PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Wood County, WI

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

24.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
13.2%
on SNAP
74K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

24.7% of Wood County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

10
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
5.5%
households, no vehicle
10.8%
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 Wood County's low-access share at 24.7%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 17 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 18,492 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,156 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 Wood County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Wood County's 24.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,315 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Wood County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 17 census tracts in Wood 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 Wood County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 8 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 17 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (41.2%) 8 tracts limited (47.1%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (11.8%) Adequate 41% Limited 47% Severe 12% Food-access tier distribution: Wood County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Wood 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 Wood County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts17
Atlas Population (2010 basis)74,749
Low-Access Tracts10
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population18,492
Low-Access Share24.7%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,156

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Wood County
IndicatorValue
Population74,004
Median Household Income$67,989
Poverty Rate10.8%below the national average
SNAP Households4,244
SNAP Participation Rate13.2%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Wood County 13.2%

About 13.2% of Wood County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,244 households here.
  • 5.5% 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 Wood County

above the national share

2 of Wood County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.8% of all its tracts.

A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.

An estimated 18,492 residents, roughly 24.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,156 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (41.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Wood County

Wood County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 35

  • bread & butter shop 4528, marshfield
  • bread & butter shop 4529, marshfield
  • bread & butter shop 4530, nekoosa
  • bread & butter shop 4531, marshfield
  • bread & butter shop 4532, wisconsin rapids
  • bread & butter shop 4533, wisconsin rapids
  • bread & butter shop 4534, marshfield
  • dr mart, wisconsin rapids
  • express lane 9516, marshfield
  • friends and neighbors country store, arpin
  • gr8 store, wisconsin rapids
  • k mini mart, wisconsin rapids
  • kwik trip 310, wisconsin rapids
  • kwik trip 331, wisconsin rapids
  • kwik trip 347, wisconsin rapids
  • kwik trip 719, marshfield
  • kwik trip 1084, marshfield
  • kwik trip 1193, marshfield
  • kwik trip 128, wisconsin rapids
  • kwik trip 142, marshfield
  • la queretana, marshfield
  • mart phillips66, nekoosa
  • reliance fuel, wisconsin rapids
  • reliance fuel, wisconsin rapids
  • reliance fuel llc the store 81, auburndale
  • rstore 4500, rudolph
  • saratoga mini mart, wisconsin rapids
  • shambhu, nekoosa
  • southside discount groceries, marshfield
  • swetz country corner mart, milladore
  • the market, pittsville
  • the store 82, marshfield
  • weiler convenience stores 1, marshfield
  • weiler convenience stores 2, marshfield
  • westside express mart, wisconsin rapids

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs 10163, wisconsin rapids
  • dollar general 10309, wisconsin rapids
  • dollar general 18554, pittsville
  • dollar general 13775, nekoosa
  • dollar general 21068, wisconsin rapids
  • dollar general 21853, marshfield
  • dollar general 23115, wisconsin rapids
  • dollar general 25089, rudolph
  • dollar general 25294, grand rapids
  • dollar tree 2437, wisconsin rapids
  • quality foods hometown markets, wisconsin rapids
  • walgreens 09009, wisconsin rapids
  • walgreens 13066, marshfield

Super Store · 5

  • festival foods 9, marshfield
  • pick 'n save 121, wisc rapids
  • pick 'n save 6379, marshfield
  • target store 805, marshfield
  • walmart supercenter 1202, wisconsin rapids

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 64008, wisconsin rapids
  • aldi 64020, marshfield
  • piggly wiggly #218, nekoosa
  • quality foods, wisconsin rapids

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's of wisconsin rapids wi009, wisconsin rapids

Farmers' Market · 1

  • wisconsin rapids downtown farmers market, wisconsin rapids

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • tong's asian market, wisconsin rapids

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 Wood County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Wood 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 Wood County has low food access? ▼
24.7% of residents in Wood 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 Wood County? ▼
13.2% of households in Wood County receive SNAP, covering 4,244 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Wood County? ▼
The poverty rate in Wood County, WI is 10.8%, with a median household income of $67,989 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Wood County a food desert? ▼
2 of Wood County's 17 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 Wood County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.5% of households in Wood 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.