County food-access profile · Minnesota
Houston County, MN
Houston 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.
- 13.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 3.4%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.7% of Houston County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 5 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 485
- food-desert residents
- 3.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.6%
- 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).
Houston County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.7% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 5 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,609 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 485 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 Houston County compares nationally
Houston County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.7% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,224).
Houston County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 5 census tracts in Houston County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Houston County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Houston 13.7
Houston County, MN
13.7 % 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 | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,027 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,609 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 485 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,653 |
| Median Household Income | $79,825 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 279 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.4%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 3.4% of Houston County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 3.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 279 households here.
- 3.2% 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 Houston County
near the national share
1 of Houston County's 5 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 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 2,609 residents, roughly 13.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 485 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Houston County
Houston County has 13 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (38% of the total), followed by supermarket.
Convenience Store · 5
- kwik trip 437, la crescent
- kwik trip 614, la crescent
- kwik trip 736, spring grove
- kwik trip 733, caledonia
- kwik trip 825, hokah
Supermarket · 3
- quillin's caledonia 8, caledonia
- quillins la crescent 10, la crescent
- red's hometown market, spring grove
Combination Grocery/Other · 2
- dollar general 10343, caledonia
- dollar general 20006, houston
Farmers' Market · 2
- crooked quarter farmers market, caledonia
- golden hawk farms llc, mabel
Large Grocery Store · 1
- root river market coop, houston
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Houston County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Houston 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 Houston County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Houston County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Houston County? ▼
Is Houston County a food desert? ▼
What share of Houston 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.