PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Dakota

Grand Forks County, ND

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

25.0%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
6.0%
on SNAP
73K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ND

The food-access picture

25.0% of Grand Forks County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
7.1%
households, no vehicle
13.2%
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 Grand Forks County's low-access share at 25.0%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 16,692 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,661 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 Grand Forks County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Grand Forks County's 25.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,296 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Grand Forks County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Grand Forks 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 Grand Forks County, ND USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (55.6%) 4 tracts limited (22.2%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 56% Limited 22% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Grand Forks County, ND
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Grand Forks County vs. other North Dakota counties

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

% 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 Grand Forks County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)66,861
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population16,692
Low-Access Share25.0%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,661

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Grand Forks County
IndicatorValue
Population72,923
Median Household Income$68,075
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households1,892
SNAP Participation Rate6.0%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.5%
SNAP participation in Grand Forks County 6.0%

About 6.0% of Grand Forks County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,892 households here.
  • 7.1% 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 Grand Forks County

above the national share

4 of Grand Forks County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 16,692 residents, roughly 25.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,661 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Grand Forks County

Grand Forks County has 55 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (47% of the total), followed by super store.

Convenience Store · 26

  • 32nd cenex, grand forks
  • brake time 241706, grand forks
  • casey's 3621, grand forks
  • casey's 4397, grand forks
  • circle k 2746527, grand forks
  • circle k 2746580, grand forks
  • circle k 2746581, grand forks
  • demers cenex, grand forks
  • holiday stationstore 2746382, grand forks
  • holiday stationstore 2746383, grand forks
  • holiday stationstore 2746448, grand forks
  • ortons southtown cenex 925, grand forks
  • petro serve usa 201, grand forks
  • petro serve usa 202, grand forks
  • petro serve usa 203, grand forks
  • petro serve usa 205, grand forks
  • petro serve usa 206, grand forks
  • petro serve usa 207, grand forks
  • petro serve usa 208, grand forks
  • pilot 489, grand forks
  • s & t quick stop inc, thompson
  • simonson station - south washington 9, grand forks
  • simonson station-32nd ave 17, grand forks
  • simonson station-gateway 5, grand forks
  • simonson travel center 10, grand forks
  • ta express grand forks, grand forks

Super Store · 9

  • hugo's 12, grand forks
  • hugos 2, grand forks
  • hugos 3, grand forks
  • hugos 6, grand forks
  • hugos 8, grand forks
  • sam's club 6385, grand forks
  • target stores t- 1783, grand forks
  • walmart sc 1545, grand forks
  • walmart supercenter 5806, grand forks

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • cvs pharmacy 8620, grand forks
  • dollar general 17433, larimore
  • dollar general 20779, northwood
  • dollar general 21897, emerado
  • dollar general 23986, thompson
  • dollar tree 2809, grand forks
  • dollar tree 4966, grand forks

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 2771, grand forks
  • miller's fresh foods, larimore
  • millers fresh foods, northwood
  • vitamin cottage natural food market u124, grand forks

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • papa murphy's pizza nd003, grand forks
  • papa murphy's pizza nd010, grand forks

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • al amiin grocery & halal meat, grand forks
  • all international foods llc, grand forks

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • fm international market, grand forks
  • toucan international market, grand forks

Farmers' Market · 1

  • town square farmers market, grand forks

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • l & m meat and sausage corporation, grand forks

Military Commissary · 1

  • grand forks afb commissary 1017, grand forks afb

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in North Dakota

Adams County
22.6% low-access · 12.6% SNAP
Barnes County
30.2% low-access · 6.3% SNAP
Benson County
42.7% low-access · 20.5% SNAP
Billings County
100.0% low-access
Bottineau County
45.4% low-access · 5.2% SNAP
Bowman County
29.8% low-access · 5.1% SNAP

Compare Grand Forks County vs Adams County → · All North Dakota counties →

Food access nationally, North Dakota in context

Grand Forks County sits inside North Dakota (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 Grand Forks County has low food access? ▼
25.0% of residents in Grand Forks County, ND 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 Grand Forks County? ▼
6.0% of households in Grand Forks County receive SNAP, covering 1,892 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Grand Forks County? ▼
The poverty rate in Grand Forks County, ND is 13.2%, with a median household income of $68,075 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Grand Forks County a food desert? ▼
4 of Grand Forks County's 18 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 Grand Forks County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.1% of households in Grand Forks 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.