County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Racine County, WI
Racine County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 19.6%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 12.3%
- on SNAP
- 198K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.6% of Racine County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 44 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 5.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.3%
- 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).
Racine County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.6% per the USDA Atlas. 19 of the county's 44 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 38,342 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,325 low-income residents.
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 Racine County compares nationally
Racine County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.6% low-access share that beats 45% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,715).
Racine County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 44 census tracts in Racine County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Racine County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Racine
Racine County, WI
19.6 % 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 | 44 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 195,408 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 38,342 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,325 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 197,532 |
| Median Household Income | $78,096 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,869 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
About 12.3% of Racine County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,869 households here.
- 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).
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 Racine County
near the national share
4 of Racine County's 44 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.
A further 15 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.
An estimated 38,342 residents, roughly 19.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,325 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 25 tracts (56.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Racine County
Racine County has 143 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 80 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 80
- adjd llc, racine
- al's little country store, burlington
- bb us pantry, racine
- belle city food mart, racine
- better day bp, racine
- bp, racine
- casey's 3748, burlington
- caledonia c-store, caledonia
- caledonia petroleum, caledonia
- casey's 3775, rochester
- casey's 3788, caledonia
- casey's general store 3705, waterford
- christianos super market, racine
- corner & more store, racine
- dean's mini mart, racine
- douglas express food mart, racine
- douglas petro, racine
- durand mart, racine
- elite food market, racine
- fine fare food, mount pleasant
- franksville market, caledonia
- gp 4 petroleum llc, waterford
- georgetown market, mount pleasant
- high st food mart, racine
- hometown on durand, racine
- hometown on lathrop, racine
- j d united petroleum, racine
- jo jo's stop and shop, racine
- kwik trip 395, sturtevant
- kwik trip 401, burlington
- kwik trip 686, sturtevant
- kwik pantry food mart, racine
- kwik trip 1041, sturtevant
- kwik trip 134, mount pleasant
- kwik trip 462, burlington
- kwik trip 580, mount pleasant
- lake side mobil, waterford
- lathrop cash discount, racine
- lathrop food mart, racine
- lieunghs on lathrop llc, racine
- m j gas & food mart inc, racine
- m j petroleum, racine
- m&m citgo, racine
- mangat inc, racine
- mead food & liquor, mount pleasant
- nagra pump & pantry llc, racine
- neighborhood pantry, racine
- ny city food mart inc, racine
- oddfellows food & liquor, racine
- one stop food & liquor, racine
- open pantry 493, racine
- petro racine 0491, sturtevant
- pilot travel center 324, franksville
- quick mart mobil, burlington
- rs associates of wi ltd 1, kansasville
- racine petroleum inc, racine
- rapids drive food mart, racine
- rapids liquor express, racine
- refuel pantry- sturtevant, sturtevant
- sixteenth street foods, racine
- somers market 12, sturtevant
- speedway 2089, racine
- speedway 4450, racine
- speedway 4451, racine
- speedway 4513, mount pleasant
- spring street mobil, racine
- studebaker's no, mount pleasant
- twins food mart, racine
- taylor ave bp, mount pleasant
- taylor ave food mart, racine
- taylor mart, racine
- toor liquor and grocery, burlington
- united petro llc, burlington
- westown foods, racine
- waterford food mart 1, waterford
- welcome bp 1, racine
- welcome mart/subway 5, racine
- wind lake country market llc, waterford
- your store 9570, racine
- zimal llc, racine
Combination Grocery/Other · 26
- cvs 10533, racine
- cvs pharmacy 8776, racine
- dollar general 14561, racine
- dollar tree 1785, racine
- dollartree 10201, union grove
- dollartree 9441, mount pleasant
- dollar general 10764, racine
- dollar general 15039, union grove
- dollar general 15206, racine
- dollar general 21736, waterford
- dollar tree 1138, burlington
- dollar tree 1779, racine
- dollar tree 3528, racine
- family dollar 2816, racine
- family dollar store 1565, racine
- family dollar store 5432, burlington
- family dollar store 5950, racine
- walgreens 02927, racine
- walgreens 5417, racine
- walgreens 07437, racine
- walgreens 09363, racine
- walgreens 09606, racine
- walgreens 10584, burlington
- walgreens 12706, waterford
- walgreens 6243, racine
- whole harvest meats, waterford
Super Store · 14
- berkot's super foods, burlington
- festival foods 30, mount pleasant
- pick 'n save 6378, racine
- pick 'n save 6410, waterford
- pick 'n save 6414, burlington
- pick 'n save 6856, mount pleasant
- pick 'n save 6891, mount pleasant
- piggly wiggly 355, racine
- piggly wiggly supermarket 343, racine
- target store 152, racine
- walmart 3488, burlington
- walmart neighborhood market 5695, mount pleasant
- walmart supercenter 2668, sturtevant
- woodman's food market inc 45, racine
Medium Grocery Store · 9
- best bargains, burlington
- carniceria la huasteca fresh market, racine
- kinzie korner mart, racine
- la mexicanita fresh market racine, racine
- los corrales 2, burlington
- magic supermarket, racine
- matranga's supermarket, racine
- max's family supermarket inc, racine
- olympic liquor and food, racine
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 60005 60005, burlington
- aldi 64017, racine
- aldi 64028, racine
- gordon food service store mp161, racine
- piggly wiggly 272, union grove
- piggly wiggly 37, mount pleasant
- piggly wiggly 9, racine
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- brossman's meat market, racine
- danny's meats, racine
- forever vos farms, burlington
Farmers' Market · 2
- burlington farmers market, inc., burlington
- racine harbormarket, racine
Small Grocery Store · 2
- lee's market, racine
- sions llc, racine
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Racine County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Racine 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 Racine County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Racine County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Racine County? ▼
Is Racine County a food desert? ▼
What share of Racine 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.