PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

McLeod County, MN

McLeod County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

47.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
7.8%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

47.3% of McLeod County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
3.4%
households, no vehicle
8.7%
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).

McLeod County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 47.3% is well above the national share. 5 of the county's 7 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 17,346 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,371 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 McLeod County compares nationally

McLeod County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 47.3% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #236 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

McLeod County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in McLeod 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 McLeod County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (28.6%) 3 tracts limited (42.9%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 29% Limited 43% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: McLeod County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

McLeod 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 McLeod County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)36,651
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population17,346
Low-Access Share47.3%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,371

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for McLeod County
IndicatorValue
Population36,798
Median Household Income$80,084
Poverty Rate8.7%below the national average
SNAP Households1,184
SNAP Participation Rate7.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.4%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in McLeod County 7.8%

About 7.8% of McLeod County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 47.3% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,184 households here.
  • 3.4% 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 McLeod County

well above the national share

2 of McLeod County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% 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 17,346 residents, roughly 47.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,371 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (28.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in McLeod County

McLeod County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • caseys general store 3474, lester prairie
  • casey's general store 1673, winsted
  • casey's general store 1688, glencoe
  • casey's general store 2010, glencoe
  • casey's general store 2173, hutchinson
  • casey's general store 2655, carver
  • casey's general store 3505, stewart
  • celine stop glencoe inc, glencoe
  • chandler go for it gas inc, glencoe
  • holiday stationstore 2746542, hutchinson
  • hy-vee dollar fresh 1220, glencoe
  • kwik trip 1049, glencoe
  • kwik trip 316, hutchinson
  • shiva lc, hutchinson
  • speedway 4315, hutchinson

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • dollartree 10460, hutchinson
  • dollartree 8091, glencoe
  • dollar general 15046, winsted
  • dollar general 16835, silver lake
  • dollar general 22090, brownton
  • dollar general 22218, hutchinson
  • dollar general 22546, lester prairie
  • dollar general 30296, glencoe
  • dollar tree 1296, hutchinson
  • walgreens 15680, hutchinson

Super Store · 4

  • cash wise foods 3011, hutchinson
  • coborn's marketplace 2027, glencoe
  • target store 1210, hutchinson
  • walmart supercenter 1738, hutchinson

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 72018, hutchinson
  • glenns super valu, winsted

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's take n bake pizza mn022, hutchinson

Farmers' Market · 1

  • hutchinson farmers mkt - hutchinson downtown assn, hutchinson

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • benny's meat market, hutchinson

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • la zacatecana, glencoe

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 McLeod County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

McLeod 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 McLeod County has low food access? ▼
47.3% of residents in McLeod 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 McLeod County? ▼
7.8% of households in McLeod County receive SNAP, covering 1,184 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in McLeod County? ▼
The poverty rate in McLeod County, MN is 8.7%, with a median household income of $80,084 (Census ACS 2024).
Is McLeod County a food desert? ▼
2 of McLeod County's 7 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 McLeod County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.4% of households in McLeod 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.