PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Isanti County, MN

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

33.5%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
6.7%
on SNAP
43K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

33.5% of Isanti County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
3.9%
households, no vehicle
7.5%
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 Isanti County's low-access share at 33.5%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,687 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,935 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 Isanti County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Isanti County's 33.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #708 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Isanti County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Isanti 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 Isanti County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (37.5%) 3 tracts limited (37.5%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (25.0%) Adequate 38% Limited 38% Severe 25% Food-access tier distribution: Isanti County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Isanti 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 Isanti County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)37,816
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population12,687
Low-Access Share33.5%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,935

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Isanti County
IndicatorValue
Population42,596
Median Household Income$87,440
Poverty Rate7.5%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,098
SNAP Participation Rate6.7%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.9%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.8%
SNAP participation in Isanti County 6.7%

About 6.7% of Isanti County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 33.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,098 households here.
  • 3.9% 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 Isanti County

above the national share

2 of Isanti County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% 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 12,687 residents, roughly 33.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,935 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (37.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Isanti County

Isanti County has 28 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 10

  • braham one stop llc, braham
  • casey's 4651, isanti
  • casey's general store 2155, cambridge
  • ec's corner express, cambridge
  • holiday stationstore 2746046, cambridge
  • kwik star 1291, cambridge
  • kwik trip 1019, isanti
  • kwik trip 1139, cambridge
  • kwik trip 1177, cambridge
  • speedway 47481h, cambridge

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 15528, braham
  • dollar general 20528, isanti
  • dollar general 20884, cambridge
  • dollar general 24069, cambridge
  • dollar tree 6368, cambridge
  • family dollar 11182, isanti
  • walgreens 02460, cambridge

Super Store · 3

  • coborn's marketplace 2046, isanti
  • target store 1303, cambridge
  • walmart 2352, cambridge

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 72017, cambridge
  • city center market, cambridge
  • cub foods 1645, cambridge

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • mikes discount foods 4, braham
  • nick & drew's discount foods 2, isanti

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys pizza, cambridge

Farmers' Market · 1

  • cambridge farmers market, cambridge

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • isanti retail meats, isanti

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 Isanti County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Isanti 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 Isanti County has low food access? ▼
33.5% of residents in Isanti 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 Isanti County? ▼
6.7% of households in Isanti County receive SNAP, covering 1,098 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Isanti County? ▼
The poverty rate in Isanti County, MN is 7.5%, with a median household income of $87,440 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Isanti County a food desert? ▼
2 of Isanti County's 8 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 Isanti County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.9% of households in Isanti 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.