Signature · 44.9% low-access (91st pct)
Nicollet County, MN
Nicollet County sits in the upper national band on low-access (44.9%, +22.8 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 44.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 6.0%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Nicollet County, MN
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 44.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +22.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 29% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Grant County ( -0.8 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Nicollet County sits in the upper national band (44.9%, #286 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #286
- national by low-access %
- #5
- in MN
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 44.9% low-access (91st pct) (+22.8 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Nicollet County compares nationally
Nicollet County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 44.9% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #286 most-affected nationwide.
Nicollet County's elevated USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Nicollet County has 5 urban and 2 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.
Nicollet 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
- McLeod
McLeod 47.3%
47.3 % low-access
- Washington
Washington 45.8%
45.8 % low-access
- Nicollet
Nicollet 44.9%
44.9 % low-access
- Grant
Grant 44.1%
44.1 % low-access
- Lake of the W…
Lake of the W… 41.2%
41.2 % 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) | 32,727 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,696 |
| Low-Access Share | 44.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,200 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,411 |
| Median Household Income | $79,756 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.0%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 785 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.0%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 9.5% |
SNAP retailers in Nicollet County
Nicollet County has 22 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- casey's 2220, north mankato
- express lane 5501, saint peter
- kwik trip 1152, saint peter
- kwik trip 466, saint peter
- kwik trip 615, north mankato
- speedway 4141, saint peter
- speedway 7027, north mankato
- st peter quick mart, saint peter
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- andy's mini mart, north mankato
- dollar general 10589, saint peter
- dollar general 21884, nicollet
- dollar tree 5417, north mankato
- family dollar store 4648, saint peter
- walgreens 12535, north mankato
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- george's city meats llc, nicollet
- nabil shop, north mankato
- seoul foods, north mankato
Super Store · 2
- family fresh market 331, saint peter
- hy-vee 7079, saint peter
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza mn099, saint peter
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- schmidt's meat market, nicollet
Supermarket · 1
- st peter food co-op, saint peter
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 Nicollet County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Nicollet County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Nicollet 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 (44.9% here).
- Coweta County, GA · 44.9% low-access
- Coweta County, GA · 44.9% low-access
- McKenzie County, ND · 44.8% low-access
- Chester County, PA · 45.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (6.0% here).
- Ottawa County, MI · 6.0% SNAP
- Ottawa County, MI · 6.0% SNAP
- Clay County, MO · 6.0% SNAP
- Clay County, MO · 6.0% 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.
Nicollet County inside a higher low-access state context
Nicollet 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 Nicollet County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27103. 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.