market 6890, mequon
  • outpost natural foods 4, mequon
  • pick 'n save 6886, grafton
  • piggly wiggly 200, mequon
  • piggly wiggly 201, cedarburg
  • piggly wiggly supermarket 88, saukville
  • sendiks grafton 4, grafton
  • sendiks mequon 3, mequon
  • target store 1212, grafton
  • walmart supercenter 1650, saukville

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs pharmacy 8775, cedarburg
  • dollartree 8810, grafton
  • dollar general 22544, port washington
  • dollar general 24948, fredonia
  • dollar tree 6487, grafton
  • dollar tree 7749, port washington
  • walgreens 01988, grafton
  • walgreens 02110, saukville
  • walgreens 03448, mequon
  • walgreens 04884, thiensville
  • walgreens 13620, cedarburg

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphy's wi042, grafton
  • papa murphys 062, saukville

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • blaus saukville meats llc, saukville
  • yang butcher, belgium

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 43, grafton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Ozaukee County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Ozaukee County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Ozaukee County has low food access? ▼
33.8% of residents in Ozaukee County, WI 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 Ozaukee County? ▼
5.0% of households in Ozaukee County receive SNAP, covering 1,921 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Ozaukee County? ▼
The poverty rate in Ozaukee County, WI is 5.0%, with a median household income of $96,996 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Ozaukee County a food desert? ▼
0 of Ozaukee County's 18 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 Ozaukee County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.9% of households in Ozaukee 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.