PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

St. Croix County, WI

St. Croix 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.

11.7%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
6.2%
on SNAP
96K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

11.7% of St. Croix County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

5
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
3.3%
households, no vehicle
6.6%
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).

St. Croix County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.7% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 9,873 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 St. Croix County compares nationally

St. Croix County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.7% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,363).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

St. Croix County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in St. Croix 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 St. Croix County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (64.3%) 5 tracts limited (35.7%) Adequate 64% Limited 36% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: St. Croix County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

St. Croix 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 St. Croix County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)84,345
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population9,873
Low-Access Share11.7%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,995

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for St. Croix County
IndicatorValue
Population96,033
Median Household Income$103,046
Poverty Rate6.6%well below the national average
SNAP Households2,322
SNAP Participation Rate6.2%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in St. Croix County 6.2%

About 6.2% of St. Croix County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 11.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,322 households here.
  • 3.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $103,046 with a 6.6% poverty rate.

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 St. Croix County

near the national share

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 9,873 residents, roughly 11.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,995 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (64.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in St. Croix County

St. Croix County has 54 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • express lane 9508, hudson
  • express lane 9512, hudson
  • holiday stationstore 2746228, somerset
  • holiday stationstore 2746471, hudson
  • holiday stationstore 2746474, new richmond
  • holiday stationstore 2746475, hudson
  • holiday stationstore 2746479, hudson
  • holiday stationstore 2746486, roberts
  • holiday stationstore 2746487, hudson
  • kwik trip 337, new richmond
  • kwik trip 410, hudson
  • kwik trip 603, wilson
  • kwik trip 696, baldwin
  • kwik trip 747, baldwin
  • kwik trip 1040, new richmond
  • kwik trip 1074, somerset
  • kwik trip 1168, hudson
  • kwik trip 1260, roberts
  • kwik trip 453, river falls
  • kwik trip 747, baldwin
  • kwik trip 935, hudson
  • new richmond bp 7841, new richmond
  • pilot travel center 470, roberts
  • somerset bp 7843, somerset
  • woodville 45, woodville
  • woodville bp, woodville

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • dollar general 13248, baldwin
  • dollar general 15932, somerset
  • dollar general 15938, roberts
  • dollar general 22627, woodville
  • dollar general 30129, hammond
  • dollar general 31503, glenwood city
  • dollar tree 5315, new richmond
  • dollar tree store 4783, hudson
  • walgreens 10585, river falls
  • walgreens 15121, hudson

Super Store · 5

  • dick's fresh market, new richmond
  • festival foods 54, hudson
  • target store 1235, hudson
  • walmart 1365, hudson
  • walmart supercenter 5432, new richmond

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 72019 72019, hudson
  • aldi 72046, new richmond
  • dick's fresh market, somerset
  • jerry's foods hudson 5610, hudson
  • nilssens supervalu, baldwin

Bakery Specialty · 3

  • papa murphy's wi117, river falls
  • papa murphys - hudson wi024, hudson
  • papa murpy's wi070, new richmond

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • hudson grocery cooperative, hudson
  • ormson's super valu, glenwood city

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • dragos fresh meat and deli, new richmond

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • the smokehouse, woodville

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • la tricolor, baldwin

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 St. Croix County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

St. Croix 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 St. Croix County has low food access? ▼
11.7% of residents in St. Croix 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 St. Croix County? ▼
6.2% of households in St. Croix County receive SNAP, covering 2,322 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in St. Croix County? ▼
The poverty rate in St. Croix County, WI is 6.6%, with a median household income of $103,046 (Census ACS 2024).
Is St. Croix County a food desert? ▼
0 of St. Croix County's 14 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of St. Croix County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.3% of households in St. Croix 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.