Signature · 11.6% low-access (25th pct)
Lake County, MN
Lake County lands in the lower national band on low-access (11.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 11.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.6%
- on SNAP
- 11K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lake County, MN
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 11.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -10.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lac qui Parle County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Lake County lands in the lower national band (11.6%, #2,364 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,364
- national by low-access %
- #78
- in MN
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 378
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 11.6% low-access (25th pct) (-10.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Lake County compares nationally
Lake County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.6% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,364).
Lake County's lower-band USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Lake County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (2 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Lake County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Winona 12.1
Winona 12.1%
12.1 % low-access
- Pine 12
Pine 12%
12 % low-access
- Kanabec 11.9
Kanabec 11.9%
11.9 % low-access
- Lake 11.6
Lake 11.6%
11.6 % low-access
- Lac qui Parle 11.4
Lac qui Parle 11.4%
11.4 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 10,866 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,263 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 378 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 10,879 |
| Median Household Income | $75,541 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 426 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
SNAP retailers in Lake County
Lake County has 10 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (60% of the total), followed by farmers' market.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 10 authorized stores; Two Harbors holds 60% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Finland, Beaver Bay.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Two Harbors | 6 | 1 |
| Finland | 2 | none |
| Beaver Bay | 1 | none |
| Silver Bay | 1 | 1 |
Convenience Store · 6
- finland cooperative company inc, finland
- holiday stationstore 2746024, two harbors
- holiday stationstore 2746179, beaver bay
- holiday stationstore 2746362, two harbors
- krist food mart 101, two harbors
- kwik trip 141, two harbors
Farmers' Market · 2
- finland farmers market, finland
- two harbors farmers market, two harbors
Supermarket · 2
- super one foods 528, two harbors
- zup's of silver bay, inc., silver bay
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Minnesota
One of 86 counties in Minnesota, 6 are shown here.
Compare Lake County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Lake County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Lake County, both outside Minnesota so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MN (11.6% here).
- Toombs County, GA · 11.6% low-access
- Union County, MS · 11.5% low-access
- Clinton County, MO · 11.7% low-access
- Greene County, NY · 11.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (8.6% here).
- Macon County, MO · 8.6% SNAP
- Scott County, KY · 8.6% SNAP
- Ontario County, NY · 8.6% SNAP
- Kendall County, IL · 8.6% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Minnesota among West North Central states
Minnesota ranks 3rd of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (27.4%). Lake County, at 11.6%, runs 15.8 pts below the Minnesota rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Lake County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27075. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.