County food-access profile · Minnesota
St. Louis County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of St. Louis County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 27.3%
- low-access pop.
- 16
- food-desert tracts
- 10.2%
- on SNAP
- 200K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
27.3% of St. Louis County residents live in a low-access area, and 16 of its 66 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 29
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 8.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.2%
- 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).
USDA data puts St. Louis County's low-access share at 27.3%, above the national share. 29 of the county's 66 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 54,636 people. 16 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 18,320 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 St. Louis County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, St. Louis County's 27.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,133 most-affected nationwide.
St. Louis County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 66 census tracts in St. Louis County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
St. Louis County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- St. Louis
St. Louis County, MN
27.3 % 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 | 66 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 200,226 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 29 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 16 |
| Low-Access Population | 54,636 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 18,320 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 200,123 |
| Median Household Income | $70,069 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,885 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.0%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.1% |
About 10.2% of St. Louis County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 27.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,885 households here.
- 8.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 16 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 St. Louis County
above the national share
16 of St. Louis County's 66 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 24.2% of all its tracts.
A further 13 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 29.
An estimated 54,636 residents, roughly 27.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 18,320 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 37 tracts (56.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in St. Louis County
St. Louis County has 150 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 76 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 76
- 9th street short stop 22, duluth
- babbit short stop 4, babbitt
- buhl short stop 1, buhl
- caywood country store, saginaw
- central entrance short stop 21, duluth
- cook short stop 7, cook
- ely lake short stop 6, eveleth
- eveleth short stop 18, eveleth
- express lane 5502, hibbing
- express lane 5503, chisholm
- floodwood 33, floodwood
- gary milk house, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746062, hibbing
- holiday stationstore 2746148, virginia
- holiday stationstore 2746153, hibbing
- holiday stationstore 2746184, aurora
- holiday stationstore 2746293, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746325, duluth
- hibbing express short stop 29, hibbing
- hibbing short stop 25, hibbing
- hibbing short stop ii 19, hibbing
- holiday stationstore 2746027, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746041, virginia
- holiday stationstore 2746085, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746100, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746141, gilbert
- holiday stationstore 2746144, ely
- holiday stationstore 2746190, hermantown
- holiday stationstore 2746327, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746328, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746354, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746409, duluth
- holiday stationstore 2746422, duluth
- korner store, hermantown
- korner store, chisholm
- kornerstore #800, duluth
- kornerstore 700, duluth
- kwik trip 1043, hermantown
- kwik trip 117, duluth
- kwik trip 216, hermantown
- kwik trip 218, duluth
- kwik trip 220, hermantown
- kwik trip 224, duluth
- kwik trip 273, duluth
- kwik trip 274, duluth
- kwik trip 572, hermantown
- kwik trip 941, duluth
- lakeside short stop 23, duluth
- lucky seven general store 01, biwabik
- lucky seven general store 02, cook
- lucky seven general store 05, virginia
- lucky seven general store 06, chisholm
- lucky seven general store 09, virginia
- lucky seven general store 10, hoyt lakes
- lucky seven general store 11, ely
- lucky seven general store 13, aurora
- lucky seven general store 15, hibbing
- lucky seven general store 23, hibbing
- mt iron short stop 17, mountain iron
- nett lake c-store, orr
- piedmont milk house, duluth
- proctor 32, duluth
- r.t. convenience, hibbing
- snyder super stop, duluth
- speedway 4602, hermantown
- speedway 4776, duluth
- speedway 4777, floodwood
- speedway 4778, cotton
- speedway 4892, duluth
- speedway 4896, duluth
- the y store, tower
- townline short stop 26, eveleth
- virginia express short stop 15, virginia
- virginia short stop 5, virginia
- voyageur short stop 10, ely
- woodland short stop 20, duluth
Combination Grocery/Other · 23
- cvs pharmacy #6691 6691, duluth
- dollar general 13970, virginia
- dollar general 14857, ely
- dollar general 15431, chisholm
- dollar general 15614, aurora
- dollar general 17242, floodwood
- dollar general 20245, cook
- dollar general 23618, babbitt
- dollar general 30775, duluth
- dollar tree 2228, duluth
- dollar tree 2263, virginia
- dollar tree 2906, duluth
- dollar tree 3545, hibbing
- dollar tree 6656, duluth
- family dollar 10986, duluth
- family dollar 13821, hoyt lakes
- tnt xchange, duluth
- walgreens 07126, duluth
- walgreens 10500, duluth
- walgreens 10501, virginia
- walgreens 11125, hibbing
- walgreens 13877, duluth
- walgreens 15149, duluth
Supermarket · 18
- aldi 72095, virginia
- aldi 72097, duluth
- aldi 72152, hibbing
- adolph store, hermantown
- cub foods 1603, duluth
- super one foods 450, biwabik
- super one foods 455, duluth
- super one foods 457, duluth
- super one foods 458, duluth
- super one foods 459, virginia
- super one foods 509, virginia
- super one foods 525, hibbing
- super one foods 565, duluth
- super one foods 571, duluth
- super one foods 576, duluth
- woodland 460, duluth
- zup's foods, tower
- zups food market, babbitt
Super Store · 12
- costco wholesale 1422, duluth
- mt royal fine food, duluth
- sam's club 6320, hermantown
- target store 4, duluth
- target store 847, virginia
- walmart 2937, hibbing
- walmart supercenter 1757, hermantown
- walmart supercenter 4849, mountain iron
- whole foods community co-op, duluth
- wholefoods coop - denfeld 02, duluth
- zup's market, ely
- zups food market, cook
Farmers' Market · 8
- central hillside farmers market, duluth
- cook area farmers market, cook
- duluth farmers market, duluth
- hibbing farmers market, hibbing
- lincoln park farmers market, duluth
- ode'imini giizis farmers market, nett lake
- tower farmers market, tower
- virginia market square, virginia
Bakery Specialty · 5
- papa murphy's mn103, virginia
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza mn011, duluth
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza mn048, duluth
- papa murphy's take n bake pizza mn108, duluth
- papa murphys mn076, hibbing
Large Grocery Store · 5
- chisholm jubilee, chisholm
- f & d meats, virginia
- natural harvest food co-op, virginia
- pelican bay foods, orr
- stokke's lakewood market, duluth
Delivery Route · 1
- community mobile market, duluth
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- old world meats, duluth
Small Grocery Store · 1
- baileys lake grocery, virginia
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare St. Louis County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
St. Louis 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 St. Louis County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in St. Louis County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in St. Louis County? ▼
Is St. Louis County a food desert? ▼
What share of St. Louis 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.