Signature · 3 LILA tracts (60% of tracts)
Waseca County, MN
Waseca County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (60% of the book) alongside 40.6% low-access.
- 40.6%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 8.8%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Waseca County, MN
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 40.6% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +18.5 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 60% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Lyon County ( -0.5 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Waseca County sits in the upper national band (40.6%, #378 of 3,079) with 3 LILA tracts.
- #378
- national by low-access %
- #8
- in MN
- 3
- 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: 3 LILA tracts (60% of tracts) .
How Waseca County compares nationally
Waseca County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.6% low-access share outpaces 88% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #378 most-affected nationwide.
Waseca County's elevated USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Waseca County has 2 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.
Waseca 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
- Lake of the W…
Lake of the W… 41.2%
41.2 % low-access
- Waseca
Waseca 40.6%
40.6 % low-access
- Lyon
Lyon 40.1%
40.1 % low-access
- Koochiching
Koochiching 39.9%
39.9 % low-access
- Kandiyohi
Kandiyohi 39.8%
39.8 % low-access
- Fillmore 2.7
Fillmore 2.7%
2.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 19,136 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,768 |
| Low-Access Share | 40.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,429 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,885 |
| Median Household Income | $76,261 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 658 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.3% |
SNAP retailers in Waseca County
Waseca County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 8 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 8
- by the way 1, waseca
- casey's 3832, janesville
- casey's general store 2436, waseca
- casey's general store 3574, new richland
- kwik trip 442, waseca
- kwik trip 1034, waseca
- snak atak # 41, waseca
- the market, madison lake
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar general 20492, janesville
- dollar tree 5635, waseca
- family dollar 16420, new richland
- sportsman spots, waseca
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- waseca morgans meat market, waseca
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- wagner foods, new richland
Super Store · 1
- walmart 1038, waseca
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 Waseca County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Counties near Waseca County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Waseca 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 (40.6% here).
- Rapides Parish, LA · 40.6% low-access
- Rapides Parish, LA · 40.6% low-access
- Nottoway County, VA · 40.6% low-access
- Nottoway County, VA · 40.6% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (8.8% here).
- Linn County, MO · 8.8% SNAP
- Linn County, MO · 8.8% SNAP
- Union County, NJ · 8.8% SNAP
- Union County, NJ · 8.8% 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.
Waseca County inside a higher low-access state context
Waseca 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 Waseca County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27161. 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.