Signature · 41 SNAP-authorized stores
Rice County, MN
Rice 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.
- 18.4%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 7.9%
- on SNAP
- 68K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Rice County, MN
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 18.4% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.7 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 23% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pennington County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Rice County ranks #1,823 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #58 of 87 counties in MN (18.4% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,823
- national by low-access %
- #58
- in MN
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 41 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Rice County compares nationally
Rice County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.4% low-access share that beats 42% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,824).
Rice County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
13 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Rice County has 8 urban and 5 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.
Rice 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
- Clay 19.2
Clay 19.2%
19.2 % 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
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 64,142 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,788 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,062 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,917 |
| Median Household Income | $83,181 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,847 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 11.7% |
Thick SNAP store book in Rice County
Rice County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (32% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 13
- casey's 2398, lonsdale
- casey's general store 1733, faribault
- casey's general store 2400, northfield
- holiday station 2746135, faribault
- holiday stations store 2746060, northfield
- kwik trip 385, northfield
- kwik trip 745, faribault
- kwik trip 772, faribault
- kwik trip 793, faribault
- kwik trip 489, dundas
- pilot travel center 576, northfield
- speedway 4316, northfield
- speedway 4610, faribault
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- banadir grocery and restaurant, faribault
- dollar general 16374, lonsdale
- dollar general 21939, morristown
- dollar tree 4050, faribault
- dollar tree 5985, northfield
- madina grocery, faribault
- walgreens 01951, faribault
- walgreens 09065, w northfield
Super Store · 6
- family fare 330, northfield
- fareway stores, inc. 126, faribault
- hy-vee foods 1177, faribault
- just food co-op, northfield
- target store 1211, northfield
- walmart 1657, faribault
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 69095 69095, faribault
- aldi 72087, dundas
- cub foods 1637, northfield
- mackenthuns fine foods, lonsdale
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- barwaqo halal market inc, faribault
- lindale halal market, faribault
- taran grocery and deli, faribault
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza mn004, faribault
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza mn051, northfield
Farmers' Market · 2
- cannon valley farmers' market, faribault
- riverwalk market fair, northfield
Small Grocery Store · 2
- los taqueritos inc, faribault
- tienda maya quiche llc, faribault
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- 10k livestock, fresh meat and poultry, lonsdale
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 Rice County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Rice County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Rice 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 (18.4% here).
- Cass County, NE · 18.4% low-access
- Cass County, NE · 18.4% low-access
- Union County, PA · 18.4% low-access
- Union County, PA · 18.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (7.9% here).
- Yellowstone County, MT · 7.9% SNAP
- Yellowstone County, MT · 7.9% SNAP
- Lincoln County, ME · 7.9% SNAP
- Lincoln County, ME · 7.9% 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
Rice 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 Rice County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27131. 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.