PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Mower County, MN

Mower County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

18.8%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
10.6%
on SNAP
40K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

18.8% of Mower County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
10.4%
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).

Mower County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.8% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,352 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,286 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 Mower County compares nationally

Mower County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.8% low-access share that beats 43% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,788).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Mower County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Mower 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 Mower County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (54.5%) 3 tracts limited (27.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (18.2%) Adequate 55% Limited 27% Severe 18% Food-access tier distribution: Mower County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Mower 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 Mower County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,163
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population7,352
Low-Access Share18.8%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,286

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Mower County
IndicatorValue
Population40,343
Median Household Income$73,074
Poverty Rate10.4%below the national average
SNAP Households1,671
SNAP Participation Rate10.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Mower County 10.6%

About 10.6% of Mower County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 18.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,671 households here.
  • 5.2% 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 Mower County

near the national share

2 of Mower County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.2% 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 7,352 residents, roughly 18.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,286 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (54.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Mower County

Mower County has 38 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (37% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 14

  • ankenys mini mart 5, austin
  • bapa lifestyle llc, austin
  • casey's general store 1650, austin
  • corkey`s corner 2, adams
  • everest apollo gas, austin
  • express lane 5516, austin
  • freeborn county coop oil- austin, austin
  • freeborn county coop oil-lyle, lyle
  • kwik trip 445, austin
  • kwik trip 689, austin
  • kwik trip 246, austin
  • kwik trip 250, austin
  • one stop food mart, austin
  • suraj's pump & munch llc, austin

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • austin express llc 545713, austin
  • dollar general 21276, austin
  • dollar general 23892, le roy
  • dollar general 30041, grand meadow
  • dollar tree 2839, austin
  • majestic marche africain & restauration, austin
  • walgreens 09094, austin

Medium Grocery Store · 7

  • k'nyaw grocery store, austin
  • knauer's market llc, austin
  • loikaw 21 asian grocery, austin
  • main street market place llc, le roy
  • shwe nyiko market, austin
  • tienda y taqveria guerrero inc, austin
  • unity asian grocery, austin

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • heimer foods, adams
  • natural asian market, austin
  • sara g. beauty supply / african food market llc n/a, austin

Super Store · 3

  • hy-vee foods 1027, austin
  • hy-vee 1027, austin
  • walmart supercenter 4257, austin

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's mn003, austin

Farmers' Market · 1

  • farmers market place llc, austin

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • jim's market place foods, austin

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 74040 74040, austin

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 Mower County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Mower 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 Mower County has low food access? ▼
18.8% of residents in Mower 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 Mower County? ▼
10.6% of households in Mower County receive SNAP, covering 1,671 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Mower County? ▼
The poverty rate in Mower County, MN is 10.4%, with a median household income of $73,074 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Mower County a food desert? ▼
2 of Mower County's 11 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 Mower County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Mower 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.