County food-access profile · Minnesota
Becker County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Becker 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).
- 34.5%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 11.6%
- on SNAP
- 35K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.5% of Becker County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.9%
- 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 Becker County's low-access share at 34.5%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,218 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,149 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 Becker County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Becker County's 34.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #628 most-affected nationwide.
Becker County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Becker County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Becker County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Becker
Becker County, MN
34.5 % low-access
- Aitkin
Aitkin County, MN
33.8 % low-access
- Anoka
Anoka County, MN
38.3 % low-access
- Beltrami
Beltrami County, MN
32.3 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, MN
30 % low-access
- Big Stone
Big Stone County, MN
38.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,504 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,218 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,149 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 35,343 |
| Median Household Income | $71,388 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,668 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.6%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
About 11.6% of Becker County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,668 households here.
- 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Becker County
above the national share
5 of Becker County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 11,218 residents, roughly 34.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,149 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (40.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Becker County
Becker County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 17
- 4 corners convenience store, detroit lakes
- all in all frazee, frazee
- bone's, waubun
- chief corner store, ponsford
- casey's 2844, lake park
- casey's general store 2219, detroit lakes
- casey's general store 3656, detroit lakes
- food n fuel, detroit lakes
- holiday stationstore 2746466, detroit lakes
- lakes community coop callaway 26, callaway
- lakes community coop detroit lakes cstore 23, detroit lakes
- lakes community coop lake park cstore 20, lake park
- lakes community coop wolf lake 44, wolf lake
- m & w, ogema
- odegaard's sinclair, detroit lakes
- ortons audubon cenex 150, audubon
- the cormorant store, pelican rapids
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- cvs pharmacy 5616, detroit lakes
- dollar general 19334, lake park
- dollar general 18456, frazee
- dollar general 20295, pelican rapids
- dollar general 22107, waubun
- dollar tree 2591, detroit lakes
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 5
- alsager meats lllp, audubon
- benson + turner foods, inc., waubun
- hoffmans town & country meat market, detroit lakes
- ketter meats, frazee
- lakes processing, detroit lakes
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- byer's market, osage
- frazee family foods, frazee
- manna food co-op, detroit lakes
Super Store · 2
- central market, detroit lakes
- walmart 2957, detroit lakes
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's mn015, detroit lakes
Farmers' Market · 1
- lakes area farmers' market cooperative, detroit lakes
Small Grocery Store · 1
- richwood store llc, detroit lakes
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 72114, detroit lakes
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Becker County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Becker County sits inside Minnesota (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Becker County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Becker County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Becker County? ▼
Is Becker County a food desert? ▼
What share of Becker County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.