Signature · 40.1% low-access (87th pct)
Lyon County, MN
Lyon County sits in the upper national band on low-access (40.1%, +18 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 40.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 9.4%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lyon County, MN
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-SEVERE 40.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +18.0 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.4% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 14% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Koochiching County ( -0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Lyon County sits in the upper national band (40.1%, #394 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #394
- national by low-access %
- #9
- in MN
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 40.1% low-access (87th pct) (+18 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Lyon County compares nationally
Lyon County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.1% low-access share outpaces 87% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #394 most-affected nationwide.
Lyon County's elevated USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Lyon County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Lyon County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Waseca
Waseca 40.6%
40.6 % low-access
- Lyon
Lyon 40.1%
40.1 % low-access
- Koochiching
Koochiching 39.9%
39.9 % low-access
- Kandiyohi
Kandiyohi 39.8%
39.8 % low-access
- Clearwater 39.2
Clearwater 39.2%
39.2 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 25,857 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,356 |
| Low-Access Share | 40.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,762 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,503 |
| Median Household Income | $75,303 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 950 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.3%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.5% |
Thick SNAP store book in Lyon County
Lyon County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (26% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 27 authorized stores; Marshall holds 74% of them. 2 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Balaton, Cottonwood.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 20 | 8 |
| Tracy | 3 | 1 |
| Minneota | 2 | 1 |
| Balaton | 1 | none |
| Cottonwood | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 7
- balaton one stop, balaton
- casey's general store 1748, marshall
- casey's general store 2622, tracy
- casey's general store 3475, marshall
- kwik trip 1255, marshall
- kwik trip 1273, marshall
- marshall bp, marshall
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 18702, minneota
- dollar general 15531, tracy
- dollar general 16929, cottonwood
- dollar general 24429, marshall
- dollar tree 2489, marshall
- family dollar 13578, marshall
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- brads market place, minneota
- family grocery store, marshall
- hindi store, marshall
- la tapatia mexican grocery store, marshall
- terry's foods, marshall
- ton kao llc 2, marshall
Small Grocery Store · 2
- ella's market, marshall
- la mexicana, marshall
Super Store · 2
- hy-vee foods 1400, marshall
- walmart 1722, marshall
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 72024, marshall
- tracy food pride, tracy
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys mn046, marshall
Farmers' Market · 1
- marshall farmers market, marshall
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 Lyon County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Lyon County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Lyon 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 (40.1% here).
- Somerset County, NJ · 40.2% low-access
- Tippecanoe County, IN · 40.2% low-access
- Wasco County, OR · 40.0% low-access
- Clarke County, GA · 40.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (9.4% here).
- Barry County, MI · 9.4% SNAP
- Lafayette County, MO · 9.4% SNAP
- Norfolk County, MA · 9.4% SNAP
- Barnstable County, MA · 9.4% 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%). Lyon County, at 40.1%, runs 12.7 pts above 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 Lyon County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27083. 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.