Signature · 120 SNAP-authorized stores
Stearns County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Stearns 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).
- 25.3%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 9.5%
- on SNAP
- 161K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Stearns County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 25.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +3.2 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Itasca County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Stearns County ranks #1,273 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #47 of 87 counties in MN (25.3% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #1,273
- national by low-access %
- #47
- in MN
- 12
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- 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: 120 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Stearns County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Stearns County's 25.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 59% of them and ranked #1,273 most-affected nationwide.
Stearns County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
29 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Stearns County has 17 urban and 12 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.
Stearns 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
- Kittson 25.9
Kittson 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Swift 25.8
Swift 25.8%
25.8 % low-access
- Hennepin 25.5
Hennepin 25.5%
25.5 % low-access
- Itasca 25.4
Itasca 25.4%
25.4 % low-access
- Stearns 25.3
Stearns 25.3%
25.3 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 29 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 150,642 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 12 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 38,109 |
| Low-Access Share | 25.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,074 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 160,865 |
| Median Household Income | $77,066 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,807 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.7% |
Thick SNAP store book in Stearns County
Stearns County has 120 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 53 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 53
- 9th ave x-press, saint cloud
- a4 llc, waite park
- albany holiday 511, albany
- casey's 2650, melrose
- casey's 3387, paynesville
- casey's general store 3650, belgrade
- casey's general store 1643, richmond
- casey's general store 1652, paynesville
- casey's general store 1738, sauk centre
- casey's general store 2353, waite park
- casey's general store 3300, avon
- casey's general store 3303, kimball
- casey's general store 3306, saint cloud
- casey's general store 3632, sauk rapids
- doost llc, saint cloud
- freedom division, saint cloud
- freedom sartell, sartell
- global gas, saint cloud
- go for it gas, saint cloud
- holiday stationstore 2746517, saint cloud
- holiday stationstore 2746538, saint cloud
- holiday stationstore 2746539, waite park
- holiday stationstore 2746544, sartell
- holiday stationstore 2746547, saint joseph
- holiday stationstore 2746551, saint cloud
- holiday stationstores 2746447, sauk centre
- kwik trip 1120, cold spring
- kwik trip 120, saint cloud
- kwik trip 1215, melrose
- kwik trip 137, waite park
- kwik trip 146, saint cloud
- kwik trip 147, saint joseph
- kwik trip 150, saint cloud
- kwik trip 151, saint cloud
- kwik trip 153, sartell
- kwik trip 160, waite park
- kwik trip 575, saint joseph
- kwik trip 598, paynesville
- love's travel stop 842, rockville
- marathon, saint cloud
- marathon 9th ave, saint cloud
- pilot travel center 134, saint cloud
- saint cloud mini mart, saint cloud
- slide in mart, saint cloud
- slide in mart 2 no, saint cloud
- snak atak #3, avon
- speedway 4361, saint cloud
- speedway 4404, saint cloud
- st augusta bp, saint augusta
- st cloud cenex 018, saint cloud
- stop n go, saint cloud
- the wenner company 4790, cold spring
- zenteno's express, saint cloud
Combination Grocery/Other · 23
- 33rd meat & grocery store, saint cloud
- cvs 10771, albany
- cvs 6507, saint cloud
- dollar general 13972, melrose
- dollar general 19519, ogilvie
- dollar general 19639, kimball
- dollar general 14916, richmond
- dollar general 15509, paynesville
- dollar general 16783, belgrade
- dollar general 20614, avon
- dollar general 20803, holdingford
- dollar general 21976, saint augusta
- dollar general 25338, sartell
- dollar general 25416, saint joseph
- dollar tree 6117, sartell
- dollar tree 6221, waite park
- dollar tree 7506, sauk centre
- dollar tree 843, saint cloud
- teal's market, albany
- von hansons meats of st cloud, waite park
- walgreens 03101, saint cloud
- walgreens 10210, sartell
- walgreens 11956, waite park
Super Store · 16
- cash wise foods 3009, waite park
- coborn's 2007, sartell
- coborn's 2022, sauk centre
- coborn's 2039, saint joseph
- coborn's 2043, melrose
- coborn's marketplace 2032, sartell
- coborn's marketplace 2035, saint cloud
- costco wholesale 1344, saint cloud
- fresh thyme market 511wte, waite park
- sam's club 8183, saint cloud
- target store 215, st cloud
- teal's market, cold spring
- teals market, paynesville
- walmart 1633, saint cloud
- walmart 3088, saint cloud
- walmart 4253, sauk centre
Medium Grocery Store · 11
- el torito mexican market, waite park
- kabribayah grocery and dali, saint cloud
- kismayo discount grocery store llc, saint cloud
- midnimo market, saint cloud
- midway halal & grocery 1, saint cloud
- minnesota street market, saint joseph
- mogadishu meat & grocery store inc, saint cloud
- nasiib grocery store, saint cloud
- starmarket, saint cloud
- thao market, saint cloud
- viet-tien international market na, waite park
Small Grocery Store · 4
- don chon mexican market, st cloud
- green market unit 73, waite park
- la perla market llc, waite park
- st cloud meat and grocery store, saint cloud
Farmers' Market · 3
- richmond mn farmers market, richmond
- st. cloud area farmers market, st. cloud
- st. joseph farmers market, saint joseph
Large Grocery Store · 3
- good earth food co-op, saint cloud
- minnesota meats & markets, sauk centre
- richmond food pride, richmond
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- belgrade meat center, belgrade
- jenniges meat processing, brooten
- knaus sausage house, kimball
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 72140, saint cloud
- aldi 90, waite park
- lunds & byerlys 1004, saint cloud
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys mn010, saint cloud
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 Stearns County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Nationwide peers for Stearns County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Stearns 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 (25.3% here).
- Holmes County, MS · 25.3% low-access
- Holmes County, MS · 25.3% low-access
- Lincoln County, NC · 25.3% low-access
- Lincoln County, NC · 25.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (9.5% here).
- Douglas County, NE · 9.5% SNAP
- Douglas County, NE · 9.5% SNAP
- Wright County, IA · 9.5% SNAP
- Wright County, IA · 9.5% 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
Stearns 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 Stearns County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27145. 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.