PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Freeborn County, MN

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Freeborn 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).

23.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
9.5%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

23.7% of Freeborn County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.8%
households, no vehicle
10.6%
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 Freeborn County's low-access share at 23.7%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,407 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,593 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 Freeborn County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Freeborn County's 23.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,387 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Freeborn County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Freeborn 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 Freeborn County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts limited (30.0%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (20.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 30% Severe 20% Food-access tier distribution: Freeborn County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Freeborn 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 Freeborn County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)31,255
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population7,407
Low-Access Share23.7%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,593

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Freeborn County
IndicatorValue
Population30,623
Median Household Income$71,023
Poverty Rate10.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,220
SNAP Participation Rate9.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Freeborn County 9.5%

About 9.5% of Freeborn County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,220 households here.
  • 5.8% 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 Freeborn County

above the national share

2 of Freeborn County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% 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 7,407 residents, roughly 23.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,593 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Freeborn County

Freeborn County has 28 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 12

  • casey's 3428, albert lea
  • clarks grove market, clarks grove
  • freeborn county coop oil, albert lea
  • hartland express mart, hartland
  • hy-vee gas 5019, albert lea
  • kwik trip 804, albert lea
  • kwik trip 805, albert lea
  • kwik trip 875, albert lea
  • love's travel stop 337, albert lea
  • nelson's shell food mart, albert lea
  • stop and go food mart, albert lea
  • vet's whoa n' go albert lea, albert lea

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • asian market and food deli, albert lea
  • dollartree plus 9108, albert lea
  • dollar general 15262, albert lea
  • dollar tree 2852, albert lea
  • walgreens 10640, albert lea
  • yaw asian grocery store, albert lea

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • conger meat market, conger
  • new geneva meats, geneva
  • nicks meats, hayward

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • chanmyint pasay grocery llc 1, albert lea
  • narinda asian grocery & deli, llc, albert lea

Super Store · 2

  • hy-vee foods 1019, albert lea
  • walmart 1020, albert lea

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's mn019, albert lea

Farmers' Market · 1

  • a. l. farmers market, albert lea

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 72153, albert lea

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 Freeborn County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Freeborn 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 Freeborn County has low food access? ▼
23.7% of residents in Freeborn 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 Freeborn County? ▼
9.5% of households in Freeborn County receive SNAP, covering 1,220 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Freeborn County? ▼
The poverty rate in Freeborn County, MN is 10.6%, with a median household income of $71,023 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Freeborn County a food desert? ▼
2 of Freeborn County's 10 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 Freeborn County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.8% of households in Freeborn 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.