County food-access profile · Minnesota
Washington County, MN
Washington County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 45.8%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 4.1%
- on SNAP
- 276K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
45.8% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 50 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 35
- low-access tracts
- 15K
- food-desert residents
- 3.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 5.1%
- 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).
Washington County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 45.8% is well above the national share. 35 of the county's 50 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 109,179 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,541 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 Washington County compares nationally
Washington County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.8% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #268 most-affected nationwide.
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 50 census tracts in Washington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Washington County vs. other Minnesota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Minnesota
- Washington
Washington County, MN
45.8 % 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 | 50 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 238,136 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 35 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 109,179 |
| Low-Access Share | 45.8%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,541 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 276,238 |
| Median Household Income | $115,345 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.1%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,312 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.8%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 4.1% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 45.8% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 4.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,312 households here.
- 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Washington County
well above the national share
2 of Washington County's 50 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 4.0% of all its tracts.
A further 33 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 35.
An estimated 109,179 residents, roughly 45.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,541 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 15 tracts (30.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Washington County
Washington County has 117 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 55 locations (47% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 55
- bp gas, stillwater
- cottage grove holiday 3512, cottage grove
- cottage grove holiday 3827, cottage grove
- ebados mini mart 1, newport
- express lane 5511, lake st croix beach
- express lane 5518, saint paul
- federated co-ops inc. - scandia cenex 027, scandia
- forest lake motomart 3304, forest lake
- holiday 2653568 2653568, lake elmo
- holiday sationstore 2746310, lake elmo
- holiday stationstore 2746444, saint paul
- holiday stationstore 2746236, forest lake
- holiday stationstore 2746237, oak park heights
- holiday stationstore 2746352, oakdale
- holiday stationstore 2746374, cottage grove
- holiday stationstore 2746375, bayport
- holiday stationstore 2746442, stillwater
- holiday stationstore 2746443, cottage grove
- holiday stationstore 2746478, lakeland
- holiday stationstore 2746484, hastings
- holiday stationstores 2746253, forest lake
- holiday stationstores 2746311, forest lake
- holiday stationstores 2746585, cottage grove
- hy-vee c-store 1090, cottage grove
- hy-vee gas 5462, oakdale
- kwik trip 407, woodbury
- kwik trip 408, woodbury
- kwik trip 415, stillwater
- kwik trip 429, forest lake
- kwik trip 454, hugo
- kwik trip 1078, lake elmo
- kwik trip 111, oak park heights
- kwik trip 1182, centerville
- kwik trip 248, lake elmo
- kwik trip 869, oakdale
- lake elmo market, lake elmo
- love's travel stop 832, columbus
- neighbor stop 103, stillwater
- oakdale holiday 3513, saint paul
- seasons market holiday 3535, saint paul
- shree pramukh inc, saint paul
- speedway 4184, saint paul park
- speedway 4204, saint paul
- speedway 4215, saint paul
- speedway 4216, saint paul
- speedway 4370, forest lake
- speedway 4459, newport
- speedway 4488, saint paul
- speedway 4518, woodbury
- speedway 4526, saint paul
- speedway 4549, stillwater
- speedway 4713, hugo
- speedway 7036, oak park heights
- to go amoco, stillwater
- woodbury holiday 3828, saint paul
Super Store · 19
- costco wholesale 1272, saint paul
- festival foods, hugo
- hy-vee 1090, cottage grove
- hy-vee 1462, oakdale
- kowalskis oak park heights, oak park heights
- kowalskis woodbury market 5633, woodbury
- river market community co-op, stillwater
- sam's club 6312, woodbury
- target 2406, saint paul
- target store 1244, forest lake
- target store 2135, oakdale
- target store 662, cottage grove
- target store 694, woodbury
- target store 931, stillwater
- walmart 1861, oak park hgts
- walmart supercenter 2274, forest lake
- walmart supercenter 2448, cottage grove
- walmart supercenter 2643, woodbury
- whole foods market 10628, woodbury
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- cvs 7406, woodbury
- cvs pharmacy 1746, woodbury
- dollar tree 3073, woodbury
- dollar tree 3739, oakdale
- dollar tree 4375, stillwater
- dollar tree 4491, woodbury
- dollar tree 4821, cottage grove
- dollar tree 5533, forest lake
- walgreens 02769, saint paul
- walgreens 03122, oakdale
- walgreens 06056, woodbury
- walgreens 06057, cottage grove
- walgreens 06916, oak park heights
- walgreens 07111, forest lake
- walgreens 10188, woodbury
Supermarket · 15
- aldi 72011, woodbury
- aldi 72012, forest lake
- aldi 72145, saint paul
- aldi 72154, lino lakes
- aldi 80073 80073, mahtomedi
- aldi 72008, oak park heights
- aldi 72014, cottage grove
- cub foods 1589, oakdale
- cub foods 1612, stillwater
- cub foods 1613, cottage grove
- cub foods 1634, forest lake
- cub foods woodbury 5517, woodbury
- jerry's foods woodbury 5627, woodbury
- lunds & byerlys 15031, saint paul
- trader joe's 715, woodbury
Bakery Specialty · 5
- papa murphys - cottage grove mn021, cottage grove
- papa murphys - stillwater mn060, stillwater
- papa murphys - woodbury (commerce) mn106, saint paul
- papa murphys - woodbury (currell) mn037, saint paul
- papa murphys mn093, hugo
Large Grocery Store · 4
- brine's market and deli, stillwater
- fresh india, saint paul
- india market, lake elmo
- mike's discount foods, forest lake
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- hogmasters, hugo
- von hansons meats, cottage grove
- von hanson's meats of woodbury, woodbury
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- len's family foods, stillwater
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Minnesota
Compare Washington County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →
Food access nationally, Minnesota in context
Washington 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 Washington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Washington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Washington 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.