PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Minnesota

Sherburne County, MN

Sherburne 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.

16.3%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
5.0%
on SNAP
101K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

The food-access picture

16.3% of Sherburne County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.2%
households, no vehicle
5.1%
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).

Sherburne County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.3% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 14,428 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,425 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 Sherburne County compares nationally

Sherburne County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.3% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,006).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Sherburne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Sherburne County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Sherburne County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 73% Limited 18% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Sherburne County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Sherburne County vs. other Minnesota counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Sherburne County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)88,499
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population14,428
Low-Access Share16.3%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,425

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Sherburne County
IndicatorValue
Population100,560
Median Household Income$105,466
Poverty Rate5.1%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,780
SNAP Participation Rate5.0%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.2%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Sherburne County 5.0%

About 5.0% of Sherburne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 5.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,780 households here.
  • 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Sherburne County

near the national share

1 of Sherburne County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 14,428 residents, roughly 16.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,425 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Sherburne County

Sherburne County has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • bill's superette 6, becker
  • casey's general store 3458, zimmerman
  • casey's general store 3570, big lake
  • casey's general store 3724, elk river
  • frontier marketplace express, big lake
  • holiday stationstore 2746090, elk river
  • holiday stationstore 2746132, big lake
  • holiday stationstore 2746239, zimmerman
  • holiday stationstore 2746313, elk river
  • holiday stationstore 2746549, saint cloud
  • kwik trip 109, becker
  • kwik trip 149, saint cloud
  • kwik trip 162, ostego
  • kwik trip 168, big lake
  • motherland african market, llc, elk river
  • ralphie's minnoco, elk river
  • rivers stations, saint cloud
  • speedway 4196, elk river
  • speedway 4470, elk river
  • speedway 4535, zimmerman
  • speedway 4807, becker
  • speedway 5524, big lake
  • superamerica 4338, elk river

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 19543, zimmerman
  • dollartree 8110, big lake
  • dollar general 20473, becker
  • dollar general 30118, big lake
  • dollar tree 3852, elk river
  • dollar tree plus 9102, zimmerman
  • walgreens 10289, elk river

Super Store · 5

  • coborn's 2031, big lake
  • coborn's 2047, otsego
  • coborn's marketplace 2023, elk river
  • target store 2456, otsego
  • walmart 3209, elk river

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 72141, elk river
  • aldi 78012 78012, elk river
  • bill's family foods 4, becker
  • cub foods elk river 5516, elk river
  • z market, zimmerman

Farmers' Market · 3

  • big lake farmers market, big lake
  • city of elk river indoor farmers market, elk river
  • city of elk river farmers market, elk river

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • mcdonalds meats inc, clear lake
  • von hanson's meats of elk river, elk river

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's - elk river mn016, elk river

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • east banaader, saint cloud

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Minnesota

Aitkin County
33.8% low-access · 8.9% SNAP
Anoka County
38.3% low-access · 7.2% SNAP
Becker County
34.5% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Beltrami County
32.3% low-access · 13.5% SNAP
Benton County
30.0% low-access · 8.6% SNAP
Big Stone County
38.4% low-access · 9.5% SNAP

Compare Sherburne County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Food access nationally, Minnesota in context

Sherburne County sits inside Minnesota (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Sherburne County has low food access? ▼
16.3% of residents in Sherburne County, MN live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sherburne County? ▼
5.0% of households in Sherburne County receive SNAP, covering 1,780 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Sherburne County? ▼
The poverty rate in Sherburne County, MN is 5.1%, with a median household income of $105,466 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Sherburne County a food desert? ▼
1 of Sherburne County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Sherburne County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.2% of households in Sherburne County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.