Signature · 4 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)

Pine County, MN

Pine County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 4 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 12.0% low-access.

12.0%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
10.9%
on SNAP
30K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

USDA FARA access plate

County Pine County, MN

LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-MODERATE 12.0% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -10.1 pts vs US
  • LILA-POCKET 4 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-TYPICAL 10.9% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.3% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Kanabec County ( -0.1 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Pine County lands in the lower national band (12.0%, #2,341 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,341
national by low-access %
#76
in MN
4
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 4 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .

How Pine County compares nationally

Pine County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.0% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,344).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Pine County's lower-band USDA tier split

8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 4 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Pine County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 8 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (50.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 0% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Pine County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Pine County has 1 urban and 7 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.

Pine County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Pine County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts8
Atlas Population (2010 basis)29,750
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population3,576
Low-Access Share12.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,281

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Pine County
IndicatorValue
Population29,640
Median Household Income$71,146
Poverty Rate11.1%below the national average
SNAP Households1,344
SNAP Participation Rate10.9%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.0%

Thick SNAP store book in Pine County

Pine County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (65% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • banning junction, finlayson
  • bear necessity 1, bruno
  • beroun crossing country store, pine city
  • browns beans & greens, sandstone
  • bruno deep rock, askov
  • casey's general store 3445, sandstone
  • casey's general store 3520, pine city
  • holiday stationstore 2746006, pine city
  • holiday stationstore 2746258, pine city
  • hinckley 37, hinckley
  • holiday stationstore 2746226, hinckley
  • kwik trip 1730, pine city
  • kwik trip 186, hinckley
  • more than sprouts, pine city
  • petry's bait, finlayson
  • speedway 4500, pine city
  • sturgeon lake oil, sturgeon lake

Combination Grocery/Other · 4

  • dollar general 18905, willow river
  • dollar general 21195, sandstone
  • dollar general 22256, hinckley
  • dollar tree 5682, pine city

Super Store · 2

  • chris food center, sandstone
  • walmart 2367, pine city

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 72148, pine city
  • daggett's fresh foods, hinckley

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • duquette general store 1, kerrick

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 Pine County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Counties near Pine County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Pine 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 (12.0% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (10.9% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Pine County inside a lower low-access state context

Pine 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 Pine County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27115. 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.