Signature · 39 SNAP-authorized stores
Clay County, MN
Clay 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.
- 19.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 9.9%
- on SNAP
- 66K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Clay County, MN
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 19.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -2.9 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.9% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 9.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Carlton County ( -0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Clay County ranks #1,748 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #55 of 87 counties in MN (19.2% low-access).
- #1,748
- national by low-access %
- #55
- in MN
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 39 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Clay County compares nationally
Clay County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.2% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,755).
Clay County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
13 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Clay County has 9 urban and 4 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.
Clay 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
- Olmsted 20
Olmsted 20%
20 % 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
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 58,999 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,332 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,690 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 66,059 |
| Median Household Income | $81,172 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,625 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.1%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.7% |
Thick SNAP store book in Clay County
Clay County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- brady's service center, moorhead
- casey's 3297, moorhead
- casey's 3357, moorhead
- casey's 3361, moorhead
- casey's 3362, dilworth
- casey's general store 2002, moorhead
- casey's general store 2207, dilworth
- felton country store, felton
- global market llc, moorhead
- holiday stationstore 2746122, moorhead
- holiday stationstore 2746415, moorhead
- kwik trip 1253, dilworth
- kwik trip 1275, moorhead
- kwik trip 1729, moorhead
- ortons moorhead holiday 375, moorhead
- petro serve usa 050, dilworth
- petro serve usa 051, ulen
- petro serve usa 054, glyndon
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs 6810, dilworth
- dollar general 14725, hawley
- dollar tree 4660, dilworth mn
- dollar general 14859, barnesville
- dollar general 20837, glyndon
- dollar general 22796, moorhead
- dollar general 24531, ulen
- walgreens 10187, moorhead
- walgreens 12509, moorhead
Super Store · 5
- cash wise foods 3015, moorhead
- hornbacher's 2691, moorhead
- hornbacher's 2695, moorhead
- target store 658, moorhead
- walmart supercenter 1627, dilworth
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 72002, dilworth
- barnesville grocery, barnesville
- tony's supervalu, hawley
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza mn013, moorhead
Farmers' Market · 1
- moorhead farmers market, moorhead
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- butcher block meats, llc, dilworth
Small Grocery Store · 1
- la unica mexican market, moorhead
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 Clay County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Clay County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Clay 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 (19.2% here).
- Platte County, NE · 19.2% low-access
- Platte County, NE · 19.2% low-access
- Woodbury County, IA · 19.2% low-access
- Woodbury County, IA · 19.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (9.9% here).
- Perry County, MS · 9.9% SNAP
- Perry County, MS · 9.9% SNAP
- Livingston County, MO · 9.9% SNAP
- Livingston County, MO · 9.9% 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.
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Clay 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 Clay County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27027. 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.