County food-access profile · South Dakota
Brown County, SD
Brown County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 42.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.8%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
42.1% of Brown County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 6.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.7%
- 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).
Brown County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 42.1% is well above the national share. 5 of the county's 8 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 15,390 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Brown County compares nationally
Brown County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 42.1% low-access share outpaces 89% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #339 most-affected nationwide.
Brown County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Brown County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Brown County vs. other South Dakota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in South Dakota
- Brown
Brown County, SD
42.1 % low-access
- Aurora
Aurora County, SD
70.4 % low-access
- Beadle 29
Beadle County, SD
29 % low-access
- Bennett
Bennett County, SD
39.2 % low-access
- Bon Homme
Bon Homme County, SD
80.2 % low-access
- Brookings
Brookings County, SD
45.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,531 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,390 |
| Low-Access Share | 42.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,054 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,877 |
| Median Household Income | $70,898 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,441 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.9% |
About 8.8% of Brown County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 42.1% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,441 households here.
- 6.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $70,898 with a 11.7% poverty rate.
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 Brown County
well above the national share
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 15,390 residents, roughly 42.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,054 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Brown County
Brown County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (24% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 5
- airport fuel llc 3855, aberdeen
- casey's general store 2176, aberdeen
- holiday stationstore 2746500, aberdeen
- kessler fuel 3501, aberdeen
- south c store, aberdeen
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 30117, aberdeen
- dollar general store 17565, groton
- dollar tree 3675, aberdeen
- family dollar 7315, aberdeen
Super Store · 4
- ken's superfair foods 9119, aberdeen
- kessler's 2100, aberdeen
- target stores t- 0848, aberdeen
- walmart sc 1520, aberdeen
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- karen asian market, aberdeen
- natural abundance food store, aberdeen
- treasures discount market, aberdeen
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- economy meat market, bath
- economy meat market, aberdeen
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys of aberdeen sd011, aberdeen
Small Grocery Store · 1
- j&j golden karen asian market, aberdeen
Supermarket · 1
- ken's food fair 9122, groton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in South Dakota
Compare Brown County vs Aurora County → · All South Dakota counties →
Food access nationally, South Dakota in context
Brown County sits inside South Dakota (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 Brown County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Brown County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Brown County? ▼
Is Brown County a food desert? ▼
What share of Brown 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.