PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Itasca County, MN

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

25.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
10.7%
on SNAP
45K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

25.4% of Itasca County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
4.7%
households, no vehicle
12.2%
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 Itasca County's low-access share at 25.4%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,427 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,922 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 Itasca County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Itasca County's 25.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 60% of them and ranked #1,264 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Itasca County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Itasca 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 Itasca County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 5 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 5 tracts adequate (45.5%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (36.4%) Adequate 45% Limited 18% Severe 36% Food-access tier distribution: Itasca County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Itasca 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 Itasca County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,058
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population11,427
Low-Access Share25.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,922

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Itasca County
IndicatorValue
Population45,275
Median Household Income$68,603
Poverty Rate12.2%below the national average
SNAP Households1,980
SNAP Participation Rate10.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.5%
SNAP participation in Itasca County 10.7%

About 10.7% of Itasca County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 25.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,980 households here.
  • 4.7% 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 Itasca County

above the national share

4 of Itasca County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 36.4% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 11,427 residents, roughly 25.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,922 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 5 tracts (45.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Itasca County

Itasca County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 20

  • bowstring store, deer river
  • casey's 5235, bigfork
  • casey's general store 3613, grand rapids
  • caseys general store 3471, cohasset
  • circle k 2746564, gramd rapids
  • grand mart east 22, grand rapids
  • grand rapids 30, grand rapids
  • grand rapids cenex convenience store, grand rapids
  • harwoods, deer river
  • holiday stationstore 2746162, grand rapids
  • holiday stationstore 2746194, deer river
  • holiday stationstore 2746248, grand rapids
  • keewatin short stop 27, keewatin
  • little turtle lake store, talmoon
  • lucky seven general store 24, swan river
  • lucky seven general store 26, nashwauk
  • northern star convenience center 4, deer river
  • pokegama lake store, grand rapids
  • ron's korner market, bovey
  • winnie trading post, deer river

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dollar general 18159, deer river
  • dollar general 14726, cohasset
  • dollar general 20001, bigfork
  • dollar general 20748, keewatin
  • dollar tree 5111, grand rapids
  • walgreens 13163, grand rapids

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 72096, grand rapids
  • super one foods 440, deer river
  • super one foods 515, grand rapids
  • super one foods 520, grand rapids

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • orty's custom meats, deer river
  • s & s meats, grand rapids

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • bobs country market, bovey
  • fred's store, goodland

Super Store · 2

  • target store 904, grand rapids
  • walmart supercenter 1609, grand rapids

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphys mn074, grand rapids

Farmers' Market · 1

  • grand rapids farmers market, grand rapids

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • kocian's, bigfork

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • max mini store, squaw lake

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 Itasca County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Itasca 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 Itasca County has low food access? ▼
25.4% of residents in Itasca 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 Itasca County? ▼
10.7% of households in Itasca County receive SNAP, covering 1,980 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Itasca County? ▼
The poverty rate in Itasca County, MN is 12.2%, with a median household income of $68,603 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Itasca County a food desert? ▼
4 of Itasca County's 11 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 Itasca County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.7% of households in Itasca 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.