PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Walworth County, WI

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Walworth 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).

33.2%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
7.7%
on SNAP
106K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

33.2% of Walworth County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

11
low-access tracts
10K
food-desert residents
3.9%
households, no vehicle
9.4%
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 Walworth County's low-access share at 33.2%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 22 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 33,921 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,824 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 Walworth County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Walworth County's 33.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #728 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Walworth County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 22 census tracts in Walworth 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 Walworth County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 11 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 9 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 22 tracts evaluated. 11 tracts adequate (50.0%) 9 tracts limited (40.9%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 50% Limited 41% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Walworth County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Walworth 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 Walworth County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts22
Atlas Population (2010 basis)102,228
Low-Access Tracts11
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population33,921
Low-Access Share33.2%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population9,824

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Walworth County
IndicatorValue
Population105,657
Median Household Income$80,520
Poverty Rate9.4%below the national average
SNAP Households3,316
SNAP Participation Rate7.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.8%
SNAP participation in Walworth County 7.7%

About 7.7% of Walworth County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,316 households here.
  • 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Walworth County

above the national share

2 of Walworth County's 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.

An estimated 33,921 residents, roughly 33.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 9,824 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 11 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Walworth County

Walworth County has 72 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 36 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 36

  • bayside mart, williams bay
  • casey's general store 1923, elkhorn
  • casey's general store 3711, elkhorn
  • casey's general store 3714, whitewater
  • casey's general store 3715, whitewater
  • country mobil, elkhorn
  • darien corner mart 1, darien
  • delavan mobil mart, delavan
  • east troy 827, east troy
  • east troy mobil 0006, east troy
  • geneva gas mart, lake geneva
  • kwik star 493, whitewater
  • kwik trip 1029, east troy
  • kwik trip 1046, delavan
  • kwik trip 1065, whitewater
  • kwik trip 1199, darien
  • kwik trip 1520, lake geneva
  • kwik trip 218, delavan
  • kwik trip 219, lake geneva
  • kwik trip 485, elkhorn
  • lake geneva mobil 54, lake geneva
  • lakefront mart inc, delavan
  • lakeside country store, genoa city
  • love's travel stop 752, elkhorn
  • lyons shell plaza inc, lyons
  • maxi shell inc, delavan
  • mobil, whitewater
  • northside mobil, lake geneva
  • pell lake mobil, pell lake
  • r&s del mart llc, delavan
  • rightful king corporation, sharon
  • road ranger 236, east troy
  • speedway 4086, elkhorn
  • speedway 4476, delavan
  • walworth kelley's market mobil 56, walworth
  • williams bay mobil, williams bay

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • dollartree 10121, whitewater
  • dollar general 10921, east troy
  • dollar general 21320, elkhorn
  • dollar general 21877, lake geneva
  • dollar general 21943, genoa city
  • dollar general 24216, whitewater
  • dollar general store 17613, genoa city
  • dollar tree 1198, delavan
  • dollar tree 4191, lake geneva
  • dollar tree 5548, elkhorn
  • family dollar store 1395, delavan
  • family dollar store 5848, walworth
  • walgreens 05600, lake geneva
  • walgreens 09210, delavan
  • walgreens 10714, elkhorn
  • walgreens 12638, whitewater
  • wilson farm meats, elkhorn

Super Store · 9

  • hansen's iga market east troy 13, east troy
  • hansen's iga market elkhorn 14, elkhorn
  • piggly wiggly #207, lake geneva
  • piggly wiggly #208, delavan
  • sentry foods 2883, walworth
  • target store 2348, lake geneva
  • walmart 3247, delavan
  • walmart 910, lake geneva
  • walmart supercenter 1274, whitewater

Medium Grocery Store · 6

  • best bargains, elkhorn
  • el super burrito llc 1, elkhorn
  • guanajuato produce 2, whitewater
  • la guanajuato, delavan
  • rivera's market, walworth
  • tienda el rancho, lake geneva

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi, whitewater
  • aldi 44032 44032, delavan
  • aldi 64056, lake geneva

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • sorg farm packing inc, darien

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 Walworth County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Walworth 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 Walworth County has low food access? ▼
33.2% of residents in Walworth 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 Walworth County? ▼
7.7% of households in Walworth County receive SNAP, covering 3,316 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Walworth County? ▼
The poverty rate in Walworth County, WI is 9.4%, with a median household income of $80,520 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Walworth County a food desert? ▼
2 of Walworth County's 22 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 Walworth County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.9% of households in Walworth 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.