Signature · 4 LILA tracts (80% of tracts)

Rusk County, WI

Rusk County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (80% of the book) alongside 37.4% low-access.

37.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
16.2%
on SNAP
14K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

USDA FARA access plate

County Rusk County, WI

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-ELEVATED 37.4% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +15.3 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 16.2% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 5.4% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 80% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Winnebago County ( -0.4 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Rusk County sits in the upper national band (37.4%, #508 of 3,079) with 4 LILA tracts.

#508
national by low-access %
#4
in WI
5
low-access tracts
2K
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: 4 LILA tracts (80% of tracts) .

How Rusk County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rusk County's 37.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 84% of them and ranked #510 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Rusk County's elevated USDA tier split

5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Rusk County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 0 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 5 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts limited (20.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (80.0%) Adequate 0% Limited 20% Severe 80% Food-access tier distribution: Rusk County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Rusk County has 1 urban and 4 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.

Rusk County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Wisconsin, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Rusk County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts5
Atlas Population (2010 basis)14,755
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population5,515
Low-Access Share37.4%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,097

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Rusk County
IndicatorValue
Population14,179
Median Household Income$59,944
Poverty Rate13.1%near the national average
SNAP Households1,027
SNAP Participation Rate16.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%

SNAP retailers in Rusk County

Rusk County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 9

  • edming oil co inc, glen flora
  • express mart, bruce
  • east mart, ladysmith
  • foodmill, the, conrath
  • holiday stationstore 2746176, ladysmith
  • krist food mart 085, ladysmith
  • kwik trip 455, ladysmith
  • northwood feed and food supply, hawkins
  • the tony depot inc, tony

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

  • dollar general 7401, ladysmith
  • dollar general 19877, bruce
  • dollar general 30088, hawkins

Farmers' Market · 2

  • grass fed beef farm, llc, bruce
  • rusk county farmers market, ladysmith

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • skabroud's store, sheldon

Super Store · 1

  • walmart 4281, ladysmith

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Wisconsin

One of 71 counties in Wisconsin, 6 are shown here.

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

Counties near Rusk County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Rusk County, both outside Wisconsin so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside WI (37.4% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside WI (16.2% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Rusk County inside a higher low-access state context

Rusk County sits inside Wisconsin (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 Rusk County, WI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 55107. 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.