County food-access profile · Minnesota
Carlton County, MN
Carlton County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 18.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 37K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.9% of Carlton County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.9%
- 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).
Carlton County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.9% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,674 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,493 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 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 #1,783).
Carlton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Carlton County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Carlton County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Carlton
Carlton County, MN
18.9 % low-access
- Aitkin
Aitkin County, MN
33.8 % low-access
- Anoka
Anoka County, MN
38.3 % low-access
- Becker
Becker County, MN
34.5 % low-access
- Beltrami
Beltrami County, MN
32.3 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, MN
30 % 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% |
About 7.4% of Carlton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,036 households here.
- 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Carlton County
near the national share
2 of Carlton County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 6,674 residents, roughly 18.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,493 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (28.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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.
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 retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Carlton County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Carlton 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 Carlton County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Carlton County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Carlton County? ▼
Is Carlton County a food desert? ▼
What share of Carlton 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.