Signature · 84.5% low-access (97th pct)
Steele County, ND
Steele County sits in the upper national band on low-access (84.5%, +62.4 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 84.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 3.3%
- on SNAP
- 2K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Steele County, ND
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-SEVERE 84.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +62.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 3.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 0.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Oliver County ( -0.7 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Steele County sits in the upper national band (84.5%, #86 of 3,079).
- #86
- national by low-access %
- #9
- in ND
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 246
- 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: 84.5% low-access (97th pct) (+62.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Steele County compares nationally
Steele County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 84.5% low-access share outpaces 97% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #86 most-affected nationwide.
Steele County's elevated USDA tier split
1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 1 of Steele County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Steele County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in North Dakota, not a full county-board reprint
- Nelson
Nelson 100%
100 % low-access
- Slope
Slope 95.2%
95.2 % low-access
- Sheridan
Sheridan 90.7%
90.7 % low-access
- Steele
Steele 84.5%
84.5 % low-access
- Oliver
Oliver 83.8%
83.8 % low-access
- LaMoure
LaMoure 74.7%
74.7 % low-access
- Rolette 9.6
Rolette 9.6%
9.6 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 1,975 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,669 |
| Low-Access Share | 84.5%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 246 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,804 |
| Median Household Income | $77,500 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 27 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.3%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 0.7%well below the national average |
Slim SNAP store book in Steele County
Steele County has 2 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 1 store category. Every authorized retailer here is a convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 2 authorized stores; Finley holds 50% of them. None of the towns has a supermarket or large/medium grocery on the SNAP list.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Finley | 1 | none |
| Hope | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 2
- mics grocery llc, hope
- town and country coop finley, finley
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in North Dakota
One of 52 counties in North Dakota, 6 are shown here.
Compare Steele County vs Adams County → · All North Dakota counties →
North Dakota among West North Central states
North Dakota ranks 2nd of 7 West North Central states by population-weighted low-access (28.9%). Steele County, at 84.5%, runs 55.6 pts above the North Dakota rate.
- South Dakota 29.1%
- North Dakota 28.9%
- Minnesota 27.4%
- Kansas 26.4%
- Missouri 24.9%
- Nebraska 21.9%
- Iowa 20.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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, ND are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 38091. 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.