County food-access profile · Minnesota
Todd County, MN
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Todd 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).
- 32.4%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 7.3%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.4% of Todd County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 6.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.5%
- 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 Todd County's low-access share at 32.4%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,057 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,834 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 Todd County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Todd County's 32.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #785 most-affected nationwide.
Todd County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Todd County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Todd County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Todd
Todd County, MN
32.4 % 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 | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 24,895 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,057 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,834 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,575 |
| Median Household Income | $67,662 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 743 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 7.3% of Todd County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 743 households here.
- 6.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Todd County
above the national share
4 of Todd County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 8,057 residents, roughly 32.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,834 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Todd County
Todd County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (37% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- casey's general store 1795, long prairie
- casey's general store 3655, browerville
- casey's general store 3740, staples
- cenex of long prairie, long prairie
- don & dave's store, staples
- holiday stationstore 2746055, long prairie
- lakes community coop clarissa store 19, clarissa
- nells floral gift and grocery, bertha
- orton staples holiday 420, staples
- southside mini mart, staples
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 14548, staples
- dollar general 16452, browerville
- dollar general 16930, eagle bend
- dollar general 20772, long prairie
- dollar general store 17518, grey eagle
- family dollar store 7623, long prairie
- family dollar store 7811, staples
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- chavez market, long prairie
- jons family foods, clarissa
- jon family foods, staples
- lunas country foods, browerville
Super Store · 2
- coborn's 2016, long prairie
- ernies food market, staples
Farmers' Market · 1
- staples area farmers market, staples
Large Grocery Store · 1
- cherry grove market, browerville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- konetzko's meat market, browerville
Small Grocery Store · 1
- mi pueblito market, long prairie
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Todd County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Todd 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 Todd County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Todd County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Todd County? ▼
Is Todd County a food desert? ▼
What share of Todd 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.