County food-access profile · Michigan
Saginaw County, MI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Saginaw 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).
- 30.1%
- low-access pop.
- 16
- food-desert tracts
- 19.6%
- on SNAP
- 189K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.1% of Saginaw County residents live in a low-access area, and 16 of its 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 25
- low-access tracts
- 23K
- food-desert residents
- 7.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.2%
- 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).
USDA data puts Saginaw County's low-access share at 30.1%, above the national share. 25 of the county's 56 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 60,220 people. 16 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 22,772 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 Saginaw County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Saginaw County's 30.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #932 most-affected nationwide.
Saginaw County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 56 census tracts in Saginaw County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Saginaw County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Saginaw
Saginaw County, MI
30.1 % low-access
- Alcona
Alcona County, MI
15.6 % low-access
- Alger
Alger County, MI
12.8 % low-access
- Allegan
Allegan County, MI
20.8 % low-access
- Alpena
Alpena County, MI
15.9 % low-access
- Antrim 0.2
Antrim County, MI
0.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 56 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 200,169 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 25 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 16 |
| Low-Access Population | 60,220 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 22,772 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 188,665 |
| Median Household Income | $60,622 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 15,255 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.3% |
About 19.6% of Saginaw County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 15,255 households here.
- 7.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 16 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 Saginaw County
above the national share
16 of Saginaw County's 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 25.
An estimated 60,220 residents, roughly 30.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 22,772 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 31 tracts (55.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Saginaw County
Saginaw County has 199 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 113 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 113
- 1 dollar bargain, saginaw
- 14th street market, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36892b, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36926j, saginaw
- 7-eleven store 36939b, saginaw
- 7-eleven, inc. store # 36929, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36898-a, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36907-a, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36930-a, frankenmuth
- 7-eleven 36932-a, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36934-a, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36937-a, saginaw
- 7-eleven 36938-a, birch run
- 7-eleven 36946-a, saginaw
- 7-eleven store 41779a, saginaw
- admiral 5727, saginaw
- admiral 5825, freeland
- admiral 5872, chesaning
- al-sahuri, inc, saginaw
- all star liquor inc, saginaw
- american fuel stop inc, saginaw
- b & h market, saginaw
- babel food market, saginaw
- barakat petroleum, bridgeport
- barones food market, saginaw
- bay road fastlane 102, saginaw
- bootlegger party store, saginaw
- bridgeport liquor & wine shoppe, saginaw
- bridgeport optimo, saginaw
- bridgeport quick mart, saginaw
- bv liquor inc, saginaw
- case's corner, burt
- circle seven, saginaw
- conlee oil party store 4, frankenmuth
- conlee travel center 2, birch run
- court fuel, saginaw
- d & b market, saginaw
- damore's grocery, saginaw
- doms food market, saginaw
- econo king, saginaw
- express liquor store, saginaw
- express stop 4637, saginaw
- express stop 4638, merrill
- express stop 4647, saginaw
- express stop 4648, saginaw
- express stop 4689, birch run
- ez stop party store, saginaw
- fast pax food stores 11, saint charles
- fast pax food stores 2, birch run
- fast pax food stores 6, chesaning
- fast pax food stores 8, freeland
- food basket, saginaw
- forward enterprises 139, saginaw
- frost road market, freeland
- g & h market, saginaw
- genesee market, saginaw
- garys place, burt
- goodtimes market, burt
- gurbaz inc, saginaw
- hari's party store no. 3 inc., saginaw
- healthy habitz, frankenmuth
- hess fuel mart llc 1, saginaw
- holland fuel & more inc, saginaw
- i-75 zilwaukee inc, saginaw
- in & out party store, saginaw
- johnny express llc, saginaw
- johnny liquor llc dba johnny's party store, saginaw
- kaival krupa, saginaw
- kulis corner ii, saginaw
- liquor basket party store, saginaw
- lara's market, chesaning
- lawndale market, saginaw
- liquor 4 king, saginaw
- love's travel stop 743, bridgeport
- m-52 fastlane 111, chesaning
- marathon fast pax food stores 4, saginaw
- meijer gas station 213, birch run
- meijer gas station 42, saginaw
- meijer gas station 43, saginaw
- michigan fuel and more llc, saginaw
- mustang 3 inc, saginaw
- new court st. quick mart, saginaw
- new perkins market, saginaw
- new quick stop grocery and liquor, saginaw
- next door food store 5049, saginaw
- nikki's place, saginaw
- pilot travel center 668, saginaw
- possums party store, chesaning
- quick stop party shoppe, saginaw
- royal wine & liquor, freeland
- saginaw gas mart llc 1, saginaw
- saginaw oil, saginaw
- shamrock party store, saginaw
- shattuck market, saginaw
- speedway 2242 2242, saginaw
- speedway 2321 2321, saginaw
- speedway 2348, saginaw
- speedway 7496, saginaw
- speedway 7719, saginaw
- speedway 8723, bridgeport
- st charles oil company inc, saint charles
- state street fastlane 113, saginaw
- stop-n-shop, saginaw
- t & m convenience store, saginaw
- t & m convenience store, saginaw
- the bootlegger, saginaw
- things & more party store, saginaw
- tobacco & liquor 1, saginaw
- vintage pointe market, saginaw
- westside fuel, saginaw
- westside party shoppe, saginaw
- white star market, saginaw
- d's party store, oakley
Combination Grocery/Other · 46
- cvs pharmacy 10790, frankenmuth
- dollar general 10291, chesaning
- dollar general 10946, saginaw
- dollar general 5807, freeland
- dollar general 6882, merrill
- dollar general 12129, frankenmuth
- dollar general 13664, saginaw
- dollar general 15331, bridgeport
- dollar general 15915, saint charles
- dollar general 17771, burt
- dollar general 20304, saginaw
- dollar general 20516, saginaw
- dollar general 20786, saginaw
- dollar general 21052, saginaw
- dollar general 23080, new lothrop
- dollar general 23210, saginaw
- dollar general 23335, saginaw
- dollar general 31390, oakley
- dollar general 8173, saginaw
- dollar general 9939, saginaw
- dollar general store 13324, saginaw
- dollar tree 1001, saginaw
- dollar tree 255, saginaw
- dollar tree 5917, saginaw
- dollar tree 7256, birch run
- dollar tree 7286, saginaw
- family dollar store 11069, saginaw
- family dollar 10065, birch run
- family dollar 12537, saginaw
- family dollar 13576, saint charles
- family dollar 8327, saginaw
- family dollar store 2154, saginaw
- family dollar store 2825, saginaw
- family dollar store 3908, bridgeport
- family dollar store 4102, chesaning
- family dollar store 4596, hemlock
- family dollar store 5307, saginaw
- family dollar store 5575, saginaw
- family dollar store 5762, saginaw
- family dollar store 7664, saginaw
- grains & greens ii, saginaw
- huron fish co, saginaw
- tri city asian market, saginaw
- vargas & sons, saginaw
- walgreens 05097, saginaw
- walgreens 05371, saginaw
Super Store · 14
- great giant of saginaw, saginaw
- jack's fruit market inc, saginaw
- jack's fruit market inc, saginaw
- kroger 436, frankenmuth
- kroger 437, bridgeport
- kroger 738, saginaw
- meijer inc 042, saginaw
- meijer inc 043, saginaw
- meijer inc 213, birch run
- pat's food center, inc, freeland
- sam's club 6663, saginaw
- target store 347, saginaw
- walmart 2644, saginaw
- walmart 5097, saginaw
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 67054 67054, saginaw
- aldi 67056 67056, saginaw
- franks super market, chesaning
- franks supermarket inc 1, saint charles
- gordon food service store mp006, saginaw
- nixon's grocery, brant
- save a lot 21333, saginaw
- save-a-lot 23974, saginaw
- save-a-lot 24319, saginaw
Farmers' Market · 5
- downtown saginaw farmers' market, saginaw
- frankenmuth farmers market, frankenmuth
- hemlock farmers market, hemlock
- st charles farmers marketplace, saint charles
- thomas township farmers market, saginaw
Small Grocery Store · 3
- brandt farm company, saginaw
- farmers market, saginaw
- merrill gas llc 1, brant
Bakery Specialty · 2
- aunt millie's bakeries 50042, saginaw
- butter crust bakery, bridgeport
Large Grocery Store · 2
- dons foodland inc, birch run
- rosatis fresh market l.l.c., hemlock
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- bernthal packing, frankenmuth
- romero meat market, saginaw
Seafood Specialty · 2
- blue lakes fresh fish market 1, saginaw
- wrege fish company, saginaw
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- cl gourmet market, saginaw
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Saginaw County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Saginaw County sits inside Michigan (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 Saginaw County has low food access? ▼
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What share of Saginaw 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.