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 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 #156 most-affected nationwide.
Apache County's elevated USDA tier split
16 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 10 LILA.
Apache County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (15 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Apache County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Arizona, not a full county-board reprint
- Apache
Apache 54.7%
54.7 % low-access
- La Paz
La Paz 53.4%
53.4 % low-access
- Mohave
Mohave 45.9%
45.9 % low-access
- Pinal
Pinal 45.7%
45.7 % low-access
- Navajo
Navajo 44.5%
44.5 % low-access
- Maricopa 20.8
Maricopa 20.8%
20.8 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 71,518 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 13 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 39,133 |
| Low-Access Share | 54.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 25,275 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 65,341 |
| Median Household Income | $41,438 |
| Poverty Rate | 30.5%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,428 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 30.5%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 11.5%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
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.
Where the store book sits, by town
26 towns share the 52 authorized stores; Chinle holds 10% of them. 17 of the 26 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Many Farms, Fort Defiance, Rock Point, St Michaels, Teec Nos Pos, Alpine and 11 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Chinle | 5 | 1 |
| Eagar | 4 | 1 |
| Springerville | 4 | 1 |
| Ganado | 3 | 1 |
| Many Farms | 3 | none |
| Sanders | 3 | 1 |
| Saint Johns | 3 | 1 |
| Window Rock | 3 | 2 |
| Concho | 2 | 1 |
| Fort Defiance | 2 | none |
Top 10 of 26 towns by store count.
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.
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).
- McKinley County, NM · 54.7% low-access
- Plaquemines Parish, LA · 54.9% low-access
- Nodaway County, MO · 54.3% low-access
- Douglas County, WA · 55.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside AZ (30.5% here).
- Sumter County, AL · 30.5% SNAP
- Jackson County, KY · 30.6% SNAP
- St. Helena Parish, LA · 30.7% SNAP
- Pemiscot County, MO · 30.7% 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.
Arizona among Mountain states
Arizona ranks 3rd of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (26.8%). Apache County, at 54.7%, runs 27.9 pts above the Arizona 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 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.