County food-access profile · North Dakota
Burleigh County, ND
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Burleigh 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).
- 27.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 5.8%
- on SNAP
- 101K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
27.2% of Burleigh County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 6.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.9%
- 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 Burleigh County's low-access share at 27.2%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 19 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 22,083 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,744 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 Burleigh County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Burleigh County's 27.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,137 most-affected nationwide.
Burleigh County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 19 census tracts in Burleigh County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Burleigh County vs. other North Dakota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Dakota
- Burleigh 27.2
Burleigh County, ND
27.2 % low-access
- Adams 22.6
Adams County, ND
22.6 % low-access
- Barnes 30.2
Barnes County, ND
30.2 % low-access
- Benson
Benson County, ND
42.7 % low-access
- Billings
Billings County, ND
100 % low-access
- Bottineau
Bottineau County, ND
45.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 19 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 81,308 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 22,083 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,744 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 100,600 |
| Median Household Income | $86,851 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,377 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.0% |
About 5.8% of Burleigh County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 27.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,377 households here.
- 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Burleigh County
above the national share
1 of Burleigh County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.3% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 22,083 residents, roughly 27.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,744 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (47.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Burleigh County
Burleigh County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (39% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 18
- brake time 243713, bismarck
- brake time 243714, bismarck
- circle k 2746420, bismarck
- holiday stationstore 2746208, bismarck
- holiday stationstore 2746458, bismark
- johns food center, lincoln
- love's travel stop 224, sterling
- petro serve usa 077, bismarck
- simonson station - bismarck 1, bismarck
- simonson station-north bismarck 16, bismarck
- store 1224, bismarck
- superpumper 80139, bismarck
- superpumper 80140, bismarck
- superpumper 80149, bismarck
- superpumper 80235, bismarck
- superpumper 80236, bismarck
- superpumper 80237, bismarck
- terry's health products, bismarck
Super Store · 11
- cash wise foods 3020, bismarck
- cash wise foods 3051, bismarck
- costco wholesale 1380, bismarck
- family fare 3125, bismarck
- family fare 3126, bismarck
- family fare 3127, bismarck
- family fare 3128, bismarck
- sam's club 4933, bismarck
- target stores t- 2194, bismarck
- walmart sc 1534, bismarck
- walmart sc 3648, bismarck
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- cvs pharmacy 8614, bismarck
- cvs pharmacy 8628, bismarck
- dollar general 22588, lincoln
- dollar tree 3226, bismarck
- dollar tree 3609, bismarck
- dollar tree 7147, bismarck
- family dollar 12413, bismarck
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphys, bismarck
- papa murphys north bismarck, bismarck
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- 3be meats llc, bismarck
- d w meats & sausage, bismarck
Delivery Route · 1
- five star fine foods, bismarck
Farmers' Market · 1
- capital farmer's market, baldwin
Large Grocery Store · 1
- asian gourmet market, bismarck
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- adom african market 1, bismarck
Small Grocery Store · 1
- little odessa 1, bismarck
Supermarket · 1
- natural grocers u155, bismarck
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Dakota
Compare Burleigh County vs Adams County → · All North Dakota counties →
Food access nationally, North Dakota in context
Burleigh County sits inside North 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 Burleigh County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Burleigh County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Burleigh County? ▼
Is Burleigh County a food desert? ▼
What share of Burleigh 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.