County food-access profile · Minnesota
Otter Tail County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Otter Tail 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).
- 23.4%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 6.5%
- on SNAP
- 60K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.4% of Otter Tail County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.7%
- 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 Otter Tail County's low-access share at 23.4%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 17 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,423 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,423 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 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
All 17 census tracts in Otter Tail County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Otter Tail County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Otter Tail
Otter Tail County, MN
23.4 % low-access
- Aitkin
Aitkin County, MN
33.8 % low-access
- Anoka
Anoka County, MN
38.3 % low-access
- Becker
Becker County, MN
34.5 % low-access
- Beltrami
Beltrami County, MN
32.3 % low-access
- Benton
Benton County, MN
30 % 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 6.5% of Otter Tail County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,628 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Otter Tail County
above the national share
5 of Otter Tail County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 29.4% of all its tracts.
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 13,423 residents, roughly 23.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,423 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (41.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Otter Tail County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Otter Tail County sits inside Minnesota (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.