County food-access profile · New Mexico
Chaves County, NM
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Chaves 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).
- 28.2%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 25.0%
- on SNAP
- 64K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.2% of Chaves County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 24.3%
- 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 Chaves County's low-access share at 28.2%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 18,481 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 10,722 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 Chaves County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Chaves County's 28.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,073 most-affected nationwide.
Chaves County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 16 census tracts in Chaves County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Chaves County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- Chaves 28.2
Chaves County, NM
28.2 % low-access
- Bernalillo 19.4
Bernalillo County, NM
19.4 % low-access
- Catron
Catron County, NM
100 % low-access
- Cibola 39.3
Cibola County, NM
39.3 % low-access
- Colfax 28.5
Colfax County, NM
28.5 % low-access
- Curry 32.4
Curry County, NM
32.4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 65,645 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 18,481 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 10,722 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 64,217 |
| Median Household Income | $52,938 |
| Poverty Rate | 24.3%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,927 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 25.0%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.5% |
About 25.0% of Chaves County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 25.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,927 households here.
- 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Chaves County
above the national share
5 of Chaves County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 31.3% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.
An estimated 18,481 residents, roughly 28.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 10,722 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (43.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Chaves County
Chaves County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 29
- 7-eleven, inc. 42445, roswell
- 7-eleven, inc. 42446, roswell
- 7-eleven, inc. 42447, roswell
- 7-eleven, inc. 42455, roswell
- 7-eleven, inc. 42456, roswell
- 7-eleven, inc. 42459, roswell
- allsup's 102392, roswell
- allsups 025, roswell
- allsups 121, roswell
- allsups 136, roswell
- allsups 160, roswell
- allsups 233, roswell
- allsups 251, hagerman
- allsups 261, dexter
- allsups 268, roswell
- allsups 286, roswell
- allsups 289, roswell
- allsups 335, roswell
- awc propane, roswell
- bell gas inc station 60, roswell
- dulceria alegria, roswell
- el metate tortilleria, roswell
- maverik, inc 750, roswell
- murphy express 8608, roswell
- murphy usa 7908, roswell
- roadrunner express 1, roswell
- south main shamrock 8003, roswell
- united express 690, roswell
- west second shamrock 102, roswell
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- asian market, roswell
- cvs pharmacy 11332, roswell
- dollar general 13978, dexter
- dollar general 6297, roswell
- dollar general 6308, roswell
- dollar tree 2736, roswell
- dollar general 11830, roswell
- dollar general 13268, roswell
- dollar general 25610, hagerman
- dollar general 30412, roswell
- dollar general 6868, roswell
- dollar tree 5044, roswell
- family dollar 13828, roswell
- family dollar store 10463, dexter
- family dollar store 11070, roswell
- family dollar store 2546, roswell
- family dollar store 4366, roswell
- family dollar store 6183, roswell
- family dollar store 7684, hagerman
- graves farm and garden, roswell
- walgreens 1941, roswell
- walgreens 5350, roswell
Super Store · 6
- farmers country market # 4, roswell
- farmers country market 5, roswell
- sam's club 4961, roswell
- shamrock foodservice warehouse 534, roswell
- target store 832, roswell
- walmart 611, roswell
Supermarket · 3
- albertsons 690, roswell
- albertson market 691, roswell
- farmers country market 1, roswell
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- gto beef jerky & meat market, roswell
- super meat mart, roswell
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's nm036, roswell
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- cara blanca meat market, roswell
Small Grocery Store · 1
- irma's market, dexter
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare Chaves County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
Chaves County sits inside New Mexico (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 Chaves County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Chaves County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Chaves County? ▼
Is Chaves County a food desert? ▼
What share of Chaves 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.