GeraMarket / US Food Access / Ashland County
Ashland County, Wisconsin β Food Access Score
Is Ashland County, Wisconsin a food desert?
In 2019, 28.5% of Ashland County, Wisconsin residents live beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, with 11.3% both low-income and low-access, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (US public domain). The Gera Food Access Score for Ashland County is 74.3/100 (Good), ranking 2157 of 3140 US counties.
GFAS component breakdown
28.5%
Low-access population
Weight: 60% Β· beyond 1mi/10mi
National: 22.2%
11.3%
Low-income + low-access
Weight: 40% Β· compound hardship
2
LILA census tracts
of 7 total tracts
Ashland County food access data (2019)
| Metric | Ashland County (2019) | National comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) | 74.3/100 | National mean: 78.6/100 |
| Low-access population % | 28.5% | National: 22.2% |
| Low-income + low-access % | 11.3% | β |
| Low-income, low-access (LILA) tracts | 2 | β |
| Census tracts in county | 7 | β |
| Total population (2010 Census) | 16,157 | β |
| National rank (GFAS) | 2157 of 3140 | β |
Compare Ashland County with other US counties
Filter all 3140 US counties by GFAS score or state to find counties with similar or better food access conditions.
Get food access insights for Ashland County
Be the first to receive GFAS updates, food access trend reports, and new USDA data for Ashland County and nearby counties β free.
Other counties in Wisconsin
Counties with similar GFAS to Ashland County
Frequently asked questions
- Is Ashland County, Wisconsin a food desert?
- Using the USDA definition, Ashland County has 2 LILA (Low-Income, Low-Access) census tracts β tracts where residents are both low-income AND beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Overall, 28.5% of the county population lives beyond those distances. Gera Food Access Score: 74.3/100 (Good).
- What percentage of Ashland County residents are beyond a supermarket?
- In 2019, 28.5% of Ashland County's population of 16,157 lives beyond 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, based on USDA Food Access Research Atlas census tract data. The national average is 22.2%.
- What is the Gera Food Access Score (GFAS) for Ashland County?
- Ashland County's GFAS is 74.3/100 (Good), ranking 2157 of 3140 US counties (rank 1 = best food access). The score combines low-access population share (60% weight) and low-income/low-access share (40% weight), each derived from USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 data, then normalised and inverted. Full methodology at https://geramarket.com/methodology/gera-food-access-score.
- How does Ashland County compare to other counties in Wisconsin?
- Other counties in Wisconsin by GFAS: Pepin County (100/100), Kewaunee County (99.7/100), Marquette County (98.6/100), Polk County (95.1/100), Oconto County (94.2/100), Iowa County (93.1/100). Ashland County ranks 2157 of 3140 nationally.
- What is the USDA Food Access Research Atlas?
- The USDA Food Access Research Atlas is published by the USDA Economic Research Service. It measures access to supermarkets at the census tract level across 72,531 tracts covering all US counties. The atlas identifies areas where access to healthy, affordable food is limited by distance β particularly for low-income residents without vehicles. The data is a US Government Work (public domain) and is freely available at https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/download-the-data/.
Contains public sector information published by USDA Economic Research Service and licensed under the US Government Work (Public Domain). Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) (2019, published April 2021).