PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Crow Wing County, MN

Crow Wing 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.

13.4%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
8.7%
on SNAP
68K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

13.4% of Crow Wing County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.9%
households, no vehicle
9.9%
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).

Crow Wing County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.4% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,393 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,332 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 Crow Wing County compares nationally

Crow Wing County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.4% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,249).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Crow Wing County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Crow Wing County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Crow Wing County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 11 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 11 tracts adequate (68.8%) 3 tracts limited (18.8%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 69% Limited 19% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Crow Wing County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Crow Wing County vs. other Minnesota counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Crow Wing County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)62,500
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population8,393
Low-Access Share13.4%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,332

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Crow Wing County
IndicatorValue
Population67,686
Median Household Income$72,589
Poverty Rate9.9%below the national average
SNAP Households2,552
SNAP Participation Rate8.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Crow Wing County 8.7%

About 8.7% of Crow Wing County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,552 households here.
  • 4.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Crow Wing County

near the national share

2 of Crow Wing County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,393 residents, roughly 13.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,332 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 11 tracts (68.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Crow Wing County

Crow Wing County has 55 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • baxter holiday, baxter
  • casey's 4266, baxter
  • ci quick stop, crosby
  • casey's 4264, brainerd
  • casey's 4266, brainerd
  • casey's general store 3654, brainerd
  • casey's general store 3720, baxter
  • fort ripley gas, fort ripley
  • holiday stationstore 2746128, crosby
  • holiday station store 2746030, brainerd
  • holiday stationstore 2746051, baxter
  • holiday stationstore 2746166, nisswa
  • holiday stationstore 2746240, garrison
  • holiday stationstore 2746450, deerwood
  • holiday stationstore 2746451, emily
  • kwik trip 1747, baxter
  • mid-town depot, brainerd
  • mill ave holiday, brainerd
  • northdale oil - brainerd 36, brainerd
  • northdale oil - garrison 37, garrison
  • orton baxter holiday 185, baxter
  • pequot lakes store, pequot lakes
  • speedway 4076, brainerd
  • speedway 4544, baxter

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • dollar general 18580, emily
  • dollartree 8168, crosby
  • dollar general 14554, pequot lakes
  • dollar general 17531, merrifield
  • dollar general 17764, garrison
  • dollar general 18094, crosslake
  • dollar general 20108, deerwood
  • dollar general 30773, brainerd
  • dollar tree 2413, brainerd
  • dollar tree 5584, baxter
  • vk caribbean groceries, brainerd
  • walgreens 05635, brainerd

Supermarket · 6

  • aldi 72007, baxter
  • miner's incorporated dba super one foods 536, brainerd
  • miner's incorporated dba super one foods 538, pequot lakes
  • reed's country market, crosslake
  • super one foods 535, baxter
  • super one foods 555, crosby

Super Store · 5

  • cub foods baxter 15-5060, baxter
  • costco wholesale 1122, baxter
  • schaefers foods, nisswa
  • target store 659, baxter
  • walmart 1654, baxter

Large Grocery Store · 4

  • emily meats & wild game processing, emily
  • garrison family foods, garrison
  • lake country foods, emily
  • von hansons meats baxter, brainerd

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • crow wing food co-op, brainerd
  • moreys fish house 042, brainerd

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys mn054, baxter

Farmers' Market · 1

  • cuyuna range farmers market, crosby

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Minnesota

Aitkin County
33.8% low-access · 8.9% SNAP
Anoka County
38.3% low-access · 7.2% SNAP
Becker County
34.5% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Beltrami County
32.3% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Benton County
30.0% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Big Stone County
38.4% low-access · 9.5% SNAP

Compare Crow Wing County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Crow Wing County sits inside Minnesota (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Crow Wing County has low food access? ▼
13.4% of residents in Crow Wing County, MN live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Crow Wing County? ▼
8.7% of households in Crow Wing County receive SNAP, covering 2,552 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Crow Wing County? ▼
The poverty rate in Crow Wing County, MN is 9.9%, with a median household income of $72,589 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Crow Wing County a food desert? ▼
2 of Crow Wing County's 16 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Crow Wing County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.9% of households in Crow Wing County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.