Signature · 5.9% SNAP (19th pct in CO)
Boulder County, CO
Boulder 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.
- 17.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 5.9%
- on SNAP
- 329K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Boulder County, CO
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 17.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -5.0 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 5.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.2% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 1% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Garfield County (+ 0.5 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Boulder County ranks #1,934 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #39 of 63 counties in CO (17.1% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,934
- national by low-access %
- #39
- in CO
- 20
- low-access tracts
- 8K
- 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: 5.9% SNAP (19th pct in CO) (-6.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Boulder County compares nationally
Boulder County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.1% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,937).
Boulder County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
68 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Boulder County has 59 urban and 9 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.
Boulder County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Colorado, not a full county-board reprint
- Kiowa
Kiowa 100%
100 % low-access
- Adams 17.9
Adams 17.9%
17.9 % low-access
- Teller 17.7
Teller 17.7%
17.7 % low-access
- Garfield 17.6
Garfield 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Rio Grande 17.6
Rio Grande 17.6%
17.6 % low-access
- Boulder 17.1
Boulder 17.1%
17.1 % low-access
- Gilpin 0
Gilpin 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 68 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 294,567 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 20 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 50,451 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,671 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 328,961 |
| Median Household Income | $103,994 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,034 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 5.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Boulder County
Boulder County has 147 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 12 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 57 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 57
- 7 eleven 22596c, longmont
- 7 eleven 34168b, erie
- 7 eleven store # 41867a 41867a, erie
- 7-eleven 32673j, lafayette
- 7-eleven 38638a, frederick
- 7-eleven 39641, boulder
- 7-eleven 39738, lafayette
- 7-eleven 25476a, longmont
- 7-eleven store 13164b 13164b, boulder
- 7-eleven store 13184c 13184c, longmont
- 7-eleven store 35345c 35345c, longmont
- 7-eleven, inc. store 41348b, louisville
- alta 6129, longmont
- boulder convenience inc, boulder
- boulder gas, boulder
- boulder gs llc, boulder
- carniceria guanajuato, longmont
- circle k 2703292, longmont
- circle k 2709846, longmont
- circle k 2709851, boulder
- circle k 2709858, lafayette
- circle k 2709861, boulder
- circle k 2709865, boulder
- circle k 2709866, boulder
- circle k 2709891, longmont
- circle k 2740635, lyons
- circle k 2740650, longmont
- circle k 2740688, longmont
- circle k 2741110, boulder
- circle k 2741147, longmont
- circle k 2744057, boulder
- circle k 2744058, boulder
- dulceria el bom bon 453998, longmont
- ferncliff food & fuel, allenspark
- gpm 4622, longmont
- hersheys market, boulder
- jenny's market 534, longmont
- k b gas and food, nederland
- lafayette mini stop, lafayette
- loaf n jug 750095, longmont
- mediterranean market, boulder
- mt everest inc, lafayette
- murphy express 8723, lafayette
- murphy express 8771, longmont
- murphy express 8813, lafayette
- murphy usa 8635, louisville
- new boulder gas, boulder
- niwot conoco, niwot
- pump & go lafayette, lafayette
- rocket #6503 6503, longmont
- rocket #6505 6505, boulder
- rocket #6510 6510, boulder
- rocket #6529 6529, superior
- rocket 6526, superior
- samu llc, louisville
- stinker store 328, longmont
- sunset fast stop, longmont
Combination Grocery/Other · 21
- dollartree 9334, louisville
- dollar tree 3768, longmont
- dollar tree 4357, longmont
- dollar tree 4479, lafayette
- dollar tree 6028, longmont
- dollar tree 7518, boulder
- family dollar 5617, longmont
- lucky's market, boulder
- niwot market, longmont
- walgreens 06111, lafayette
- walgreens 07927, longmont
- walgreens 11327, longmont
- walgreens 12683, boulder
- walgreens 12864, erie
- walgreens 16022, boulder
- walgreens 19103, boulder
- walgreens 2482, boulder
- walgreens 6467, superior
- walgreens 6785, longmont
- walgreens 7006, superior
- walgreens 9598, longmont
Super Store · 21
- costco wholesale 0480, superior
- costco wholesale 1628, longmont
- king soopers 102, longmont
- king soopers 13, louisville
- king soopers 138, lafayette
- king soopers 28, boulder
- king soopers 33, boulder
- king soopers 42, longmont
- king soopers 61, boulder
- king soopers 80, longmont
- sam's club 4987, longmont
- shamrock fsw louisville 575, louisville
- target stores t- 0064, boulder
- target stores t- 1769, superior
- target stores t- 2218, longmont
- walmart sc 1045, lafayette
- whole foods market 10083, boulder
- whole foods market 10423, boulder
- whole foods market 10445, superior
- whole foods market 10544, longmont
- whole foods market 10785, boulder
Supermarket · 18
- natural grocers by vitamin cottage u016, longmont
- safeway 1116, longmont
- safeway 1615, boulder
- safeway 1656, superior
- safeway 1667, erie
- safeway 2910, longmont
- safeway 2911, boulder
- safeway 2919, boulder
- safeway 2812, louisville
- save a lot 24865, longmont
- sprouts farmers market 304, boulder
- sprouts farmers market 319, lafayette
- sprouts farmers market 323, longmont
- sunflower farmers market 312, boulder
- the market at nederland, llc, nederland
- trader joe's 0301, boulder
- vitamin cottage natural food market u012, boulder
- vitamin cottage natural food markets inc u021, lafayette
Farmers' Market · 8
- boulder farmers market, boulder
- erie farmers' market, erie
- growing gardens farm stand, boulder
- lafayette farmers market, lafayette
- longmont farmers market, longmont
- louisville farmers' market, louisville
- nederland farmers market, nederland
- wild wellspring farm, longmont
Small Grocery Store · 7
- asia bazaar inc, longmont
- carniceria las americas llc, longmont
- dds liquor & food mart inc., boulder
- el mercado de lafayette, lafayette
- india bazaar, boulder
- longs peak grocery store, longmont
- nude foods market, boulder
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- india's grocery, boulder
- la barata, longmont
- las americas tortilleria llc 2, longmont
- las x americas tortilleria y carniceria llc, boulder
- mountain people's co-op, nederland
Bakery Specialty · 4
- panaderia sabor a mexico, boulder
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 134, erie
- papa murphy's take and bake pizza co004, longmont
- papa murphy's take and bake pizza co091, longmont
Large Grocery Store · 3
- carniceria el cerrito llc, longmont
- longmont packing #1 carniceria, longmont
- st. vrain market, lyons
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- boulder county farmers market food hub, longmont
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- your butcher frank, longmont
Seafood Specialty · 1
- blue reef seafood market, longmont
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 Boulder County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Nationwide peers for Boulder County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Boulder County (5.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Colorado.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside CO (17.1% here).
- Limestone County, AL · 17.1% low-access
- Limestone County, AL · 17.1% low-access
- Marquette County, MI · 17.1% low-access
- Marquette County, MI · 17.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside CO (5.9% here).
- Monroe County, GA · 5.9% SNAP
- Monroe County, GA · 5.9% SNAP
- Carroll County, IA · 5.9% SNAP
- Carroll County, IA · 5.9% 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.
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Boulder County sits inside Colorado (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
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 Boulder County, CO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 08013. 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.