Signature · 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)
Custer County, CO
Custer County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 24.3% low-access.
- 24.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.6%
- on SNAP
- 5K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Custer County, CO
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.3% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.2 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Logan County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Custer County ranks #1,344 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #26 of 63 counties in CO (24.3% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,344
- national by low-access %
- #26
- in CO
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 268
- 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: 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .
How Custer County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Custer County's 24.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,347 most-affected nationwide.
Custer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Custer County has 0 urban and 1 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.
Custer County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Colorado, not a full county-board reprint
- Kiowa
Kiowa 100%
100 % low-access
- Baca 25.2
Baca 25.2%
25.2 % low-access
- Custer 24.3
Custer 24.3%
24.3 % low-access
- Logan 24.2
Logan 24.2%
24.2 % low-access
- Larimer 23.3
Larimer 23.3%
23.3 % low-access
- Jefferson 23.2
Jefferson 23.2%
23.2 % low-access
- Gilpin 0
Gilpin 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 1 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 4,255 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,036 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 268 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 5,247 |
| Median Household Income | $72,674 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 204 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
Slim SNAP store book in Custer County
Custer County has 4 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 2 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 2
- alta 6028, westcliffe
- sunflower natural foods, westcliffe
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 19371, siver cliff
Large Grocery Store · 1
- lowes 109, westcliffe
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 Custer County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Custer 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 Custer County, CO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 08027. 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.