Signature · 10.1% low-access (21st pct)
Vilas County, WI
Vilas County lands in the lower national band on low-access (10.1%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 10.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.9%
- on SNAP
- 24K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Vilas County, WI
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 10.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -12.0 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Iron County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Vilas County lands in the lower national band (10.1%, #2,478 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,478
- national by low-access %
- #60
- in WI
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 650
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 10.1% low-access (21st pct) (-12 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Vilas County compares nationally
Vilas County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.1% low-access share that beats 21% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,478).
Vilas County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 5 of Vilas County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Vilas County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Wisconsin, not a full county-board reprint
- Richland
Richland 52.9%
52.9 % low-access
- Vilas 10.1
Vilas 10.1%
10.1 % low-access
- Iron 10.1
Iron 10.1%
10.1 % low-access
- Oneida 10.1
Oneida 10.1%
10.1 % low-access
- Adams 9.9
Adams 9.9%
9.9 % low-access
- Burnett 9.8
Burnett 9.8%
9.8 % low-access
- Pepin 0
Pepin 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 21,430 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,169 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 650 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,647 |
| Median Household Income | $68,431 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,098 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
SNAP retailers in Vilas County
Vilas County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 23 authorized stores; Eagle River holds 48% of them. 1 of the 6 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Boulder Junction.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle River | 11 | 1 |
| Land O Lakes | 3 | 1 |
| Minocqua | 3 | 1 |
| Saint Germain | 3 | 1 |
| Lac Du Flambeau | 2 | 1 |
| Boulder Junction | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- gateway mart, land o lakes
- holiday stationstore 2746049, eagle river
- holiday stationstore 2746257, eagle river
- krist food mart 066, eagle river
- krist food mart 071, saint germain
- krist food mart 073, land o lakes
- kwik trip 131, eagle river
- kwik trip 159, minocqua
- trig's eagle river shell 45, eagle river
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 18255, saint germain
- dollar general 9967, eagle river
- dollar tree 6342, minocqua
- dollar tree 6901, eagle river
- family dollar 11707, lac du flambeau
- lakewood market, boulder junction
- trig's 40, eagle river
- walgreens 12545, eagle river
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- charlies market, land o lakes
- krolczyk northwoods foods inc, minocqua
Super Store · 2
- camp's fresh market, saint germain
- pick 'n save 6351, eagle river
Farmers' Market · 1
- eagle river farmers market, eagle river
Supermarket · 1
- ldf ojibwe market, lac du flambeau
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 Vilas County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →
Counties near Vilas County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Vilas 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 (10.1% here).
- Morgan County, WV · 10.1% low-access
- Orleans County, VT · 10.1% low-access
- Green County, KY · 10.1% low-access
- Boone County, IA · 10.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside WI (9.9% here).
- Charlottesville city, VA · 9.9% SNAP
- Lancaster County, VA · 9.9% SNAP
- Kaufman County, TX · 9.9% SNAP
- Clay County, SD · 9.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Wisconsin among East North Central states
Wisconsin ranks 4th of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (21.4%). Vilas County, at 10.1%, runs 11.3 pts below the Wisconsin rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Vilas County, WI are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 55125. 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.