Signature · 6.0% SNAP (19th pct in MN)
Douglas County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Douglas 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).
- 24.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.0%
- on SNAP
- 40K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Douglas County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 24.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.6 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 11% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Stearns County (+ 0.6 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Douglas County ranks #1,309 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #48 of 87 counties in MN (24.7% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,309
- national by low-access %
- #48
- in MN
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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: 6.0% SNAP (19th pct in MN) (-6.1 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Douglas County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Douglas County's 24.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,309 most-affected nationwide.
Douglas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Douglas County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (7 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Douglas 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
- Hennepin 25.5
Hennepin 25.5%
25.5 % low-access
- Itasca 25.4
Itasca 25.4%
25.4 % low-access
- Stearns 25.3
Stearns 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Douglas 24.7
Douglas 24.7%
24.7 % low-access
- Freeborn 23.7
Freeborn 23.7%
23.7 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,009 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,896 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,492 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 39,575 |
| Median Household Income | $79,043 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,043 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.0%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Douglas County
Douglas County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (35% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 26 authorized stores; Alexandria holds 81% of them. 1 of the 4 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Evansville.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | 21 | 6 |
| Brandon | 2 | 1 |
| Osakis | 2 | 1 |
| Evansville | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 9
- casey's general store 3918, alexandria
- casey's general store 2344, alexandria
- caseys general store 3540, alexandria
- holiday stationstore 2746029, alexandria
- holiday stationstore 2746177, alexandria
- holiday stationstore 2746345, alexandria
- holiday stationstore 2746370, alexandria
- pilot travel center 590, alexandria
- simonson station - alexandria 14, alexandria
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 16320, osakis
- dollar general 20618, brandon
- dollar general 22055, alexandria
- dollar general 30014, alexandria
- dollar tree 5561, alexandria
- walgreens 11157, alexandria
Super Store · 3
- elden's fresh foods, alexandria
- target store 821, alexandria
- walmart supercenter 1632, alexandria
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- jc's market, brandon
- market on main, osakis
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 72050, alexandria
- cub foods - alexandria 5521, alexandria
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza mn049, alexandria
Farmers' Market · 1
- alexandria farmers market, alexandria
Large Grocery Store · 1
- lake country meats llc, alexandria
Small Grocery Store · 1
- main street market, evansville
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 Douglas County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Douglas County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Douglas County (6.0%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Minnesota.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MN (24.7% here).
- Pike County, MO · 24.7% low-access
- Cecil County, MD · 24.7% low-access
- Hardee County, FL · 24.7% low-access
- San Bernardino County, CA · 24.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (6.0% here).
- Ottawa County, MI · 6.0% SNAP
- Clay County, MO · 6.0% SNAP
- Park County, MT · 6.0% SNAP
- Otoe County, NE · 6.0% 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.
Minnesota among West North Central states
Minnesota ranks 3rd of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (27.4%). Douglas County, at 24.7%, runs 2.7 pts below 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 Douglas County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27041. 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.