County food-access profile · Michigan
Van Buren County, MI
Most of Van Buren County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 4.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.7%
- on SNAP
- 76K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
4.9% of Van Buren County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.3%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Van Buren County fares better than most: just 4.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 15 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,751 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,301 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 Van Buren County compares nationally
Food access in Van Buren County compares favorably nationally: its 4.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,818).
Van Buren County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 15 census tracts in Van Buren County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Van Buren County vs. other Michigan counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Michigan
- Van Buren 4.9
Van Buren County, MI
4.9 % 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 | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 76,258 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,751 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,301 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 75,795 |
| Median Household Income | $68,114 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,180 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 13.7% of Van Buren County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 4.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,180 households here.
- 5.7% 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 Van Buren County
below the national share
1 of Van Buren County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.7% 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 3,751 residents, roughly 4.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,301 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Van Buren County
Van Buren County has 90 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 46
- 7 mile stop & shop llc, decatur
- a&j jericho, south haven
- bangor shell value market 11, bangor
- bangor sunoco, bangor
- bloomingdale marathon value market 19, bloomingdale
- broadway marathon no, south haven
- broadway shell value market 29, south haven
- casey's 4611, hartford
- decatur one stop, decatur
- el mercado los 4 hermanos 0, paw paw
- el supermercado mi rosita llc, benton harbor
- express stop 4687, paw paw
- gms liquor spot, gobles
- gobles shell value market 13, gobles
- gs21, paw paw
- gsj family stores (hartford citgo), hartford
- halftime, mattawan
- hartford shell value market 22, hartford
- jb liquor and grocery, south haven
- jot petroleum, llc, paw paw
- keelers super stop, hartford
- m-140 shell value market 15, south haven
- mattawan ez mart 662, mattawan
- mattawan shell value market 25, mattawan
- max william llc, covert
- meijer gas station 271, south haven
- mr grocery, grand junction
- ns petroleum inc, paw paw
- pauls gas and liquor, lawrence
- paw diesel, paw paw
- paw paw citgo 615695, paw paw
- phoenix quick stop, south haven
- phoenix shell value market 30, south haven
- pit stop, paw paw
- port of call, mattawan
- quick and easy mart, hartford
- rax william, llc, covert
- short stop, decatur
- sister lakes marathon, dowagiac
- south haven marathon value market 26, south haven
- speedway 3562, paw paw
- speedway 6288, bangor
- speedway 6604, mattawan
- speedway 7786 7786, paw paw
- village market xpress 869, south haven
- walt & maries country market llc, paw paw
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- barden's farm market, south haven
- dollar general 20395, hartford
- dollar general 6054, paw paw
- dollar general 6920, lawton
- dollar general 7006, marcellus
- dollar general 13438, covert
- dollar general 13472, bangor
- dollar general 16325, lawrence
- dollar general 17020, mattawan
- dollar general 17363, gobles
- dollar general 23824, south haven
- dollar general 25092, bloomingdale
- dollar general 6592, decatur
- dollar tree 3985, south haven
- dollar tree 7818, paw paw
- family dollar 11716, grand junction
- family dollar 4938, decatur
- family dollar store 1245, south haven
- family dollar store 5233, hartford
- village market 872, decatur
- walgreens 09691, south haven
- walgreens 12688, paw paw
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 67006, south haven
- harding's friendly market 916, decatur
- harding's friendly market 965, hartford
- harding's friendly market 966, gobles
- save a lot 24997, paw paw
- village market 874, gobles
- wagoners your hometown food store, lawton
Super Store · 6
- family fare 1980, paw paw
- hardings market, bangor
- meijer 271, south haven
- wagoners your hometown food store, mattawan
- walmart supercenter 1540, south haven
- walmart supercenter 4439, paw paw
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- bloomingdale bulk foods, bloomingdale
- el supermercado, hartford
- villalobos market, bangor
Farmers' Market · 2
- jeris farms, lawrence
- south haven farm market, south haven
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- bob's processing inc, south haven
- delille acres farm, paw paw
Large Grocery Store · 1
- wagoners your hometown food store, bloomingdale
Small Grocery Store · 1
- la rancherita, covert
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Michigan
Compare Van Buren County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →
Food access nationally, Michigan in context
Van Buren 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 Van Buren County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Van Buren County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Van Buren County? ▼
Is Van Buren County a food desert? ▼
What share of Van Buren 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.