PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Mexico

Curry County, NM

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Curry 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).

32.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
25.5%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NM

The food-access picture

32.4% of Curry County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
6.1%
households, no vehicle
20.5%
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 Curry County's low-access share at 32.4%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,660 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,256 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 Curry County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Curry County's 32.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #785 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Curry County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Curry County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Curry County, NM USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 5 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (25.0%) 5 tracts limited (41.7%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 25% Limited 42% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Curry County, NM
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Curry County vs. other New Mexico counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Curry County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)48,376
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population15,660
Low-Access Share32.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,256

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Curry County
IndicatorValue
Population47,638
Median Household Income$57,309
Poverty Rate20.5%above the national average
SNAP Households4,738
SNAP Participation Rate25.5%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Curry County 25.5%

About 25.5% of Curry County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 32.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 25.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,738 households here.
  • 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Curry County

above the national share

4 of Curry County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 15,660 residents, roughly 32.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,256 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (25.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Curry County

Curry County has 51 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 24

  • 7-eleven, inc. 42454, texico
  • 7-eleven, inc. 42467, clovis
  • 7-eleven, inc. 42473, clovis
  • 7-eleven, inc. 42497, clovis
  • a doc oil company 143, clovis
  • allsups 002, clovis
  • allsups 004, clovis
  • allsups 005, clovis
  • allsups 044, clovis
  • allsups 045, clovis
  • allsups 053, clovis
  • allsups 064, clovis
  • allsups 123, clovis
  • allsups 170, clovis
  • allsups 171, clovis
  • allsups 246, melrose
  • allsups 248, clovis
  • allsups 320, clovis
  • allsups 324, clovis
  • love's travel stops & country store, inc 329, clovis
  • maverik 784, clovis
  • pilot travel center 1118, clovis
  • prince chevron, clovis
  • rory's, clovis

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • dollar general 6304, clovis
  • dollar general 6335, clovis
  • dollar tree 2561, clovis
  • dollar general 11907, texico
  • dollar general 15718, clovis
  • dollar general 20267, clovis
  • dollar general 24144, clovis
  • dollar general 25461, clovis
  • dollar general 25480, melrose
  • dollar general 25768, clovis
  • dollar general 30313, clovis
  • dollartree 09400, clovis
  • family dollar store 3385, clovis
  • family dollar store 4055, clovis
  • family dollar store 6242, clovis
  • k's oriental foods, clovis
  • mauro ojeda, clovis
  • walgreens 04950, clovis

Farmers' Market · 2

  • clovis farmers market, clovis
  • foote family meats, texico

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la espiga de oro supermercado, clovis
  • stansells meat market 1700, clovis

Super Store · 2

  • s&s supermarket, clovis
  • walmart 821, clovis

Supermarket · 2

  • albertsons 686, clovis
  • lowes 17, clovis

Military Commissary · 1

  • cannon afb commissary 803, cannon afb

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New Mexico

Bernalillo County
19.4% low-access · 17.0% SNAP
Catron County
100.0% low-access · 9.3% SNAP
Chaves County
28.2% low-access · 25.0% SNAP
Cibola County
39.3% low-access · 23.6% SNAP
Colfax County
28.5% low-access · 23.4% SNAP
De Baca County
17.3% low-access · 18.7% SNAP

Compare Curry County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →

Food access nationally, New Mexico in context

Curry County sits inside New Mexico (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; 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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Curry County has low food access? ▼
32.4% of residents in Curry County, NM live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Curry County? ▼
25.5% of households in Curry County receive SNAP, covering 4,738 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Curry County? ▼
The poverty rate in Curry County, NM is 20.5%, with a median household income of $57,309 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Curry County a food desert? ▼
4 of Curry County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Curry County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.1% of households in Curry County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.