Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Cook County, MN
Cook County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 31.4% low-access.
- 31.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 4.1%
- on SNAP
- 6K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cook County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 31.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +9.3 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 4.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Martin County ( -0.3 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Cook County sits in the upper national band (31.4%, #849 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #849
- national by low-access %
- #30
- in MN
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 462
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Cook County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cook County's 31.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #849 most-affected nationwide.
Cook County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 2 of Cook County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Cook County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Renville 31.8
Renville 31.8%
31.8 % low-access
- Cook 31.4
Cook 31.4%
31.4 % low-access
- Martin 31.1
Martin 31.1%
31.1 % low-access
- Morrison 31
Morrison 31%
31 % low-access
- Steele 30.9
Steele 30.9%
30.9 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 5,176 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,628 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 462 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,635 |
| Median Household Income | $72,638 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 112 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
SNAP retailers in Cook County
Cook County has 9 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 3 locations (33% of the total), followed by supermarket.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 9 authorized stores; Grand Marais holds 56% of them. 1 of the 4 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Lutsen.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Marais | 5 | 2 |
| Tofte | 2 | 1 |
| Grand Portage | 1 | 1 |
| Lutsen | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 3
- clearview general store, lutsen
- mike's holiday 2653516, grand marais
- tofte holiday station store, tofte
Supermarket · 2
- gene's food, grand marais
- grand portage trading post, grand portage
Farmers' Market · 1
- cook county local foods market, grand marais
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- cook county whole foods coop, grand marais
Large Grocery Store · 1
- johnsons foods, grand marais
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- tofte general store, tofte
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 Cook County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Minnesota among West North Central states
Minnesota ranks 3rd of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (27.4%). Cook County, at 31.4%, runs 4.0 pts above the Minnesota rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Cook County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27031. 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.