County food-access profile · Minnesota
Cass County, MN
Cass 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.
- 13.8%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 11.6%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.8% of Cass County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.8%
- 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).
Cass County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.8% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,956 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,489 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 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: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Cass County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cass County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Cass 13.8
Cass County, MN
13.8 % 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 | 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 11.6% of Cass County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,491 households here.
- 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Cass County
near the national share
3 of Cass County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,956 residents, roughly 13.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,489 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Cass County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Cass 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 Cass County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Cass County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Cass County? ▼
Is Cass County a food desert? ▼
What share of Cass 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.