PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Kandiyohi County, MN

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

39.8%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
10.5%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

39.8% of Kandiyohi County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
5.5%
households, no vehicle
9.1%
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 Kandiyohi County's low-access share at 39.8%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 16,794 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,575 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 Kandiyohi County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kandiyohi County's 39.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 87% of them and ranked #404 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Kandiyohi County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Kandiyohi 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 Kandiyohi County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (16.7%) Adequate 50% Limited 33% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Kandiyohi County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Kandiyohi 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 Kandiyohi County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)42,239
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population16,794
Low-Access Share39.8%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,575

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Kandiyohi County
IndicatorValue
Population44,079
Median Household Income$76,592
Poverty Rate9.1%below the national average
SNAP Households1,852
SNAP Participation Rate10.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.9%
SNAP participation in Kandiyohi County 10.5%

About 10.5% of Kandiyohi County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 39.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,852 households here.
  • 5.5% 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 Kandiyohi County

above the national share

2 of Kandiyohi County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 16.7% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 16,794 residents, roughly 39.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,575 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Kandiyohi County

Kandiyohi County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (35% of the total), followed by medium grocery store.

Convenience Store · 12

  • casey's 2011, willmar
  • casey's 3326, willmar
  • casey's general store 3299, atwater
  • cenex c store of raymond, raymond
  • holiday stationstore 2746018, willmar
  • kavin llc, willmar
  • knyaw asian market, willmar
  • kwik trip 937, willmar
  • kwik trip 944, willmar
  • kwik trip 945, willmar
  • skindilien's mini mart, new london
  • speedway 4213, willmar

Medium Grocery Store · 6

  • ainu-u-shams inc, willmar
  • chaw's asian market, willmar
  • happy family grocery, willmar
  • los 3 michoacanos market, willmar
  • la fiesta, willmar
  • mubarak food and grocery, willmar

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • dollar general store 16829, atwater
  • dollar tree 3715, willmar
  • family dollar store 4889, willmar
  • walgreens 12131, willmar

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • amin 2 grocery llc, willmar
  • barwaqo grocery store, willmar
  • bihis general store, willmar

Super Store · 3

  • cash wise foods 3004, willmar
  • target store 661, willmar
  • walmart supercenter 1470, willmar

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 19, willmar
  • cub foods 1607, willmar
  • teal's market-spicer, spicer

Farmers' Market · 2

  • becker market, willmar
  • farmers market at robbins island, willmar

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's mn006, willmar

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 Kandiyohi County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Kandiyohi 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 Kandiyohi County has low food access? ▼
39.8% of residents in Kandiyohi 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 Kandiyohi County? ▼
10.5% of households in Kandiyohi County receive SNAP, covering 1,852 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Kandiyohi County? ▼
The poverty rate in Kandiyohi County, MN is 9.1%, with a median household income of $76,592 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Kandiyohi County a food desert? ▼
2 of Kandiyohi County's 12 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 Kandiyohi County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.5% of households in Kandiyohi 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.