PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Goodhue County, MN

Goodhue 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.

14.3%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
7.6%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

14.3% of Goodhue County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.8%
households, no vehicle
9.3%
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).

Goodhue County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.3% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,619 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,388 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 Goodhue County compares nationally

Goodhue County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.3% low-access share that beats 31% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,175).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Goodhue County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Goodhue 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 Goodhue County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (70.0%) 2 tracts limited (20.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (10.0%) Adequate 70% Limited 20% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Goodhue County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Goodhue 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 Goodhue County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)46,183
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,619
Low-Access Share14.3%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,388

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Goodhue County
IndicatorValue
Population47,943
Median Household Income$84,171
Poverty Rate9.3%below the national average
SNAP Households1,491
SNAP Participation Rate7.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.2%
SNAP participation in Goodhue County 7.6%

About 7.6% of Goodhue County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 14.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,491 households here.
  • 6.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Goodhue County

near the national share

1 of Goodhue County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,619 residents, roughly 14.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,388 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Goodhue County

Goodhue County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • casey's 3265, cannon falls
  • casey's 5157, red wing
  • casey's 4323, wanamingo
  • casey's general store 2809, zumbrota
  • casey's general store 2810, zumbrota
  • joe's kwik marts 5523, red wing
  • kwik trip 305, red wing
  • kwik trip 376, red wing
  • kwik trip 640, pine island
  • kwik trip 463, zumbrota
  • kwik trip 481, red wing
  • lil kiks simple abundance inc, red wing
  • speedway 5523, red wing
  • speedway cannon falls 4771, cannon falls
  • superamerica 4813, kenyon

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 15434, pine island
  • dollar general 30787, mazeppa
  • dollar general 30991, kenyon
  • dollar tree 3692, red wing
  • family dollar 12669, zumbrota
  • family dollar 2616, cannon falls
  • huettl's locker & dressing plant, lake city
  • kenyon meats, kenyon
  • walgreens 12404, red wing

Medium Grocery Store · 4

  • buchanan grocery, red wing
  • ferndale market, cannon falls
  • goodhue market, goodhue
  • koplins village market, red wing

Super Store · 4

  • family fare 328, red wing
  • family fare 348, cannon falls
  • target store 1522, red wing
  • walmart 3534, red wing

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 72055, red wing
  • hub food center, zumbrota
  • island market, pine island

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's - red wing mn047, red wing

Farmers' Market · 1

  • red wing farmers market association, red wing

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • kenyon market, kenyon

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 Goodhue County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Goodhue 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 Goodhue County has low food access? ▼
14.3% of residents in Goodhue 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 Goodhue County? ▼
7.6% of households in Goodhue County receive SNAP, covering 1,491 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Goodhue County? ▼
The poverty rate in Goodhue County, MN is 9.3%, with a median household income of $84,171 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Goodhue County a food desert? ▼
1 of Goodhue 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 Goodhue County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.8% of households in Goodhue 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.