Signature · 4 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts)
Aitkin County, MN
Aitkin County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (66.7% of the book) alongside 33.8% low-access.
- 33.8%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 8.9%
- on SNAP
- 16K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Aitkin County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 33.8% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +11.7 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 67% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Isanti County ( -0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Aitkin County sits in the upper national band (33.8%, #679 of 3,079) with 4 LILA tracts.
- #679
- national by low-access %
- #23
- in MN
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 4 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts) .
How Aitkin County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Aitkin County's 33.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 78% of them and ranked #679 most-affected nationwide.
Aitkin County's elevated USDA tier split
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.
All 6 of Aitkin County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Aitkin County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Dakota 34.6
Dakota 34.6%
34.6 % low-access
- Becker 34.5
Becker 34.5%
34.5 % low-access
- Aitkin 33.8
Aitkin 33.8%
33.8 % low-access
- Isanti 33.5
Isanti 33.5%
33.5 % low-access
- Polk 33.4
Polk 33.4%
33.4 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 16,202 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,477 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,837 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,056 |
| Median Household Income | $60,833 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 646 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
SNAP retailers in Aitkin County
Aitkin County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 7 locations (41% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 17 authorized stores; Aitkin holds 53% of them. 3 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Hill City, Mc Grath, Palisade.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Aitkin | 9 | 1 |
| Mcgregor | 4 | 1 |
| Hill City | 2 | none |
| Mc Grath | 1 | none |
| Palisade | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs 10397, aitkin
- dollar general 18887, mcgregor
- dollar general 20648, hill city
- dollar general 20957, aitkin
- dollar general 30613, aitkin
- family dollar 7772, aitkin
- petry's by the lake 2, aitkin
Convenience Store · 6
- 1865 roadside convenience, mc grath
- east lake conoco, mcgregor
- holiday stationstore 2746452, aitkin
- holiday stationstore 2746453, mcgregor
- malmo market, aitkin
- palisade one stop, palisade
Farmers' Market · 1
- aitkin farmers market, aitkin
Small Grocery Store · 1
- roadside market, hill city
Super Store · 1
- paulbeck's county market, aitkin
Supermarket · 1
- the market at mcgregor 7025, mcgregor
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Minnesota
One of 86 counties in Minnesota, 6 are shown here.
Compare Aitkin County vs Anoka County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Aitkin County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Aitkin County, both outside Minnesota so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MN (33.8% here).
- Orange County, NY · 33.8% low-access
- Kendall County, IL · 33.8% low-access
- Sumter County, FL · 33.8% low-access
- Sumner County, TN · 33.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (8.9% here).
- Tishomingo County, MS · 8.9% SNAP
- Miller County, MO · 8.9% SNAP
- Colfax County, NE · 8.9% SNAP
- Saline County, KS · 8.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Minnesota among West North Central states
Minnesota ranks 3rd of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (27.4%). Aitkin County, at 33.8%, runs 6.4 pts above the Minnesota rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Aitkin County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27001. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.