Signature · 2 LILA tracts (28.6% of tracts)
Carlton County, MN
Carlton County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (28.6% of the book) alongside 18.9% low-access.
- 18.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 37K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Carlton County, MN
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 18.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 29% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Mower County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Carlton County ranks #1,772 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #56 of 87 counties in MN (18.9% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,772
- national by low-access %
- #56
- in MN
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (28.6% of tracts) .
How Carlton County compares nationally
Carlton County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.9% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,772).
Carlton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Carlton County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Carlton County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Clay 19.2
Clay 19.2%
19.2 % low-access
- Carlton 18.9
Carlton 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Mower 18.8
Mower 18.8%
18.8 % low-access
- Rice 18.4
Rice 18.4%
18.4 % low-access
- Pennington 18.2
Pennington 18.2%
18.2 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 35,386 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,674 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,493 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 36,518 |
| Median Household Income | $80,573 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,036 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Carlton County
Carlton County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
9 towns share the 33 authorized stores; Cloquet holds 48% of them. 5 of the 9 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Carlton, Cromwell, Esko, Sawyer, Scanlon.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Cloquet | 16 | 4 |
| Moose Lake | 5 | 1 |
| Carlton | 4 | none |
| Barnum | 3 | 1 |
| Cromwell | 1 | none |
| Esko | 1 | none |
| Sawyer | 1 | none |
| Scanlon | 1 | none |
| Wright | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 17
- barnum 34, barnum
- carlton meat and grocery, carlton
- caywood country store carlton llc, carlton
- caywood country store esko llc, esko
- cloquet 31, cloquet
- cloquet natural foods, cloquet
- holiday stationstore 2746095, cloquet
- holiday stationstore 2746127, moose lake
- holiday stationstore 2746483, scanlon
- kornerstore 500, cloquet
- kwik trip 144, cloquet
- kwik trip 166, moose lake
- kwik trip 234, cloquet
- kwik trip 247, cloquet
- kwik trip 571, carlton
- moose lake 38, moose lake
- sawyer store, sawyer
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 19575, cromwell
- dollar general, barnum
- dollar general 15123, moose lake
- dollar tree 3837, cloquet
- walgreens 15439, cloquet
Farmers' Market · 2
- carlton county farmers' market, cloquet
- carlton county farmers' market carlton, carlton
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- farmers co-operative co, wright
- tj's country corner, barnum
Super Store · 2
- kj's fresh market, moose lake
- walmart 1929, cloquet
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 72101, cloquet
- super one foods 507, cloquet
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys mn084, cloquet
Large Grocery Store · 1
- b&b market inc, cloquet
Small Grocery Store · 1
- fond du lac gas and grocery, cloquet
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 Carlton County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Carlton County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Carlton 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 (18.9% here).
- Alcorn County, MS · 18.9% low-access
- Butler County, MO · 18.9% low-access
- Dent County, MO · 18.9% low-access
- West Baton Rouge Parish, LA · 18.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (7.4% here).
- Emmet County, MI · 7.4% SNAP
- Montgomery County, MD · 7.4% SNAP
- Harford County, MD · 7.4% SNAP
- Frederick County, MD · 7.4% 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%). Carlton County, at 18.9%, runs 8.5 pts below 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 Carlton County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27017. 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.