This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu.Minnesota Department of Health, Community Transformation Grant, Centers for Disease Control and Preventio

DeBlieck, Susan

University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy

 
 
 
 
HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS 
Central Minnesota Food Access Profile 
Introduction 
The Food Access Profile for Central Minnesota was conducted in December 2012 and was updated 
in March 2013. Similar datasets were compiled for five other regions in Minnesota by University of 
Minnesota Extension Educators as part of the statewide Community Transformation initiative for 
Healthy Eating. For more information on the Food Access Profiles and for the other regions’ 
profiles, visit our website at z.umn.edu/rfap. 
 
For more information, including school and district-level data and copies of the Food Access 
Profile, contact Extension Educator Laura Perdue (perdu001@umn.edu, 320-203-6105). 
Data Overview 
Data were collected at the county level. Data sources are outlined in “Introduction to Regional 
Food Access Profiles,” available at z.umn.edu/rfap. Definitions and explanations of individual 
variables are provided in this document. When available or calculable, state and regional totals or 
averages are included in each table. 
Data are color-coded to provide a visual representation of the variation in food access across the 
region. This was done by dividing the 14 counties into 5 groups: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Updated March 2013, revised August 2013. The Food Access Profile for Central Minnesota is 
supported by the Statewide Health Improvement Program, Minnesota Department of Health, and 
University of Minnesota Extension, and made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.  
Group 1: The 2 highest values 
Group 2: The next 3 highest values 
Group 3: The next 3 highest values 
Group 4: The next 3 highest values 
Group 5: The 3 lowest values 
 
 1. Socio-Demographic Data for Counties in Central Minnesota (2010) 
 
County Population 
Population 
Density 
(people/sq 
mile) 
% 
White 
% Black/ 
African-
American 
% 
American 
Indian 
% Asian/ 
Pacific 
Islander 
% Two 
or More 
Races 
% 
Hispanic
/ Latino 
% 
Foreign 
Born 
Benton 38,451 94.2 94.5 1.9 0.4 1.1 1.6 1.6 1.6 
Cass 28,567 14.1 85.9 0.2 11.2 0.3 2.2 1.2 1.1 
Chisago 53,887 129.9 95.8 1.2 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.6 
Crow Wing 62,500 62.6 96.6 0.5 0.8 0.4 1.5 1.0 1.1 
Isanti 37,816 86.8 96.0 0.6 0.5 0.9 1.6 1.5 1.4 
Kanabec 16,239 31.1 97.0 0.3 0.6 0.3 1.5 1.3 0.8 
Mille Lacs 26,097 45.6 91.1 0.4 6.0 0.3 1.9 1.4 1.4 
Morrison 33,198 29.5 97.7 0.4 0.2 0.3 1.1 1.2 1.0 
Pine 29,750 21.1 91.9 2.0 3.1 0.5 1.9 2.4 1.5 
Sherburne 88,499 204.4 94.0 1.9 0.5 1.3 1.7 2.2 2.5 
Stearns 150,642 112.2 91.8 3.1 0.3 2.0 1.6 2.8 3.9 
Todd 24,895 26.3 95.3 0.4 0.3 0.6 1.3 5.2 3.4 
Wadena 13,843 25.8 96.7 0.8 0.5 0.3 1.5 1.3 1.0 
Wright 124,700 188.5 95.0 1.1 0.3 1.2 1.5 2.4 2.7 
Central 
Region 
729,084 61.6 94.0% 1.5% 1.2% 1.1% 1.6% 2.1% 2.3% 
Minnesota 5,303,925 66.6 86.9% 5.4% 1.3% 4.3% 2.2% 4.9% 7.1% 
 
  
 2. Socio-Economic Data for Counties in Central Minnesota 
 
County 
Median 
Household 
Income  
(2007-2011) 
% 
Unemployed 
 (2006 – 
2010) 
% 
Poverty 
(2010) 
% 
Children 
in Poverty 
(2010) 
Average 
Household 
Size 
(2011) 
% High 
School 
Graduates, 
age 25+ 
(2007-
2011) 
% Bachelors 
or Higher, 
age 25+ 
(2007-2011) 
% Female-
Headed 
Households 
(2011) 
Benton $ 50,848 6.5 11.8 12.7 2.5 90.0 19.6 16 
Cass $ 42,445 5.4 13.1 27.0 2.5 89.6 20.2 13 
Chisago $ 64,726 4.7 7.1 9.4 2.6 91.0 17.0 11 
Crow Wing $ 44,659 5.2 11.5 17.7 2.2 91.3 22.0 13 
Isanti $ 57,260 6.2 8.9 11.9 2.6 90.8 16.0 11 
Kanabec $ 45,672 7.2 12.5 20.4 2.5 87.1 13.9 11 
Mille Lacs $ 45,273 6.8 12.4 18.3 2.3 87.7 14.8 15 
Morrison $ 47,085 5.6 13.1 18.4 2.3 86.6 14.5 13 
Pine $ 43,938 5.8 14 21.7 2.4 85.9 12.9 14 
Sherburne $ 71,704 5.3 7.3 8.4 2.8 93.0 24.2 10 
Stearns $ 51,779 4.8 12.9 13.0 2.4 89.9 23.6 11 
Todd $ 42,927 4.8 14.9 25.3 2.4 85.8 12.2 8 
Wadena $ 34,686 3.7 16.8 24.1 2.2 87.7 14.8 15 
Wright $ 28,454 4.8 5.5 7.2 2.6 93.0 23.8 11 
Central 
Region 
  10.3%      
Minnesota $ 58,476 
4.9% (07-
11) 
11.8% 
(2011) 
15.3% 
(2011) 
2.5  91.6% 31.8%  
 
Notes and definitions 
For more information on how poverty rates are calculated and defined (including poverty 
thresholds), see http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/measure.html 
Female-Headed Households are family households with a female householder and no husband 
present. 
  
 3. Chronic Disease Data for Counties in Central Minnesota (2009) 
 
  
% of Adults 
w/ Diabetes 
(2009) 
% Adult 
Obesity 
(2009) 
% Low-
income 
Preschool 
Obesity 
(2006-2008) 
Heart Disease 
Mortality Rate, 
age 35+, per 
100,000  
(2007-2009) 
Heart Disease 
Hospitalization 
Rate, 65+, per 
1,000 Beneficiaries 
(2005-07) 
Benton 8.4 27.3 13.0 359.6 75.4 
Cass 6.8 27.5 15.7 303.4 71.5 
Chisago 7.9 26.7 10.0 274.3 89.6 
Crow Wing 6.4 24.8 8.0 276.4 81.1 
Isanti 7.6 28.6 11.1 239.5 110.0 
Kanabec 7.4 28.2 10.1 276.2 67.7 
Mille Lacs 7.1 26.5 13.5 279.7 85.4 
Morrison 6.8 28.3 9.0 312.9 51.0 
Pine 7.0 27.1 9.3 290.5 63.9 
Sherburne 7.9 30.4 8.6 282.2 79.7 
Stearns 7.6 28.4 9.6 223.3 60.7 
Todd 7.4 30.0 11.8 243.1 47.7 
Wadena 7.8 30.7 11.6 324.4 47.9 
Wright 6.2 24.4 9.9 234.9 75.2 
Minnesota 6.1% 
(2011) 
25.7% 
(2011) 
 245.0 48.2 
(2007-09) 
 
Notes and definitions 
Adults are defined in this data as ≥ 20 years old 
Obesity: An adult who has a body mass index of 30 or higher is considered obese 
Diabetes and Obesity rates are age-adjusted percentages. According to the data source, “The age-
adjusted percentage is an artificial estimate that minimizes the effects of different age 
distributions and allows comparisons between different populations. It represents what the crude 
percentage would have been in the study population if that population had the same age 
distribution as a standard population. For example, that is a population in which the age 
composition is known precisely as a result of a census.” 
Low-Income Preschool Obesity: “Prevalence of obesity among children 2-4 years of age in 
households with income up to 200% of the poverty threshold based on family size. For children 2-
4 years of age, obesity is defined as BMI-for-age > 95th percentile based on the 2000 Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) sex-specific growth charts.” 
  
 4. Food Access Data for Counties in Central Minnesota (2006) 
 
 
% Low Income & 
>1 Mile to Store 
% Low Income 
& >10 Miles to 
Store 
% Households 
with No Car & 
>1 Mile to Store 
% Households 
with No Car & 
>10 Miles to 
Store 
Benton 12.4 0.8 3.5 0.1 
Cass 29.4 3.9 3.9 0.4 
Chisago 11.2 0.0 1.9 0.0 
Crow Wing 20.1 1.5 4.0 0.2 
Isanti 23.7 4.6 3.9 0.5 
Kanabec 22.4 2.6 2.6 0.3 
Mille Lacs 20.5 1.3 3.2 0.3 
Morrison 23.1 7.2 3.3 1.0 
Pine 24.1 6.6 3.7 1.0 
Sherburne 10.6 0.0 2.0 0.0 
Stearns 12.4 0.9 1.9 0.2 
Todd 29.6 11.2 4.2 1.6 
Wadena 27.8 12.6 4.0 2.1 
Wright 10.0 0.0 1.8 0.0 
 
Notes and definitions 
Low Access to Stores: “Number of people in a county living more than 1 mile from a supermarket 
or large grocery store if in an urban area, or more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large 
grocery store if in a rural area.... Stores met the definition of a supermarket or large grocery store 
if they reported at least $2 million in annual sales and contained all the major food departments 
found in a traditional supermarket, including fresh meat and poultry, dairy, dry and packaged 
foods, and frozen foods.”  
Low Income: Up to 200% of the poverty threshold based on family size 
No Car & Low Access to Stores: Percent of housing units in a county without a car and more than 1 
mile from a supermarket or large grocery store.  
  
 5. Food Security and Assistance for Counties in Central Minnesota 
 
  
% Food Insecurity  
(2010) 
% Child Food 
Insecurity  
(2010) 
SNAP Participation 
(% of population) 
(2010) 
% Students Eligible 
for Free or 
Reduced Lunch 
(2009) 
Benton 11.1 17.2 9 34.7 
Cass 13.4 20.9 16 63.0 
Chisago 10.7 16.5 5 26.0 
Crow Wing 11.8 17.9 10 42.4 
Isanti 11.0 17.1 8 36.5 
Kanabec 14.0 21.3 12 39.3 
Mille Lacs 13.9 20.6 9 38.7 
Morrison 12.4 18.9 8 44.7 
Pine 13.3 20.8 13 47.9 
Sherburne 10.0 15.1 5 26.2 
Stearns 10.9 15.6 8 34.7 
Todd 11.6 19.8 9 58.9 
Wadena 13.8 20.1 14 58.1 
Wright 9.4 14.3 5 22.8 
Minnesota 11.5% 
 
9.5% (2011)  
 
Notes and definitions 
Food Insecurity: “Food-insecure households were unable, at times during the year, to provide 
adequate food for one or more household members because the household lacked money and 
other resources for food. For most food-insecure households, inadequacy was in quality and 
variety of foods; for about a third, amounts were also inadequate.”  
 6. Activity and Fitness for Counties in Central Minnesota 
 
 
% Adults Not 
Meeting Activity 
Guidelines (2009) 
% Physically 
Inactive Adults 
(Age-Adjusted) 
Recreation & 
Fitness Facilities 
(per 10,000 
people) 
ERS Natural 
Amenity Index 
(1999) 
Benton 21.1 21.6 0.8 2 
Cass 22.5 21.0 0.0 2 
Chisago 18.9 18.8 1.1 2 
Crow Wing 18.6 17.3 1.1 3 
Isanti 18.7 18.7 1.9 2 
Kanabec 22.4 21.3 1.2 2 
Mille Lacs 23.8 22.6 1.1 3 
Morrison 21.7 20.6 1.2 2 
Pine 20.6 19.7 0.7 2 
Sherburne 21.7 22.4 1.0 2 
Stearns 19.3 19.0 1.7 2 
Todd 27.5 25.8 1.2 2 
Wadena 23.8 21.7 0.7 2 
Wright 17.6 17.9 1.1 2 
 
Notes and definitions 
Activity Guidelines: “At least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, or 75 minutes of 
vigorous activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous physical 
activity.” 
Physically Inactive: “A person is considered physically inactive if during the past month, other 
than a regular job, he or she did not participate in any physical activities or exercises such as 
running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise.” 
Recreation & Fitness Facilities: “Establishments primarily engaged in operating fitness and 
recreational sports facilities featuring exercise and other active physical fitness conditioning or 
recreational sports activities, such as swimming, skating, or racquet sports.” 
ERS Natural Amenity Index: “Index of natural amenities constructed by USDA’s Economic Research 
Service, ranging from 1 to 6, where 1=lowest amenity score and 6=highest amenity score. It is 
based on the premise that people are drawn to areas with varied topography; lakes, ponds, or 
oceanfront; warm, sunny winters; and temperate, low-humidity summers. The index measures a 
county’s natural amenities score as a standard deviation from the all-county mean value.” 
  
 
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Central Minnesota Food Access Profile

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