Signature · 3.3% low-access (7th pct)

Watonwan County, MN

Watonwan County lands in the lower national band on low-access (3.3%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.

3.3%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
9.4%
on SNAP
11K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MN

USDA FARA access plate

County Watonwan County, MN

LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-CLEAR

  • LA-ADEQUATE 3.3% low-access
  • BELOW-NATIONAL -18.8 pts vs US
  • LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-LIGHT 9.4% SNAP
  • VEH-TYPICAL 7.9% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Sibley County (+ 0.0 pts)

Lower-band low-access

Watonwan County lands in the lower national band (3.3%, #2,902 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.

#2,902
national by low-access %
#86
in MN
0
low-access tracts
123
food-desert residents

Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.

Signature read: 3.3% low-access (7th pct) (-18.8 pts vs U.S. low-access).

How Watonwan County compares nationally

Food access in Watonwan County compares favorably nationally: its 3.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 7% of them (rank #2,902).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Watonwan County's lower-band USDA tier split

3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .

Food access tier distribution for Watonwan County, MN USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 3 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (100.0%) Adequate 100% Limited 0% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Watonwan County, MN
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Watonwan County has 1 urban and 2 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.

Watonwan County vs nearby low low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Minnesota, not a full county-board reprint

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

FARA 2019 · lower low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Watonwan County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts3
Atlas Population (2010 basis)11,211
Low-Access Tracts0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population375
Low-Access Share3.3%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population123

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Watonwan County
IndicatorValue
Population11,205
Median Household Income$71,699
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households399
SNAP Participation Rate9.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.9%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.4%

SNAP retailers in Watonwan County

Watonwan County has 16 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 6

  • butterfield hardware, butterfield
  • casey's 3290, madelia
  • casey's general store 1849, saint james
  • casey's general store 2996, butterfield
  • casey's general store 3000, saint james
  • casey's general store 3002, saint james

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 10593, madelia
  • dollar general 23067, st. james
  • family dollar 7965, saint james
  • fiesta market, madelia
  • latinos oreo llc 2, saint james

Supermarket · 2

  • superfair foods, saint james
  • sunshine foods 7010, madelia

Farmers' Market · 1

  • the st. james farmers market, saint james

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • johnson's meat market, saint james

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • la salle meats, la salle

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 Watonwan County vs Aitkin County → · All Minnesota counties →

Counties near Watonwan County's lower low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Watonwan 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 (3.3% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside MN (9.4% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Watonwan County inside a lower low-access state context

Watonwan 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 Watonwan County, MN are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 27165. 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.