Signature · 5 LILA tracts (29.4% of tracts)
Otter Tail County, MN
Otter Tail County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 5 LILA tracts (29.4% of the book) alongside 23.4% low-access.
- 23.4%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 6.5%
- on SNAP
- 60K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Otter Tail County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 23.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 29% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hubbard County ( -0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Otter Tail County ranks #1,410 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #50 of 87 counties in MN (23.4% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #1,410
- national by low-access %
- #50
- in MN
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 5 LILA tracts (29.4% of tracts) .
How Otter Tail County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Otter Tail County's 23.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,413 most-affected nationwide.
Otter Tail County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
17 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Otter Tail County has 3 urban and 14 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.
Otter Tail 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
- Stearns 25.3
Stearns 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Douglas 24.7
Douglas 24.7%
24.7 % low-access
- Freeborn 23.7
Freeborn 23.7%
23.7 % low-access
- Otter Tail 23.4
Otter Tail 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Hubbard 23.1
Hubbard 23.1%
23.1 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 57,303 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 13,423 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,423 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 60,475 |
| Median Household Income | $72,255 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,628 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.5%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in Otter Tail County
Otter Tail County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (32% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 14
- casey's general store 1820, fergus falls
- casey's general store 2161, fergus falls
- casey's general store 3096, new york mills
- cenex zip trip 66, fergus falls
- dawo halal market 150, pelican rapids
- holiday stationstore 2746142, fergus falls
- jcs general store, dalton
- lakes community coop dent oasis 70, dent
- lakes community coop new york mills 30, new york mills
- lakes community coop perham oasis 50, perham
- lakes community coop vergas store 25, vergas
- ortons pelican rapids holiday 395, pelican rapids
- park region co-op, pelican rapids
- wagon wheel one stop 12, richville
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- dollar general 19948, pelican rapids
- dollar tree 3177, fergus falls
- dollar general 15641, battle lake
- dollar general 16616, parkers prairie
- dollar general 17228, new york mills
- dollar general 17996, henning
- dollar general 21009, ottertail
- family dollar store 7425, perham
- premier meats & seafood, fergus falls
- walgreens 12592, fergus falls
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 72051, fergus falls
- larrys supermarket, battle lake
- larrys supermarket, pelican rapids
- service food market, fergus falls
- the market at perham llc, perham
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- b & d foods, henning
- carrs lake country supermarket, ottertail
- ditterich mercantile, vergas
- sammys one stop, parkers prairie
Farmers' Market · 3
- fergus falls farmers market, fergus falls
- pelican market, pelican rapids
- prairie farmers market, parkers prairie
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- heart o' lakes quality meats, pelican rapids
- lake cabin meat and deli co, fergus falls
- perham meat market & locker 52, perham
Large Grocery Store · 2
- central market, perham
- mills country market, new york mills
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys mn053, fergus falls
Small Grocery Store · 1
- dutchmen's, fergus falls
Super Store · 1
- walmart 1696, fergus falls
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 Otter Tail County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Otter Tail County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Otter Tail 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 (23.4% here).
- Ulster County, NY · 23.4% low-access
- Ulster County, NY · 23.4% low-access
- Monroe County, PA · 23.4% low-access
- Monroe County, PA · 23.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (6.5% here).
- Ste. Genevieve County, MO · 6.5% SNAP
- Ste. Genevieve County, MO · 6.5% SNAP
- Flathead County, MT · 6.5% SNAP
- Flathead County, MT · 6.5% 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
Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27111. 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.