PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Sauk County, WI

Sauk 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.

9.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
10.1%
on SNAP
66K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

9.7% of Sauk County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.1%
households, no vehicle
8.1%
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).

Sauk County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.7% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,986 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,740 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 Sauk County compares nationally

Sauk County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.7% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,511).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Sauk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Sauk County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Sauk County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (76.9%) 2 tracts limited (15.4%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 77% Limited 15% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Sauk County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Sauk County vs. other Wisconsin counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Sauk County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)61,976
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population5,986
Low-Access Share9.7%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,740

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Sauk County
IndicatorValue
Population66,009
Median Household Income$79,541
Poverty Rate8.1%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,830
SNAP Participation Rate10.1%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Sauk County 10.1%

About 10.1% of Sauk County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,830 households here.
  • 5.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Sauk County

near the national share

1 of Sauk County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 5,986 residents, roughly 9.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,740 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (76.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Sauk County

Sauk County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • casey's 3773, reedsburg
  • casey's general store 1904, baraboo
  • dells quick mart, wisconsin dells
  • ederer's do it best certco #47, plain
  • hartje farm and home, la valle
  • jams 2, reedsburg
  • kwik trip 657, baraboo
  • kwik trip 763, sauk city
  • kwik trip 838, reedsburg
  • kwik trip 839, reedsburg
  • kwik star 1205, baraboo
  • kwik trip 1038, prairie du sac
  • kwik trip 1113, wisconsin dells
  • kwik trip 583, wisconsin dells
  • kwik trip 834, baraboo
  • kwik trip 838, reedsburg
  • kwik trip 855, baraboo
  • lake delton citgo, wisconsin dells
  • refuel pantry- american world, wisconsin dells
  • refuel pantry- get n go, baraboo
  • refuel pantry-loganville, loganville
  • refuel pantry-r&g, wisconsin dells
  • viking express mart, reedsburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 25774, reedsburg
  • dollar general 30527, plain
  • dollar general 31116, loganville
  • dollar general store 13318, reedsburg
  • dollar tree 2059, baraboo
  • dollar tree 6807, reedsburg
  • family dollar store 5526, sauk city
  • piggly wiggly 206, sauk city
  • walgreens 06885, wisconsin dells
  • walgreens 07882, baraboo
  • walgreens 10237, reedsburg
  • walgreens 11277, sauk city

Small Grocery Store · 5

  • bombita llc, reedsburg
  • emma's mexican market, baraboo
  • la bombita, sauk city
  • las milpas llc, baraboo
  • pierce's west express, baraboo

Bakery Specialty · 4

  • papa murphys prairie du sac wi118, prairie du sac
  • papa murphys reedsburg wi111, reedsburg
  • papa murphys wi038, baraboo
  • the mixing bowl bakery n/a, sauk city

Super Store · 4

  • festival foods 37, baraboo
  • hansen's iga-prairie du sac 12, prairie du sac
  • viking village foods, reedsburg
  • walmart supercenter 1396, baraboo

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 64012, baraboo
  • molter's fresh market of spring green 8808, spring green
  • prem meats, spring green
  • quillin's inc. awg 19, reedsburg

Farmers' Market · 3

  • bluffview farmers' market, north freedom
  • kruse farms 6089637737, hillpoint
  • tutti noi farmers market, wonewoc

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • express market, baraboo
  • la canasta mexicana, wisconsin dells
  • the grainery, baraboo

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • straka meats inc., plain
  • the meat market, baraboo

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Sauk County sits inside Wisconsin (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Sauk County has low food access? ▼
9.7% of residents in Sauk County, WI live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sauk County? ▼
10.1% of households in Sauk County receive SNAP, covering 2,830 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Sauk County? ▼
The poverty rate in Sauk County, WI is 8.1%, with a median household income of $79,541 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Sauk County a food desert? ▼
1 of Sauk County's 13 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Sauk County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.1% of households in Sauk County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.