Signature · 26.1% low-access (61st pct)
Meeker County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Meeker 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).
- 26.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 8.4%
- on SNAP
- 23K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Meeker County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 26.1% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +4.0 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Norman County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Meeker County ranks #1,207 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #40 of 87 counties in MN (26.1% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,207
- national by low-access %
- #40
- in MN
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 26.1% low-access (61st pct) (+4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Meeker County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Meeker County's 26.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 61% of them and ranked #1,210 most-affected nationwide.
Meeker County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Meeker County has 2 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Meeker County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Meeker 26.1
Meeker 26.1%
26.1 % low-access
- Norman 26
Norman 26%
26 % low-access
- Kittson 25.9
Kittson 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Wright 25.9
Wright 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Swift 25.8
Swift 25.8%
25.8 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,300 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,089 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,823 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,468 |
| Median Household Income | $75,446 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 788 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
SNAP retailers in Meeker County
Meeker County has 14 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 5
- casey's general store 1679, litchfield
- casey's general store 3090, dassel
- casey's general store 3301, cosmos
- casey's general store 3638, litchifield
- grove city gas & grocery, grove city
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar general 19702, eden valley
- dollar general 24113, litchfield
- dollar general 30650, dassel
Super Store · 2
- family fare 335, litchfield
- walmart 4374, litchfield
Farmers' Market · 1
- litchfield farmers market, litchfield
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- carlson meat shop, grove city
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- j & r family market, inc, watkins
Small Grocery Store · 1
- natural food co-op, litchfield
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 Meeker County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Meeker County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Meeker 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 (26.1% here).
- Jasper County, MO · 26.1% low-access
- Jasper County, MO · 26.1% low-access
- Roosevelt County, MT · 26.1% low-access
- Roosevelt County, MT · 26.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (8.4% here).
- Pulaski County, MO · 8.4% SNAP
- Pulaski County, MO · 8.4% SNAP
- Lancaster County, NE · 8.4% SNAP
- Lancaster County, NE · 8.4% 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.
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Meeker County sits inside Minnesota (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Meeker County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27093. 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.