County food-access profile · Colorado
Adams County, CO
Adams County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 17.9%
- low-access pop.
- 17
- food-desert tracts
- 10.3%
- on SNAP
- 530K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.9% of Adams County residents live in a low-access area, and 17 of its 96 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 40
- low-access tracts
- 21K
- food-desert residents
- 4.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.8%
- 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).
Adams County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.9% per the USDA Atlas. 40 of the county's 96 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 79,136 residents who live far from a supermarket. 17 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 20,911 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 Adams County compares nationally
Adams County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.9% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,873).
Adams County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 96 census tracts in Adams County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Adams County vs. other Colorado counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado
- Adams
Adams County, CO
17.9 % low-access
- Alamosa
Alamosa County, CO
27.7 % low-access
- Arapahoe 13.6
Arapahoe County, CO
13.6 % low-access
- Archuleta
Archuleta County, CO
40.9 % low-access
- Baca
Baca County, CO
25.2 % low-access
- Bent 12.4
Bent County, CO
12.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 96 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 441,603 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 40 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 17 |
| Low-Access Population | 79,136 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 20,911 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 530,225 |
| Median Household Income | $94,571 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 19,524 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
About 10.3% of Adams County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 19,524 households here.
- 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 17 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 Adams County
near the national share
17 of Adams County's 96 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 17.7% of all its tracts.
A further 23 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 40.
An estimated 79,136 residents, roughly 17.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 20,911 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 56 tracts (58.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Adams County
Adams County has 296 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 159 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 159
- 7 eleven 35715b, brighton
- 7 eleven 37570a, henderson
- 7 eleven 37731a, denver
- 7 eleven 23206, denver
- 7 eleven 35864a 35864a, henderson
- 7- eleven 39768, aurora
- 7-eleven 13157a, denver
- 7-eleven 15403k, denver
- 7-eleven 23990k, aurora
- 7-eleven 35828a, commerce city
- 7-eleven 37120a, aurora
- 7-eleven 37291a, commerce city
- 7-eleven 39752, denver
- 7-eleven store 13167a, denver
- 7-eleven store 13169a, brighton
- 7-eleven store 18556a, thornton
- 7-eleven store 24856a, denver
- 7-eleven store 26289a, denver
- 7-eleven store 34087a, commerce city
- 7-eleven store 35357j, westminster
- 7-eleven store 38758a 38758a, thornton
- 7-eleven store 39774j, denver
- 7-eleven store 41996h, denver
- 7-eleven, inc. 38083h, westminster
- 7-eleven 13188b, northglenn
- 7-eleven 13204b, aurora
- 7-eleven 25325b, denver
- 7-eleven 27238b, arvada
- 7-eleven 36017a, brighton
- 7-eleven 36464b, commerce city
- 7-eleven 36775a, commerce city
- 7-eleven 37763a, aurora
- 7-eleven 38170a 38170a, commerce city
- 7-eleven 38364a 38364a, aurora
- 7-eleven 39296d, thornton
- 7-eleven store 18576c 18576c, thornton
- 7-eleven store 25823c 25823c, westminster
- 7-eleven store 27022a #27022a, denver
- 7-eleven store 29314b 29314b, northglenn
- 7-eleven store 34333b, aurora
- 7-eleven store 36013b 36013b, henderson
- 7-eleven store 37220b 37220b, thornton
- 7-eleven store 38351b 38351b, commerce city
- 7-eleven store 38725a, northglenn
- 7-eleven store 41581a 41581a, northglenn
- all american gas plus, northglenn
- alta 6105, thornton
- alta 6112, brighton
- alta 6114, denver
- alta 6123, thornton
- american conveinience store 2, northglenn
- american convenience store, thornton
- american gas and convience store, denver
- amraj inc, thornton
- andys market llc, denver
- bestone convenience store, commerce city
- bhumi llc, commerce city
- binayak food & gas, aurora
- bomaretos hilltop grocery market, denver
- carniceria el rancho, brighton
- carniceria santa rosalia n/a, northglenn
- chili guys store, denver
- circle k 2706475, denver
- circle k 2709839, westminster
- circle k 2709844, thornton
- circle k 2709850, denver
- circle k 2709859, northglenn
- circle k 2709862, northglenn
- circle k 2709883, westminster
- circle k 2709889, denver
- circle k 2740623, denver
- circle k 2740648, denver
- circle k 2741116, westminster
- circle k 2741139, denver
- circle k 2741165, commerce city
- circle k 2741183, westminster
- circle k 2744074, commerce city
- circle k 2744095, denver
- circle k 2744101, denver
- circle k 2744144, denver
- conoco 102, aurora
- corner store 2744147, denver
- d&k enterprises inc., denver
- denos country store, thornton
- diamond shamrock corner store 2741115, northglenn
- esmeralda's market, brighton
- fast market 4586, denver
- gn hand market, denver
- gateway convenient store, denver
- haraf food market, henderson
- harts gas and food, llc dba broadway sinclair 80200, denver
- holding tower inc, commerce city
- jenny's market 525, thornton
- joe's food mart inc, commerce city
- kaymart, aurora
- las catrinas market corp, thornton
- love's travel stop 838, brighton
- lowell mart, denver
- maverik 5167, brighton
- maverik 5202, brighton
- maverik 5275, thornton
- maverik 5310, thornton
- maverik 5317, brighton
- maverik 5327, thornton
- maverik 5339, westminster
- maverik 5399, aurora
- maverik 544, thornton
- maverik inc 540, thronton
- maverik, inc 549, aurura
- maverik, inc 691, denver
- maverik, inc 700, denver
- maya, inc. 23829c, commerce city
- murphy express 8587, aurora
- murphy express 8762, brighton
- murphy express 8825, commerce city
- murphy express 8847, westminster
- murphy express 8937, aurora
- murphy express 8945, thornton
- murphy express 8946, brighton
- murphy usa 7921, northglenn
- murphy usa 8641, aurora
- murphy usa 8975, thornton
- murphy usa 7492, thornton
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza co101, denver
- pilot travel center 619, aurora
- quick pick bazaar, aurora
- quiktrip 4203, thornton
- quiktrip 4207, commerce city
- quiktrip 4213, thornton
- quiktrip 4235, aurora
- quiktrip 4244, northglenn
- quiktrip 4251, aurora
- rocket #6491 6491, denver
- rocket #6504 6504, commerce city
- rocket #6515 6515, northglenn
- rocket #6521 6521, northglenn
- rocket #6522 6522, westminster
- rocket #6533 6533, thornton
- rocket #6536 6536, thornton
- rocket #6655 6655, commerce city
- rosemary liquors and food mart, commerce city
- sam's service station, thornton
- sapp brothers services center, commerce city
- shell 101, aurora
- shop n save, commerce city
- stinker store 329, thornton
- stinker store 334, aurora
- stinker store 344, thornton
- ta commerce city 148, commerce city
- top of the hill grocer, thornton
- u save mart, commerce city
- urban indian grocery 1, northglenn
- usa food & gas 1, northglenn
- valero corner store 2741120, brighton
- valero corner store 2741125, brighton
- valero corner store 2744051, aurora
- valero corner store 274669, commerce city
- york laundromat and mart, denver
- z-mart 101, aurora
Combination Grocery/Other · 46
- alice store llc, aurora
- apna bazar farmers market, westminster
- cvs pharmacy 11477, thornton
- dollar general 19558, strasburg
- dollartree 9087, commerce city
- dollartree 9477, westminster
- dollar general 19020, federal heights
- dollar general 19435, arvada
- dollar general 23119, bennett
- dollar general store 13763, commerce city
- dollar tree 3075, thornton
- dollar tree 3144, northglenn
- dollar tree 3499, westminster
- dollar tree 3819, brighton
- dollar tree 3886, commerce city
- dollar tree 4040, thornton
- dollar tree 4424, westminster
- dollar tree 4796, aurora
- dollar tree 4899, denver
- dollar tree 7339, westminster
- dollar tree 7477, brighton
- dollar tree 8627, thornton
- dollartree 8857, commerce city
- el angel meat market, aurora
- family dollar 10671, thornton
- family dollar 12173, thornton
- family dollar 2655, aurora
- family dollar 2656, denver
- family dollar 5457, federal heights
- family dollar 6699, northglenn
- family dollar 7094, brighton
- family dollar 8702, denver
- family dollar 9094, commerce city
- k indian grocery, northglenn
- praise market inc, aurora
- walgreens 03207, denver
- walgreens 04894, thornton
- walgreens 05644, northglenn
- walgreens 05837, thornton
- walgreens 06213, federal heights
- walgreens 06344, brighton
- walgreens 06345, denver
- walgreens 07955, brighton
- walgreens 10739, aurora
- walgreens 12422, commerce city
- walgreens 6552, westminster
Medium Grocery Store · 22
- afghan & indian market #2, thornton
- anaya bakery, aurora
- andre's & lana's market, northglenn
- asian american market, aurora
- carneceria premium, brighton
- carniceria la suprema, denver
- carniceria mexicana, aurora
- carniceria mi raza, denver
- carniceria y abarrotes chihuas llc, brighton
- carniceria y taqueria el tarazco, denver
- carniceria y taqueria la pasadita, arvada
- el mercadito de tixca inc, commerce city
- european market of northglenn, northglenn
- lao market, westminster
- lulu's farm, brighton
- makalu, aurora
- makola african market, aurora
- mercado azteca, aurora
- overseas oriental market inc, westminster
- tay do asian grocery, westminster
- urban indian grocery, northglenn
- victoria's market, aurora
Small Grocery Store · 8
- anita meat market 1, thornton
- global village african market, aurora
- harar market, aurora
- huron convenience store, thornton
- la buena vida panaderia, denver
- la poblanita, denver
- soori's market 1, denver
- spice bazaar, denver
Super Store · 7
- costco wholesale 0629, thornton
- g mart westminster corp., westminster
- king soopers 101, thornton
- king soopers 112, bennett
- king soopers 114, commerce city
- king soopers 116, thornton
- king soopers 136, brighton
Bakery Specialty · 6
- bimbo bakeries 9170, commerce city
- el paisa bakery, aurora
- papa murphy's co 116, brighton
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza 105, thornton
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 030, thornton
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co109, commerce city
Large Grocery Store · 1
- carniceria del norte, thornton
Military Commissary · 1
- buckley sfb commissary 908, aurora
Showing 250 of 296 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Colorado
Compare Adams County vs Alamosa County → · All Colorado counties →
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Adams County sits inside Colorado (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 Adams County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Adams County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Adams County? ▼
Is Adams County a food desert? ▼
What share of Adams 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.