Signature · 7.2% SNAP (35th pct in MN)
Pennington County, MN
Pennington 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.
- 18.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.2%
- on SNAP
- 14K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Pennington County, MN
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 18.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.9 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.2% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Rice County (+ 0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Pennington County ranks #1,842 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #59 of 87 counties in MN (18.2% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,842
- national by low-access %
- #59
- in MN
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 702
- 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: 7.2% SNAP (35th pct in MN) (-4.9 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Pennington County compares nationally
Pennington County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.2% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,843).
Pennington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Pennington County has 2 urban and 3 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.
Pennington 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
- Carlton 18.9
Carlton 18.9%
18.9 % low-access
- Mower 18.8
Mower 18.8%
18.8 % low-access
- Rice 18.4
Rice 18.4%
18.4 % low-access
- Pennington 18.2
Pennington 18.2%
18.2 % low-access
- Jackson 17.4
Jackson 17.4%
17.4 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 13,930 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,532 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 702 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 13,791 |
| Median Household Income | $77,325 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 449 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.2%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
SNAP retailers in Pennington County
Pennington County has 7 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (29% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 2
- holiday stationstore 2746197, thief river falls
- northdale oil inc, thief river falls
Super Store · 2
- hugo's 7, thief river falls
- walmart super center 3761, thief river falls
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys mn113, thief river falls
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar tree 3608, thief river falls
Small Grocery Store · 1
- erls food market, thief river 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 Pennington County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Pennington County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Pennington County (7.2%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Minnesota.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MN (18.2% here).
- Wabash County, IN · 18.2% low-access
- Wabash County, IN · 18.2% low-access
- Oneida County, NY · 18.2% low-access
- Oneida County, NY · 18.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (7.2% here).
- Madison County, MS · 7.2% SNAP
- Madison County, MS · 7.2% SNAP
- Union County, MS · 7.2% SNAP
- Union County, MS · 7.2% 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
Pennington 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 Pennington County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27113. 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.