PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Benton County, MN

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

30.0%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
8.6%
on SNAP
42K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

30.0% of Benton County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.1%
households, no vehicle
9.9%
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 Benton County's low-access share at 30.0%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,538 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,046 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 Benton County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Benton County's 30.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 70% of them and ranked #934 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Benton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Benton 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 Benton County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 2 tracts limited (22.2%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 44% Limited 22% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Benton County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Benton County vs. other Minnesota counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota

% 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 Benton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,451
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population11,538
Low-Access Share30.0%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,046

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Benton County
IndicatorValue
Population41,593
Median Household Income$74,410
Poverty Rate9.9%below the national average
SNAP Households1,432
SNAP Participation Rate8.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.2%
SNAP participation in Benton County 8.6%

About 8.6% of Benton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,432 households here.
  • 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Benton County

above the national share

3 of Benton County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 11,538 residents, roughly 30.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,046 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Benton County

Benton County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 16

  • casey's general store 1813, foley
  • casey's general store 3643, sauk rapids
  • freedom st germain, saint cloud
  • freedom super mart, saint cloud
  • holiday stationstore 2746541, sauk rapids
  • holiday stationstore 2746543, sauk rapids
  • holiday stationstore 2746548, sartell
  • holiday stationstore 2746550, sauk rapids
  • holiday stationstores 2746348, rice
  • kwik trip 154, sauk rapids
  • kwik trip 158, saint cloud
  • lincoln general stop, saint cloud
  • speedway 4371, sauk rapids
  • speedway 4453, sauk rapids
  • speedway 4861, foley
  • t20, sauk rapids

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 18569, foley
  • dollar general 16224, rice
  • dollar tree 5600, sauk rapids
  • safari african market, saint cloud
  • walgreens 13880, sauk rapids

Super Store · 5

  • cash wise foods 3041, saint cloud
  • coborn's 2002, foley
  • coborn's marketplace 2001, sauk rapids
  • maneas meat, sauk rapids
  • target store 930, saint cloud

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • bill's superette 13, royalton
  • minnesota halal meat & grocery, saint cloud

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys mn080, sauk rapids

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • foley locker inc - grand champion meats, foley

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • vk caribbean groceries, saint cloud

Supermarket · 1

  • nick & drew's discount foods foley, foley

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Minnesota

Aitkin County
33.8% low-access · 8.9% SNAP
Anoka County
38.3% low-access · 7.2% SNAP
Becker County
34.5% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Beltrami County
32.3% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Big Stone County
38.4% low-access · 9.5% SNAP
Blue Earth County
38.9% low-access · 8.8% SNAP

Compare Benton County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Benton County sits inside Minnesota (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 Benton County has low food access? ▼
30.0% of residents in Benton County, MN 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 Benton County? ▼
8.6% of households in Benton County receive SNAP, covering 1,432 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Benton County? ▼
The poverty rate in Benton County, MN is 9.9%, with a median household income of $74,410 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Benton County a food desert? ▼
3 of Benton County's 9 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 Benton County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.1% of households in Benton 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.