Signature · 2 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Alamosa County, CO
Alamosa County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 27.7% low-access.
- 27.7%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 28.6%
- on SNAP
- 17K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Alamosa County, CO
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 27.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +5.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 28.6% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Jackson County ( -0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Alamosa County ranks #1,096 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #20 of 63 counties in CO (27.7% low-access; 2 food-desert tracts).
- #1,096
- national by low-access %
- #20
- in CO
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Alamosa County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Alamosa County's 27.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,096 most-affected nationwide.
Alamosa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
4 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Alamosa County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (2 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Alamosa County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Colorado, not a full county-board reprint
- Kiowa
Kiowa 100%
100 % low-access
- El Paso 28.5
El Paso 28.5%
28.5 % low-access
- Alamosa 27.7
Alamosa 27.7%
27.7 % low-access
- Jackson 27.4
Jackson 27.4%
27.4 % low-access
- Douglas 27.3
Douglas 27.3%
27.3 % low-access
- Elbert 26.5
Elbert 26.5%
26.5 % low-access
- Gilpin 0
Gilpin 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 4 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 15,445 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,278 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,942 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 16,581 |
| Median Household Income | $55,397 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,900 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 28.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.7% |
SNAP retailers in Alamosa County
Alamosa County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (30% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
All 20 authorized stores are in Alamosa, 4 of them grocery-grade (supermarket or large/medium grocery).
Convenience Store · 6
- alta 3301, alamosa
- alta 3501, alamosa
- alta 5601, alamosa
- alta 5725, alamosa
- loaf n jug 750010, alamosa
- maverik, inc 679, alamosa
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 22449, alamosa
- dollar tree 3556, alamosa
- family dollar 4599, alamosa
- tienda de juanita llc, alamosa
- walgreens 09912, alamosa
Farmers' Market · 3
- alamosa farmers market, alamosa
- alamosa farmers market n/a, alamosa
- rio grande farm park farm stand, alamosa
Super Store · 2
- city market 422, alamosa
- walmart sc 869, alamosa
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's ( co135) co135, alamosa
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- valley meat and food llc, alamosa
Small Grocery Store · 1
- slv apothecary, alamosa
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 1681, alamosa
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Colorado
One of 63 counties in Colorado, 6 are shown here.
Compare Alamosa County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Nationwide peers for Alamosa County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Alamosa County, both outside Colorado so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside CO (27.7% here).
- Montgomery County, AL · 27.7% low-access
- Sedgwick County, KS · 27.7% low-access
- Hardin County, KY · 27.7% low-access
- Webster County, KY · 27.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside CO (28.6% here).
- Hamilton County, FL · 28.6% SNAP
- Perry County, KY · 28.6% SNAP
- Richmond County, NC · 28.6% SNAP
- Imperial County, CA · 28.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Colorado among Mountain states
Colorado ranks 8th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (21.5%). Alamosa County, at 27.7%, runs 6.2 pts above the Colorado rate.
- New Mexico 31.7%
- Wyoming 29.7%
- Arizona 26.8%
- Idaho 25.8%
- Utah 23.9%
- Nevada 23.0%
- Montana 22.3%
- Colorado 21.5%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Alamosa County, CO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 08003. 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.