Signature · 11.6% SNAP (91st pct in MN)
Cass County, MN
Cass County stands out on SNAP (11.6%, -0.5 pts vs U.S.) with 13.8% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 13.8%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 11.6%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cass County, MN
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 13.8% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -8.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 30% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Houston County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Cass County lands in the lower national band (13.8%, #2,215 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,215
- national by low-access %
- #68
- in MN
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 11.6% SNAP (91st pct in MN) (-0.5 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Cass County compares nationally
Cass County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.8% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,218).
Cass County's lower-band USDA tier split
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Cass County has 0 urban and 10 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Cass County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Goodhue 14.3
Goodhue 14.3%
14.3 % low-access
- Dodge 14
Dodge 14%
14 % low-access
- Cass 13.8
Cass 13.8%
13.8 % low-access
- Houston 13.7
Houston 13.7%
13.7 % low-access
- Crow Wing 13.4
Crow Wing 13.4%
13.4 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,567 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,956 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.8%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,489 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 30,992 |
| Median Household Income | $68,874 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,491 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.6%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Cass County
Cass County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- backus corner store, backus
- casey's general store 3658, pillager
- holiday stationstore 2746164, pine river
- holiday stationstore 2746191, walker
- orton walker cenex 475, walker
- ortons cass lake cenex 250, cass lake
- ortons y-mart cenex 500, walker
- remer junction, remer
- riverside quick stop, federal dam
- speedway 4384, pine river
- speedway 4409, pequot lakes
- the one stop, longville
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 18680, remer
- dollar general 16370, pillager
- dollar general 16531, west walker
- dollar general 17385, backus
- dollar general 18047, longville
- dollar general store 16458, pine river
- family dollar store 10571, cass lake
Farmers' Market · 3
- backus farmers market nafmnp, backus
- green scene organic market, walker
- pine river market square, pine river
Super Store · 3
- godfreys family foods, backus
- hugo's family marketplace 16, pine river
- leech lake market, cass lake
Supermarket · 3
- super one foods 452, walker
- super one foods 559, walker
- tabakas super valu, longville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- backus locker, llc, bakcus
- northwoods custom meats, remer
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- mark's market, hackensack
- tc's foods, remer
Small Grocery Store · 1
- winnibigoshish historical center, bena
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 Cass County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Cass County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Cass County (11.6%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Minnesota.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MN (13.8% here).
- Cleveland County, NC · 13.8% low-access
- Cleveland County, NC · 13.8% low-access
- Campbell County, TN · 13.8% low-access
- Campbell County, TN · 13.8% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (11.6% here).
- Lincoln County, NE · 11.6% SNAP
- Lincoln County, NE · 11.6% SNAP
- Cowley County, KS · 11.6% SNAP
- Cowley County, KS · 11.6% 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.
Cass County inside a lower low-access state context
Cass County sits inside Minnesota (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Cass County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27021. 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.