PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Morrison County, MN

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

31.0%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
8.3%
on SNAP
34K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

31.0% of Morrison County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
11.0%
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 Morrison County's low-access share at 31.0%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,299 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,101 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 Morrison County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Morrison County's 31.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #877 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Morrison County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 8 census tracts in Morrison 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 Morrison County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (25.0%) 3 tracts limited (37.5%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (37.5%) Adequate 25% Limited 38% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Morrison County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Morrison 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 Morrison County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,198
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population10,299
Low-Access Share31.0%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,101

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Morrison County
IndicatorValue
Population34,249
Median Household Income$69,446
Poverty Rate11.0%below the national average
SNAP Households1,162
SNAP Participation Rate8.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Morrison County 8.3%

About 8.3% of Morrison County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 31.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,162 households here.
  • 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Morrison County

above the national share

3 of Morrison County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 37.5% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 10,299 residents, roughly 31.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,101 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Morrison County

Morrison County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 12

  • casey's 5241, pierz
  • casey's general store 1773, little falls
  • casey's general store 2046, little falls
  • casey's general store 3659, randall
  • holiday stationstore 2746216, little falls
  • holiday stationstore 2746398, little falls
  • holiday stationstores 2746463, royalton
  • ortons motley holiday 380, motley
  • quick save, little falls
  • reds auto & bait, pierz
  • speedway 4395, pierz
  • vet's super stop, pierz

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 16181, pierz
  • dollar general 17530, motley
  • dollar general 20523, little falls
  • dollar tree 813, little falls
  • walgreens 11374, little falls

Medium Grocery Store · 5

  • big johnson's market, swanville
  • boone's market, randall
  • paul & kathys grocery, upsala
  • rj's meats, hillman
  • the bbq smokehouse plus, motley

Farmers' Market · 2

  • little falls farmers' market inc., little falls
  • sprout farmers market, little falls

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • moreys fish house 043, motley
  • pierz foods, pierz

Super Store · 2

  • coborn's marketplace 2006, little falls
  • walmart 1634, little falls

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 72091, little falls
  • thielen meats of little falls, little falls

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's mn118 mn118, little falls

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • thielen meats, pierz

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • psycks super market, bowlus

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 Morrison County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Morrison 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 Morrison County has low food access? ▼
31.0% of residents in Morrison 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 Morrison County? ▼
8.3% of households in Morrison County receive SNAP, covering 1,162 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Morrison County? ▼
The poverty rate in Morrison County, MN is 11.0%, with a median household income of $69,446 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Morrison County a food desert? ▼
3 of Morrison County's 8 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 Morrison County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Morrison 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.