Signature · 48 SNAP-authorized stores
Ward County, ND
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ward 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).
- 24.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.1%
- on SNAP
- 69K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ward County, ND
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 24.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.1 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.1% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 8% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Grand Forks County (+ 0.8 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Ward County ranks #1,355 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #40 of 53 counties in ND (24.2% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,355
- national by low-access %
- #40
- in ND
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- 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: 48 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Ward County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ward County's 24.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,355 most-affected nationwide.
Ward County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
13 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Ward County has 9 urban and 4 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.
Ward County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in North Dakota, not a full county-board reprint
- Nelson
Nelson 100%
100 % low-access
- Stark 26.8
Stark 26.8%
26.8 % low-access
- Grand Forks 25
Grand Forks 25%
25 % low-access
- Ward 24.2
Ward 24.2%
24.2 % low-access
- Mercer 23.4
Mercer 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Adams 22.6
Adams 22.6%
22.6 % low-access
- Rolette 9.6
Rolette 9.6%
9.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 61,675 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,917 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,566 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 68,973 |
| Median Household Income | $78,238 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,025 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Ward County
Ward County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 21
- brake time 241708, minot
- brake time 241709, minot
- brake time 243712, minot
- corner express 34, minot
- holiday 2746431, minot
- karma convenience store k4 k4, minot
- karma convenience stores, surrey
- love's travel stop 849, valley city
- magic city surplus, minot
- makoti enerbase 46, plaza
- maverik 5049, minot
- north 32, minot
- pilot travel center 550, minot
- shalom international market lsc, minot
- simonson station stores - south minot 20, minot
- simonson station-minot 4, minot
- southeast 30, minot
- spfstore 80121, minot
- superpumper 80134, minot
- travel plaza 36, minot
- xpress mart 26, minot
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- cvs pharmacy 8611, minot
- dollar general 19755, burlington
- dollar general 19758, minot
- dollar general 20789, kenmare
- dollar general 21263, minot
- dollar general 22746, minot
- dollar general 24123, minot
- dollar general 24428, minot
- dollar tree 3278, minot
- dollar tree 6312, minot
- family dollar 12435, minot
- family dollar 13747, kenmare
- kenmare jack & jill 1, kenmare
Super Store · 7
- cash wise foods 3043, minot
- marketplace food & drug-north hill, minot
- marketplace foods, minot
- miracle mart, minot
- miracle mart, minot
- target stores t- 0085, minot
- walmart sc 1636, minot
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- charlies country sausage, minot
- the meat company, minot
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza nd002, minot
Farmers' Market · 1
- beagle hill organic farm, minot
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- karma convenience stores llc, minot
Military Commissary · 1
- minot afb commissary 1025, minot afb
Small Grocery Store · 1
- international grocery market, minot
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 Ward County vs Adams County → · All North Dakota counties →
Nationwide peers for Ward County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Ward County, both outside North Dakota so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside ND (24.2% here).
- Guilford County, NC · 24.2% low-access
- Guilford County, NC · 24.2% low-access
- Strafford County, NH · 24.2% low-access
- Strafford County, NH · 24.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ND (7.1% here).
- Berkeley County, SC · 7.1% SNAP
- Berkeley County, SC · 7.1% SNAP
- Platte County, NE · 7.1% SNAP
- Platte County, NE · 7.1% 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, North Dakota in context
Ward County sits inside North Dakota (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 Ward County, ND are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 38101. 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.