Signature · 29 SNAP-authorized stores
Steele County, MN
Steele County sits in the upper national band on low-access (30.9%, +8.8 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 30.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.7%
- on SNAP
- 37K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Steele County, MN
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 30.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +8.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Pipestone County ( -0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Steele County sits in the upper national band (30.9%, #881 of 3,079).
- #881
- national by low-access %
- #33
- in MN
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 29 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Steele County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Steele County's 30.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #882 most-affected nationwide.
Steele County's elevated USDA tier split
8 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
By USDA urbanicity classification, Steele County has 5 urban and 3 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.
Steele County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint
- Red Lake
Red Lake 99.2%
99.2 % low-access
- Cook 31.4
Cook 31.4%
31.4 % low-access
- Martin 31.1
Martin 31.1%
31.1 % low-access
- Morrison 31
Morrison 31%
31 % low-access
- Steele 30.9
Steele 30.9%
30.9 % low-access
- Pipestone 30.8
Pipestone 30.8%
30.8 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,576 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,296 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.9%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,874 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,439 |
| Median Household Income | $84,196 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,159 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
Thick SNAP store book in Steele County
Steele County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (48% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 14
- casey''s general store 3481, medford
- casey's 2843, blooming prairie
- casey's general store 2194, owatonna
- casey's general store 3424, ellendale
- circle k 2746519, owatonna
- holiday stationstore 2746373, owatonna
- hy-vee fast and fresh 5511, owatonna
- kwik trip 403, owatonna
- kwik trip 435, owatonna
- kwik trip 641, owatonna
- kwik trip 1088, owatonna
- kwik trip 237, owatonna
- kwik trip 806, owatonna
- owatonna fuel & food, owatonna
Super Store · 5
- cash wise foods 3014, owatonna
- fareway stores, inc. 139, owatonna
- hy-vee foods 1511, owatonna
- target store 1068, owatonna
- walmart supercenter 982, owatonna
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 21536, owatonna
- dollar general 22754, blooming prairie
- dollar tree 3708, owatonna
- walgreens 09095, owatonna
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- grampas ole home meats, medford
- steves meat market inc, ellendale
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's mn033, owatonna
Large Grocery Store · 1
- vandal's family market, blooming prairie
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- lerbergs foods, ellendale
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 72013, owatonna
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 Steele County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Steele County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Steele 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 (30.9% here).
- Eaton County, MI · 30.9% low-access
- Eaton County, MI · 30.9% low-access
- Berkshire County, MA · 30.9% low-access
- Berkshire County, MA · 30.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (7.7% here).
- Oakland County, MI · 7.7% SNAP
- Oakland County, MI · 7.7% SNAP
- O'Brien County, IA · 7.7% SNAP
- O'Brien County, IA · 7.7% 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.
Steele County inside a higher low-access state context
Steele 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 Steele County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27147. 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.