County food-access profile · Wyoming
Albany County, WY
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Albany 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).
- 28.8%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 4.1%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.8% of Albany County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 20.9%
- 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 Albany County's low-access share at 28.8%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,445 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,346 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 Albany County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Albany County's 28.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 67% of them and ranked #1,019 most-affected nationwide.
Albany County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Albany County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Albany County vs. other Wyoming counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wyoming
- Albany
Albany County, WY
28.8 % low-access
- Big Horn 18.7
Big Horn County, WY
18.7 % low-access
- Campbell
Campbell County, WY
36.7 % low-access
- Carbon
Carbon County, WY
57.8 % low-access
- Converse 12.2
Converse County, WY
12.2 % low-access
- Crook
Crook County, WY
27 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 36,299 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,445 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.8%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,346 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 38,249 |
| Median Household Income | $61,917 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 694 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.0% |
About 4.1% of Albany County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 4.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 694 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Albany County
above the national share
2 of Albany County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 10,445 residents, roughly 28.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,346 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Albany County
Albany County has 15 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 7 locations (47% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 7
- big d oil 27, laramie
- big d oil 44, laramie
- big d oil 55, laramie
- love's travel stop 723, laramie
- maverik 668, laramie
- petro stopping center 303, laramie
- pilot travel center 308, laramie
Super Store · 2
- ridley's family markets 1131, laramie
- walmart sc 1412, laramie
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's pizza wy008, laramie
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 20839, laramie
Delivery Route · 1
- feeding laramie valley mobile market, laramie
Farmers' Market · 1
- downtown laramie farmer's market, laramie
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- big hollow food cooperative, laramie
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 2466, laramie
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Wyoming
Compare Albany County vs Big Horn County → · All Wyoming counties →
Food access nationally, Wyoming in context
Albany County sits inside Wyoming (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 Albany County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Albany County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Albany County? ▼
Is Albany County a food desert? ▼
What share of Albany 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.