County food-access profile · North Dakota
Williams County, ND
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Williams 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).
- 30.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 6.0%
- on SNAP
- 40K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.6% of Williams County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 6.6%
- 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 Williams County's low-access share at 30.6%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 7 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 6,855 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Williams County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Williams County's 30.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #901 most-affected nationwide.
Williams County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Williams County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Williams County vs. other North Dakota counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in North Dakota
- Williams 30.6
Williams County, ND
30.6 % low-access
- Adams 22.6
Adams County, ND
22.6 % low-access
- Barnes 30.2
Barnes County, ND
30.2 % low-access
- Benson
Benson County, ND
42.7 % low-access
- Billings
Billings County, ND
100 % low-access
- Bottineau
Bottineau County, ND
45.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 22,398 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,855 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,133 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 39,555 |
| Median Household Income | $85,595 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 902 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.0%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 6.0% of Williams County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 902 households here.
- 6.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $85,595 with a 8.6% poverty rate.
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 Williams County
above the national share
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 6,855 residents, roughly 30.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,133 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 3 tracts (42.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Williams County
Williams County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- holiday stationstore 2746446, williston
- holiday stationstore 2746433, williston
- loves travel stop 474, willison
- maverik 5005, williston
- maverik 5006, williston
- maverik 5024, tioga
- safari fuels 101, williston
- safari fuels 102, williston
- simonson station - williston 6, williston
- ta express williston, williston
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 22280, tioga
- dollar general 22780, williston
- dollar general 24596, williston
- dollar general 30342, williston
- dollar general 30858, williston
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- f & a international grocery store, williston
- ray jack & jill 2, ray
- walt's market, williston
Super Store · 3
- cash wise foods 3046, williston
- cash wise foods 3048, tioga
- walmart sc 1565, williston
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza nd012, williston
Supermarket · 1
- albertsons 0028, williston
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in North Dakota
Compare Williams County vs Adams County → · All North Dakota counties →
Food access nationally, North Dakota in context
Williams County sits inside North Dakota (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 Williams County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Williams County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Williams County? ▼
Is Williams County a food desert? ▼
What share of Williams 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.