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Signature · 30.5% SNAP (100th pct in AZ)

Apache County, AZ

Apache County stands out on SNAP (30.5%, +18.4 pts vs U.S.) with 54.7% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.

54.7%
low-access pop.
10
food-desert tracts
30.5%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AZ

USDA FARA access plate

County Apache County, AZ

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-SEVERE 54.7% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +32.6 pts vs US
  • LILA-CLUSTER 10 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 30.5% SNAP
  • VEH-GAP 11.5% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 63% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: La Paz County ( -1.3 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Apache County sits in the upper national band (54.7%, #156 of 3,079) with 10 LILA tracts.

#156
national by low-access %
#1
in AZ
13
low-access tracts
25K
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 30.5% SNAP (100th pct in AZ) (+18.4 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .

How Apache County compares nationally

Apache County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 54.7% low-access share outpaces 95% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #158 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Apache County's elevated USDA tier split

16 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 10 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Apache County, AZ USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 10 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (18.8%) 3 tracts limited (18.8%) 10 tracts severe / food desert (62.5%) Adequate 19% Limited 19% Severe 63% Food-access tier distribution: Apache County, AZ
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Apache County has 1 urban and 15 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Apache County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Arizona, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Apache County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)71,518
Low-Access Tracts13
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)10
Low-Access Population39,133
Low-Access Share54.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population25,275

ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Apache County
IndicatorValue
Population65,341
Median Household Income$41,438
Poverty Rate30.5%well above the national average
SNAP Households6,428
SNAP Participation Rate30.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.5%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.3%

Thick SNAP store book in Apache County

Apache County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 31

  • circle k 2700549, eagar
  • circle k 2700663, st johns
  • circle k 2701383, springerville
  • good 2 go lupton 567, lupton
  • klagetoh express 512, klagetoh
  • many farms 7-2-11 food store 24, many farms
  • maverik, inc 764, saint johns
  • mexican water trading post 509, mexican water
  • naatsedlozii one stop, window rock
  • navajo travel center, navajo
  • pic-n-run #2, chinle
  • red mesa express 533, ft. defiance
  • red mesa trading company 508, lwr.greasewood
  • red mesa trading post 501, teec nos pos
  • red rock trading post 524, red valley
  • sawmill express 527, fort defiance
  • short stop 0513, eagar
  • speedway 2523, rock point
  • speedway 2523, rock point
  • speedway 2524, many farms
  • speedway 2524, many farms
  • speedway 2880, fort defiance
  • speedway 3000, sanders
  • speedway 3005, ganado
  • speedway 3006, lukachukai
  • speedway 3007, chinle
  • speedway 3008, chinle
  • speedway 3008, chinle
  • speedway 3011, st michaels
  • steamboat trading post 502, ganado
  • tsaile fina, tsaile

Combination Grocery/Other · 8

  • dollar general 10201, saint johns
  • dollar general 17515, concho
  • dollar general 20365, sanders
  • dollar general 23261, springerville
  • dollar general 5884, eagar
  • dollar tree 8058, springerville
  • family dollar 12015, concho lake
  • family dollar 12091, st michaels

Super Store · 5

  • bashas 34, sanders
  • bashas' 121, eagar
  • bashas' dine market 33, chinle
  • bashas' dine market 35, window rock
  • lowes 24, window rock

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • alpine country store, alpine
  • dennehotso market, dennehotso
  • teec nos pos t.p., teec nos pos

Supermarket · 3

  • lowe's shop-n-save 22, ganado
  • safeway 2076, springerville
  • st johns hometown iga, saint johns

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • jiffy store n/a, concho
  • totsoh trading post, lukachukai

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Arizona

One of 14 counties in Arizona, 6 are shown here.

Cochise County
43.9% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Coconino County
32.5% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Gila County
28.2% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Graham County
39.6% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Greenlee County
32.9% low-access · 5.7% SNAP
La Paz County
53.4% low-access · 11.6% SNAP

Compare Apache County vs Cochise County → · All Arizona counties →

Counties near Apache County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

SNAP-led peer set first for Apache County (30.5%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Arizona.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside AZ (54.7% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside AZ (30.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Apache County inside a higher low-access state context

Apache County sits inside Arizona (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

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 Apache County, AZ are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 04001. 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.