PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · North Dakota

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 2019 Census ACS 2024 ND

The food-access picture

24.2% of Ward County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
8.6%
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 Ward County's low-access share at 24.2%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 14,917 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,566 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 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.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Ward County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Ward County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Ward County, ND USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (53.8%) 5 tracts limited (38.5%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 54% Limited 38% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Ward County, ND
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Ward County vs. other North Dakota counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Dakota

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Ward County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)61,675
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population14,917
Low-Access Share24.2%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,566

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Ward County
IndicatorValue
Population68,973
Median Household Income$78,238
Poverty Rate8.6%below the national average
SNAP Households2,025
SNAP Participation Rate7.1%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.8%
SNAP participation in Ward County 7.1%

About 7.1% of Ward County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,025 households here.
  • 4.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Ward County

above the national share

1 of Ward County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 14,917 residents, roughly 24.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,566 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (53.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 retailers.

Other Counties in North Dakota

Adams County
22.6% low-access · 12.6% SNAP
Barnes County
30.2% low-access · 6.3% SNAP
Benson County
42.7% low-access · 20.5% SNAP
Billings County
100.0% low-access
Bottineau County
45.4% low-access · 5.2% SNAP
Bowman County
29.8% low-access · 5.1% SNAP

Compare Ward County vs Adams County → · All North Dakota counties →

Food access nationally, North Dakota in context

Ward County sits inside North Dakota (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Ward County has low food access? ▼
24.2% of residents in Ward County, ND live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ward County? ▼
7.1% of households in Ward County receive SNAP, covering 2,025 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Ward County? ▼
The poverty rate in Ward County, ND is 8.6%, with a median household income of $78,238 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Ward County a food desert? ▼
1 of Ward County's 13 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Ward County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Ward County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.