Signature · 33.4% low-access (77th pct)
Polk County, MN
Polk County sits in the upper national band on low-access (33.4%, +11.3 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 33.4%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 10.0%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Polk County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 33.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +11.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 10.0% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Isanti County (+ 0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Polk County sits in the upper national band (33.4%, #711 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #711
- national by low-access %
- #25
- in MN
- 7
- 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: 33.4% low-access (77th pct) (+11.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Polk County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Polk County's 33.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 77% of them and ranked #711 most-affected nationwide.
Polk County's elevated USDA tier split
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Polk County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 5 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 5 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Polk 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
- Becker 34.5
Becker 34.5%
34.5 % low-access
- Aitkin 33.8
Aitkin 33.8%
33.8 % low-access
- Isanti 33.5
Isanti 33.5%
33.5 % low-access
- Polk 33.4
Polk 33.4%
33.4 % low-access
- Todd 32.4
Todd 32.4%
32.4 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 31,600 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,545 |
| Low-Access Share | 33.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,706 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 30,705 |
| Median Household Income | $73,107 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,230 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.0%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.4%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.3% |
SNAP retailers in Polk County
Polk County has 18 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 6 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 18 authorized stores; East Grand Forks holds 28% of them. 1 of the 7 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Erskin.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| East Grand Forks | 5 | 1 |
| Crookston | 4 | 2 |
| Fosston | 3 | 1 |
| Fertile | 2 | 1 |
| Mcintosh | 2 | 1 |
| Erskin | 1 | none |
| Erskine | 1 | 1 |
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- dollar general 18759, fertile
- dollar general 16335, fosston
- dollar general 23823, east grand forks
- dollar general store 16925, erskin
- international halal food market 7, east grand forks
- neils quality meats, mcintosh
Convenience Store · 4
- casey's general store 3533, crookston
- eastside express, east grand forks
- ortons fosston cenex 280, fosston
- ortons point food mart 400, east grand forks
Super Store · 4
- hugo's 13, fosston
- hugo's 4, crookston
- hugo's 5, east grand forks
- walmart 3758, crookston
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- aaron's grocery, fertile
- groceries plus 332, erskine
- jereds grocery, mcintosh
Farmers' Market · 1
- crookston farmers market, crookston
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 Polk County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Polk County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Polk 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 (33.4% here).
- Johnson County, MO · 33.4% low-access
- Stafford County, VA · 33.4% low-access
- Thurston County, WA · 33.4% low-access
- Taylor County, WI · 33.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (10.0% here).
- Monroe County, MI · 10.0% SNAP
- Antrim County, MI · 10.0% SNAP
- Greene County, MO · 10.0% SNAP
- Nantucket County, MA · 10.0% 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.
Minnesota among West North Central states
Minnesota ranks 3rd of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (27.4%). Polk County, at 33.4%, runs 6.0 pts above the Minnesota rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Polk County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27119. 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.