County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Polk County, WI
Most of Polk 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).
- 5.8%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.7%
- on SNAP
- 46K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
5.8% of Polk County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 731
- food-desert residents
- 3.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.2%
- 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, Polk County fares better than most: just 5.8% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 10 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,553 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 Polk County compares nationally
Food access in Polk County compares favorably nationally: its 5.8% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,771).
Polk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Polk County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Polk County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Polk 5.8
Polk County, WI
5.8 % 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 | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 44,205 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,553 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 731 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 45,555 |
| Median Household Income | $77,219 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,900 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 9.7% of Polk County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 5.8% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,900 households here.
- 3.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $77,219 with a 8.2% 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 Polk County
below the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 2,553 residents, roughly 5.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 731 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (90.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Polk County
Polk County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 19
- amery bp 7844, amery
- balsam lake 43, balsam lake
- centuria stop, centuria
- cushing 42, cushing
- express lane 9518, amery
- express lane 9522, turtle lake
- frederic stop, frederic
- holiday stationstore 2746192, saint croix falls
- holiday stationstore 2746013, milltown
- holiday stationstore 2746419, saint croix falls
- holiday stationstore 2746485, frederic
- jonzy market, balsam lake
- kwik trip 1083, osceola
- kwik trip 1137, saint croix falls
- kwik trip 595, amery
- luck 40, luck
- osceola stop, osceola
- osceola 44, osceola
- st croix falls bp 7842, saint croix falls
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 11710, frederic
- dollar general 16020, osceola
- dollar general 24327, centuria
- dollar general 24405, cushing
- dollar general store 17048, luck
- dollar tree 6171, amery
- family dollar store 2443, amery
- family dollar store 7435, balsam lake
Farmers' Market · 5
- blackbrook farm, amery
- osceola farmers market, osceola
- polk/burnett farmers union, st. croix falls
- polk/burnett farmers union, st croix falls
- st. croix falls farmers market, saint croix falls
Super Store · 5
- dick's fresh market, osceola
- dicks fresh market, amery
- marketplace foods 2581, saint croix falls
- walmart supercenter 2421, saint croix falls
- wayne's foods plus, luck
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- amery meat market, amery
- van meter meats inc, luck
Supermarket · 2
- amery express-save a lot, amery
- nilssen, inc., clear lake
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys wi063, saint croix falls
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- natural alternative food co-op, luck
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- frederic grocery, frederic
Small Grocery Store · 1
- dresser food & liquor, dresser
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Polk County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Polk 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 Polk County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Polk County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Polk County? ▼
Is Polk County a food desert? ▼
What share of Polk 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.