County food-access profile · Minnesota
Dakota County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Dakota 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).
- 34.6%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 4.9%
- on SNAP
- 446K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.6% of Dakota County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 95 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 54
- low-access tracts
- 19K
- food-desert residents
- 4.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 5.8%
- 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).
USDA data puts Dakota County's low-access share at 34.6%, above the national share. 54 of the county's 95 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 137,994 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 18,555 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 Dakota County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Dakota County's 34.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #621 most-affected nationwide.
Dakota County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 95 census tracts in Dakota County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Dakota County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Dakota
Dakota County, MN
34.6 % 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 | 95 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 398,552 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 54 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 137,994 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 18,555 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 445,771 |
| Median Household Income | $106,318 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.8%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,479 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
About 4.9% of Dakota County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 4.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,479 households here.
- 4.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Dakota County
above the national share
4 of Dakota County's 95 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 4.2% of all its tracts.
A further 50 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 54.
An estimated 137,994 residents, roughly 34.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 18,555 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 41 tracts (43.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Dakota County
Dakota County has 240 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 100 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 100
- burnsville parkway bp, burnsville
- casey's 3825, inver grove heights
- cedar brook market, saint paul
- dana market, saint paul
- gm food & gas, inver grove heights
- holiday stationstore 2746213, burnsville
- holiday stationstore 2746264, saint paul
- hastings holiday 3563, hastings
- holiday #3825 3825, farmington
- holiday 3821, lakeville
- holiday 3839, burnsville
- holiday franchise store 3802, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746068, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746071, inver grove heights
- holiday stationstore 2746157, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746222, rosemount
- holiday stationstore 2746232, eagan
- holiday stationstore 2746247, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746316, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746318, eagan
- holiday stationstore 2746333, rosemount
- holiday stationstore 2746400, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746401, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746410, burnsville
- holiday stationstore 2746412, burnsville
- holiday stationstore 2746437, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746438, inver grove heights
- holiday stationstore 2746464, south saint paul
- holiday stationstore 3537, inver grove heights
- holiday stationstores 2653851, lakeville
- holiday stationstores 2746584, saint paul
- holiday stationstores 2746587, inver grove heights
- holiday stationstores 3552, lakeville
- holiday stationstores 3554, saint paul
- hy-vee fast and fresh 1356, lakeville
- hy-vee gas 5356, lakeville
- kwik trip 309, burnsville
- kwik trip 343, lakeville
- kwik trip 397, apple valley
- kwik trip 421, apple valley
- kwik trip 443, farmington
- kwik trip 662, saint paul
- kwik trip 692, lakeville
- kwik trip 693, farmington
- kwik trip 694, lakeville
- kwik trip 695, apple valley
- kwik trip 697, rosemount
- kismayo grocies, saint paul
- kwik trip 1757, rosemount
- kwik trip 178, south saint paul
- kwik trip 179, saint paul
- kwik trip 226, farmington
- kwik trip 249, hastings
- kwik trip 406, apple valley
- kwik trip 585, burnsville
- lakevill amoco 1, lakeville
- lucky's station 4, saint paul
- marathon, saint paul
- marathon gas, saint paul
- new mart, saint paul
- nicollet convenience store, burnsville
- pilot travel center 581, inver grove heights
- repair rite llc, saint paul
- sams mini mart, south saint paul
- south saint paul holiday #3860 3860, south saint paul
- speedway #4789, south saint paul
- speedway #4792 4792, inver grove heights
- speedway 4045, west saint paul
- speedway 4049, burnsville
- speedway 4169, lakeville
- speedway 4182, saint paul
- speedway 4189, lakeville
- speedway 4201, burnsville
- speedway 4211, burnsville
- speedway 4314, burnsville
- speedway 4335, saint paul
- speedway 4337, lakeville
- speedway 4342, saint paul
- speedway 4383, burnsville
- speedway 4411, inver grove heights
- speedway 4460, burnsville
- speedway 4486, hastings
- speedway 4490, lakeville
- speedway 4516, mendota heights
- speedway 4521, mendota heights
- speedway 4528, lakeville
- speedway 4534, farmington
- speedway 4539, hastings
- speedway 4548, inver grove heights
- speedway 4744, apple valley
- speedway 4768, lakeville
- speedway 4791, lakeville
- speedway 4796, saint paul
- speedway 5521, burnsville
- spice village llc, saint paul
- super gas usa 1, burnsville
- super usa, inver grove heights
- the corner store, inver grove heights
- twin cities auto repair & gas, burnsville
- us mobil, burnsville
Combination Grocery/Other · 41
- cvs 10252, hastings
- cvs 241, farmington
- cvs 3313, w st paul
- cvs 5308, lakeville
- cvs 5472, burnsville
- cvs 6715, eagan
- cvs pharmacy 663, apple valley
- dollartree 9733, lakeville
- dollar general 24255, northfield
- dollar tree 3046, saint paul
- dollar tree 3581, burnsville
- dollar tree 3997, hastings
- dollar tree 4260, eagan
- dollar tree 4487, lakeville
- dollar tree 5117, eagan
- dollar tree 5203, inver grove heights
- dollar tree 5614, rosemount
- dollar tree 5968, saint paul
- dollar tree 6964, burnsville
- dollar tree 7245, farmington
- dollar tree 7924, inver grove heights
- ebenezzer ethiopian market, burnsville
- habeshawi market, saint paul
- valley natural foods, burnsville
- von hanson's meats of rosemount, inc., rosemount
- walgreeens 02766, eagan
- walgreens 02496, burnsville
- walgreens 02661, apple valley
- walgreens 02805, saint paul
- walgreens 04038, rosemount
- walgreens 04882, inver grove heights
- walgreens 05048, hastings
- walgreens 05081, eagan
- walgreens 05634, lakeville
- walgreens 05685, burnsville
- walgreens 06943, inver grove heights
- walgreens 07728, lakeville
- walgreens 09727, apple valley
- walgreens 10641, eagan
- walgreens 11419, burnsville
- walgreens 11764, mendota heights
Super Store · 26
- bodega 42 freshmarket, saint paul
- coborn's 2037, hastings
- costco wholesale 1087, burnsville
- costco wholesale 1363, eagan
- fresh thyme market 502apv, apple valley
- hy-vee 1165, eagan
- hy-vee 1356, lakeville
- knowlans super market 09, south saint paul
- kowalskis eagan market 4436, eagan
- oxendales market, saint paul
- sam's club 4736, saint paul
- sam's club 4738, saint paul
- target 2519, inver grove heights
- target store 1484, lakeville
- target store 2046, saint paul
- target store 2340, burnsville
- target store 2390, apple valley
- target store 360, saint paul
- target store 643, apple valley
- walmart 1786, eagan
- walmart 5089, inver grove heights
- walmart 5977, burnsville
- walmart 5992, lakeville
- walmart supercenter 1472, hastings
- walmart supercenter 2642, apple valley
- walmart supercenter 3364, saint paul
Supermarket · 26
- aldi 63040 63040, burnsville
- aldi 72041, apple valley
- aldi 72042, burnsville
- aldi 72058, inver grove heights
- aldi 72107, lakeville
- aldi 75025 75025, rosemount
- aldi 72039, eagan
- aldi 78, inver grove heights
- cub 1597, lakeville
- cub 1695, eagan
- cub foods 1604, saint paul
- cub foods 1616, eagan
- cub foods 1631, burnsville
- cub foods 1635, hastings
- cub foods 1639, inver grove heights
- cub foods 1651, rosemount
- cub foods 1656, lakeville
- cub foods 1657, lakeville
- cub foods 1658, burnsville
- cub foods 4974, eagan
- cub foods wsp 5511, saint paul
- groceries of the orient, burnsville
- lunds & byerlys 1011, burnsville
- lunds & byerlys 1013, eagan
- lunds & byerlys 51022, saint paul
- trader joe's eagan 717, saint paul
Medium Grocery Store · 18
- abyssinia mart 2, apple valley
- apple valley halal market, saint paul
- cliff halal market inc, burnsville
- duffs meats 2, hastings
- el destino market, saint paul
- hidalgo market 1, burnsville
- hidalgo market bakery 3, saint paul
- jigjiga halal, burnsville
- minsk market, eagan
- mantra bazaar, apple valley
- metro foods, burnsville
- nicollet halal grocery inc, burnsville
- paradise market, burnsville
- spiral food coop, hastings
- saigon asian food market, burnsville
- super mercado la merced, south saint paul
- tawakal halal market llc, burnsville
- viet hoa lao, saint paul
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 9
- husnik meat co, south saint paul
- hometown meats, inver grove heights
- illetschkos meats and smokehouse, south saint paul
- jeffries chicken farm, inver grove heights
- long cheng livestock and meat market, south saint paul
- mike's butcher shop, saint paul
- von hanson's meats of burnsville, burnsville
- von hanson's meats of lakeville, lakeville
- von hansons meats, apple valley
Bakery Specialty · 8
- papa murphy's - apple valley mn023, saint paul
- papa murphy's - hastings mn056, hastings
- papa murphy's - lakeville mn088, lakeville
- papa murphy's - rosemount mn038, rosemount
- papa murphy's pizza mn082, saint paul
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza mn072, burnsville
- papa murphys pizza mn44, saint paul
- papa murphys take n bake pizza, eagan
Small Grocery Store · 8
- abyssina ethiopian market & take out, llc, rosemount
- arada market llp, eagan
- burnsville halal grocery, burnsville
- five j's african market, apple valley
- hidalgo market 2, saint paul
- la paz market y mas, saint paul
- la paz market y mas 0, burnsville
- tippy's corner store, hastings
Large Grocery Store · 3
- halal groceries, burnsville
- mexatlan supermercado, south saint paul
- von hanson's meats of eagan, eagan
Farmers' Market · 1
- eagan market fest - city of eagan, saint paul
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Dakota County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Dakota 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 Dakota County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Dakota County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Dakota County? ▼
Is Dakota County a food desert? ▼
What share of Dakota 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.