PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Michigan

Wexford County, MI

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

24.8%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
16.9%
on SNAP
34K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MI

The food-access picture

24.8% of Wexford County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.0%
households, no vehicle
13.9%
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 Wexford County's low-access share at 24.8%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,127 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,750 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 Wexford County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Wexford County's 24.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,306 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wexford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Wexford 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 Wexford County, MI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (62.5%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (37.5%) Adequate 63% Limited 0% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Wexford County, MI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Wexford County vs. other Michigan counties

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

% 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 Wexford County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,735
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population8,127
Low-Access Share24.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,750

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wexford County
IndicatorValue
Population34,077
Median Household Income$61,085
Poverty Rate13.9%near the national average
SNAP Households2,308
SNAP Participation Rate16.9%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.0%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Wexford County 16.9%

About 16.9% of Wexford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,308 households here.
  • 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Wexford County

above the national share

3 of Wexford County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 37.5% of all its tracts.

An estimated 8,127 residents, roughly 24.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,750 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Wexford County

Wexford County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • beacon & bridge market 19, cadillac
  • c & e market, cadillac
  • cadillac south 271, cadillac
  • cadillac west ez mart 304, cadillac
  • corner express 1, wellston
  • fast n easy mart 2, cadillac
  • guadalupe's mexican market, cadillac
  • j&h family stores - cadillac 152, cadillac
  • krist food mart 44, cadillac
  • manton 274, manton
  • manton mini mart, manton
  • meijer gas station 171, cadillac
  • mesick 37#2, mesick
  • speedway 3567, cadillac
  • speedway 3570, cadillac
  • the hodenpyle dam store, mesick
  • wesco 34, cadillac

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • apple valley natural foods, cadillac
  • dollar general 18156, manton
  • dollartree 9921, cadillac
  • dollar general 19815, cadillac
  • dollar general 20152, mesick
  • dollar general 7868, cadillac
  • dollar general store 12547, buckley
  • dollar tree 1022, cadillac
  • family dollar store 2249, cadillac
  • family dollar store 7044, mesick
  • family dollar store 7453, manton
  • walgreens 07660, cadillac

Super Store · 3

  • family fare 648, cadillac
  • meijer inc 171, cadillac
  • walmart supercenter 1432, cadillac

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 67012, cadillac
  • gordon food service store mp035, cadillac
  • save-a-lot 23912, cadillac

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • aunt millies bakery thrift store 50029, cadillac

Farmers' Market · 1

  • cadillac farmers market 064, cadillac

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • mesick market, mesick

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • buckley general store, buckley

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Michigan

Alcona County
15.6% low-access · 12.5% SNAP
Alger County
12.8% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Allegan County
20.8% low-access · 7.8% SNAP
Alpena County
15.9% low-access · 16.7% SNAP
Antrim County
0.2% low-access · 10.0% SNAP
Arenac County
0.0% low-access · 16.1% SNAP

Compare Wexford County vs Alcona County → · All Michigan counties →

Food access nationally, Michigan in context

Wexford County sits inside Michigan (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 Wexford County has low food access? ▼
24.8% of residents in Wexford County, MI 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 Wexford County? ▼
16.9% of households in Wexford County receive SNAP, covering 2,308 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Wexford County? ▼
The poverty rate in Wexford County, MI is 13.9%, with a median household income of $61,085 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Wexford County a food desert? ▼
3 of Wexford County's 8 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 Wexford County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.0% of households in Wexford 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.