Demographics of the Western Upper Peninsula. While it shows percentages in poverty, it does include ALICE households. (Census Reporter)

Editor’s Note: This is the seventh installment in a series that examines food insecurity and its causes.

The University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions is a multidisciplinary initiative to develop new ways to reduce and prevent poverty. A fact sheet from Poverty Solutions states that the Upper Peninsula has the second-highest percentage of ALICE households (30.2%) in Michigan for the year 2021.

The fact sheet says that the median income in the Upper Peninsula is significantly lower than the state average – $51,950 versus $63,202 – and none of the counties has a median income above $57,500. Those statistics list median incomes. Census Report states the average per capita income is $32,975.

Among other significant factors the fact sheet includes are:

“The rural character of the Upper Peninsula means nearly all residents must have access to a vehicle and travel lengthy distances to access basic needs such as food, employment, education, health care, and more. Consequently, transportation costs eat up 30% or more of household incomes in all but two counties in the region.”

A May 2024 report by Feeding America says that while the majority (87%) of people in the U.S. live inside metropolitan (urban) areas and most people experiencing food insecurity live in urban areas (85%, or 37.4 million out of 44.2 million), the counties with the highest rates of food insecurity are disproportionately rural. Rural counties (those outside of major metropolitan areas) make up 62% of all counties but represent 87% of counties with food insecurity rates in the top 10% (285 out of 327). According to the Census Reporter, the western half of the U.P. covers 8,596 square miles, with 20.1 people per square mile.

When combined with high housing costs, the average U.P. household spends as much as 50% or more of their income just on these necessities. In Keweenaw County, that statistic is significantly higher. Residents there spend 67% of their income on housing and transportation costs combined.

The fact sheet states that distance traveled to access basic needs, such as food, has some link to food insecurity.

“For example, residents in most counties are located more than 10 miles from a supermarket,” the sheet points out, “designating these rural counties as food deserts. This lack of nearby grocery stores also proves costly, as grocery stores situated in food deserts are often more expensive.”

Low rates of receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits disguise the relatively high food insecurity rates that may be caused by these barriers to access and high basic costs of living, the Poverty Solutions report goes on to say. Yet Feed America found that nearly 50% of people experiencing food insecurity are unlikely to qualify for SNAP benefits.

As Business Insider (BI) reported in May, because ALICE households tend to live just above the poverty level – sometimes by less than $100 – they aren’t covered by America’s safety nets. BI reported that nearly a third of Americans are falling through the cracks in the U.S. economy.