County food-access profile · Wisconsin
Rock County, WI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Rock 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).
- 35.3%
- low-access pop.
- 12
- food-desert tracts
- 12.9%
- on SNAP
- 164K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
35.3% of Rock County residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 22
- low-access tracts
- 19K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.3%
- 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).
USDA data puts Rock County's low-access share at 35.3%, above the national share. 22 of the county's 38 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 56,548 people. 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 19,376 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 Rock County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rock County's 35.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 81% of them and ranked #580 most-affected nationwide.
Rock County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 38 census tracts in Rock County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Rock County vs. other Wisconsin counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin
- Rock
Rock County, WI
35.3 % 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 | 38 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 160,331 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 22 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 12 |
| Low-Access Population | 56,548 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 19,376 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 164,350 |
| Median Household Income | $75,673 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,653 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 12.9% of Rock County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 35.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,653 households here.
- 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 12 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 Rock County
above the national share
12 of Rock County's 38 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 31.6% of all its tracts.
A further 10 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 22.
An estimated 56,548 residents, roughly 35.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 19,376 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 16 tracts (42.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Rock County
Rock County has 127 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 64 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 64
- 8th street market, beloit
- a and k oil company, janesville
- all n one 1, evansville
- all u need, janesville
- bindi r, beloit
- casey's 2609, beloit
- casey's 3316, beloit
- casey's 3392, janesville
- casey's 3731, edgerton
- casey's general store 3583, evansville
- casey's general store 3584, janesville
- carls shell, edgerton
- casey's general store 1992, milton
- center ave bp, janesville
- center ave petro mart, janesville
- chohan brothers milton, janesville
- dave's portland px, beloit
- dave's bait & tackle, beloit
- five pionts grocery & beverage, janesville
- genes service amoco, beloit
- gs gas mart inc., beloit
- j & r express mart #1, janesville
- jackson street citgo 109, janesville
- jakes mobil, janesville
- janesville travel plaza, janesville
- jttexon llc, janesville
- kwik trip 326, janesville
- kwik trip 384, janesville
- kwik trip 605, milton
- kwik trip 617, janesville
- kwik trip 647, janesville
- kwik trip 675, edgerton
- keeler food mart, beloit
- kwik trip 1134, janesville
- kwik trip 1145, janesville
- kwik trip 1151, beloit
- kwik trip 1159, janesville
- kwik trip 1294, janesville
- kwik trip 295, milton
- la azteca, janesville
- loins quick mart 1, janesville
- madison road mart, beloit
- memorial drive mobil, janesville
- milton ave mobil, janesville
- milton avenue exxon, janesville
- nd gas llc, beloit
- park avenue mart inc., beloit
- pilot travel center 289, beloit
- prairie gas mart, beloit
- qwk mart tobacco grocery st, beloit
- riverside gas mart inc., beloit
- riverside liquor, beloit
- rocky's super market llc, beloit
- sd footville minimart inc, footville
- shopiere gas mart inc., beloit
- speedway 2086, beloit
- speedway 4087, beloit
- speedway 4293, beloit
- station 51, janesville
- stop-n-go 1500, edgerton
- stop-n-go 1503, janesville
- stop-n-go 1518, beloit
- the station orfordville llc, orfordville
- village market, clinton
Combination Grocery/Other · 33
- bountiful beloit, beloit
- clinton foods, clinton
- cvs 5600, beloit
- cvs pharmacy 10143, janesville
- cvs pharmacy 4996, menomonee falls
- cvs pharmacy 8551, janesville
- dollar general 10069, beloit
- dollar general 18341, orfordville
- dollar general 19038, janesville
- dollar general 6787, milton
- dollar general 6833, janesville
- dollartree 10719, beloit
- dollar general 10420, janesville
- dollar general 15154, clinton
- dollar general 23069, evansville
- dollar general 6848, beloit
- dollar tree 1568, beloit
- dollar tree 5882, janesville
- dollar tree 6844, beloit
- dollar tree 756, janesville
- family dollar store 3086, edgerton
- family dollar store 3420, janesville
- family dollar store 4446, evansville
- family dollar store 6920, janesville
- family dollar store 882, beloit
- mi tienda el sol, janesville
- walgreens 04055, janesville
- walgreens 6096, beloit
- walgreens 11235, janesville
- walgreens 11236, janesville
- walgreens 11528, beloit
- walgreens 12136, beloit
- walgreens 13613, janesville
Super Store · 14
- festival foods 31, janesville
- hy-vee 1296, janesville
- piggly wiggly #168, edgerton
- piggly wiggly #297, milton
- piggly wiggly 080, evansville
- piggly wiggly 338, beloit
- sentry foods 2852, janesville
- sam's club 4840, janesville
- schnucks 758, janesville
- target store 809, janesville
- walmart 1305, janesville
- walmart supercenter 2532, beloit
- woodman's food market 1, janesville
- woodman's food market 14, beloit
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 4
- country pride meats, clinton
- pinnon meats, beloit
- the meat market of milton llc, milton
- west beloit pinnons inc, beloit
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- cake pastel llc, janesville
- cinco de mayo supermarket 1, beloit
- la mexicana grocery store, beloit
- mexico dominicana, beloit
Farmers' Market · 2
- downtown beloit association farmers' market, beloit
- janesville farmers market, janesville
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 64048, beloit
- aldi 64071, janesville
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys wi050, janesville
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- basics cooperative, janesville
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- ponics produce, edgerton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- santa maria supermarket, janesville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Compare Rock County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context
Rock 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 Rock County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Rock County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Rock County? ▼
Is Rock County a food desert? ▼
What share of Rock 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.