County food-access profile · Minnesota
Chisago County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Chisago 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).
- 38.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 5.3%
- on SNAP
- 58K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
38.7% of Chisago County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.0%
- 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 Chisago County's low-access share at 38.7%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,834 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Chisago County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Chisago County's 38.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #454 most-affected nationwide.
Chisago County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Chisago County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Chisago County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Chisago
Chisago County, MN
38.7 % 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) | 53,887 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,834 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,635 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 57,991 |
| Median Household Income | $99,400 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.0%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,123 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.3%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
About 5.3% of Chisago County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 38.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 5.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,123 households here.
- 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $99,400 with a 6.0% poverty rate.
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 Chisago County
above the national share
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 20,834 residents, roughly 38.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,635 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Chisago County
Chisago County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (68% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- casey's 1875, wyoming
- casey's general store 3567, chisago city
- casey's general store 1723, north branch
- casey's general store 3594, stacy
- casey's general store 3661, taylors falls
- federated co-ops inc. - rush city cenex 026, rush city
- harris stop, harris
- holiday 3550 2653550, wyoming
- holiday stationstore 2746001, lindstrom
- holiday stationstore 2746054, north branch
- holiday stationstore 2746346, north branch
- holiday stationstore 2746388, rush city
- holiday stationstore 2746403, north branch
- holiday stationstores 2746294, forest lake
- kwik trip 213, stacy
- kwik trip 592, rush city
- kwik trip 874, chisago city
- kwik trip 930, north branch
- kwik trip 931, north branch
- speedway 4543, forest lake
- sprouted branch, north branch
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 13499, rush city
- dollar general 15569, stacy
- dollar general 21485, harris
- dollar general 21783, east bethel
- dollar tree 7736, north branch
- family dollar 10244, north branch
Super Store · 2
- brinks market, chisago city
- bruces foods iga, wyoming
Large Grocery Store · 1
- nick & drew's discount foods, lindstrom
Supermarket · 1
- jerry's foods north branch 5609, north branch
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Chisago County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Chisago 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 Chisago County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Chisago County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Chisago County? ▼
Is Chisago County a food desert? ▼
What share of Chisago 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.