County food-access profile · Minnesota
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)
The food-access picture
18.4% of Rice County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.2%
- 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).
Rice County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.4% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 11,788 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,062 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 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
All 13 census tracts in Rice County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Rice County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Rice
Rice County, MN
18.4 % 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 | 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% |
About 7.9% of Rice County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,847 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Rice County
near the national share
3 of Rice County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 23.1% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 11,788 residents, roughly 18.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,062 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 8 tracts (61.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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 retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Rice County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Rice 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
What share of Rice County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Rice County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Rice County? ▼
Is Rice County a food desert? ▼
What share of Rice County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.