County food-access profile · Colorado
Douglas County, CO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Douglas 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).
- 27.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 2.1%
- on SNAP
- 377K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
27.3% of Douglas County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 29
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 2.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 3.8%
- 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 Douglas County's low-access share at 27.3%, above the national share. 29 of the county's 61 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 78,033 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Douglas County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Douglas County's 27.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 64% of them and ranked #1,133 most-affected nationwide.
Douglas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 61 census tracts in Douglas County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Douglas County vs. other Colorado counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado
- Douglas
Douglas County, CO
27.3 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, CO
17.9 % low-access
- Alamosa
Alamosa County, CO
27.7 % low-access
- Arapahoe 13.6
Arapahoe County, CO
13.6 % low-access
- Archuleta
Archuleta County, CO
40.9 % low-access
- Baca
Baca County, CO
25.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 61 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 285,465 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 29 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 78,033 |
| Low-Access Share | 27.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,567 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 377,150 |
| Median Household Income | $149,594 |
| Poverty Rate | 3.8%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,951 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 2.1%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.4% |
About 2.1% of Douglas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 27.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 2.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,951 households here.
- 2.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $149,594 with a 3.8% poverty rate.
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 Douglas County
above the national share
A further 29 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 29.
An estimated 78,033 residents, roughly 27.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,567 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 32 tracts (52.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Douglas County
Douglas County has 120 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 60 locations (50% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 60
- 7 eleven 39834a, lone tree
- 7-eleven 34035, parker
- 7-eleven 39067, parker
- 7-eleven 39160, castle rock
- 7-eleven 39733, lone tree
- 7-eleven 39739, castle rock
- 7-eleven 39741, castle pines
- 7-eleven 39743, highlands ranch
- 7-eleven 39746, littleton
- 7-eleven 41543, parker
- 7-eleven 41861, castle pines
- 7-eleven 42178, parker
- 7-eleven store 34159a, parker
- 7-eleven store 39211a, castle rock
- 7-eleven store 39317a, highlands ranch
- 7-eleven store 39421a, parker
- 7-eleven 33042b, lone tree
- 7-eleven 38093a 38093a, castle rock
- 7-eleven 38234a 38234a, castle rock
- 7-eleven store 32923b 32923b, parker
- 7-eleven store 33040c 33040c, highlands ranch
- alta 6104, castle rock
- big apple mart 3, parker
- circle k 2704585, parker
- circle k 2709516, parker
- circle k 2709860, castle rock
- circle k 2709886, highlands ranch
- circle k 2709892, littleton
- circle k 2709901, castle rock
- circle k 2709904, highlands ranch
- circle k 2709905, highlands ranch
- compark convenience, parker
- corner store 2741126, parker
- corner store 2741157, parker
- corner store 2741159, highlands ranch
- corner store 2741189, parker
- corner store 2744137, parker
- corner store 274666, castle rock
- diamond shamrock corner store 2741161, littleton
- diamond shamrock corner store 2744118, highlands ranch
- franktown sinclair 1, franktown
- good 2 go store 715, castle rock
- jenny's market 30, parker
- jenny's market 515, parker
- loaf n jug 750011, castle rock
- loaf n jug 750043, parker
- maks at castle rocks, castle rock
- maverik 5373, castle rock
- maverik 5413, parker
- maverik, inc 774, parker
- murphy express 8621, parker
- murphy express 8898, parker
- quiktrip 4206, parker
- quiktrip 4214, parker
- rocket #0743 0743, highlands ranch
- rocket #6525 6525, highlands ranch
- rocket #6534 6534, castle rock
- rocket #6544 6544, lone tree
- safeway fuel station 5827, littleton
- valero corner store 2744059, castle rock
Super Store · 25
- costco wholesale 0468, littleton
- costco wholesale 1022, parker
- king soopers 108, littleton
- king soopers 110, highlands ranch
- king soopers 125, castle rock
- king soopers 126, parker
- king soopers 132, castle rock
- king soopers 27, highlands ranch
- king soopers 75, parker
- king soopers 8, highlands ranch
- king soopers 88, parker
- king soopers 91, castle pines
- sam's club 4853, castle rock
- sam's club 6634, lone tree
- target stores t- 0271, littleton
- target stores t- 1326, castle rock
- target stores t- 2023, lone tree
- target stores t- 2219, parker
- target stores t- 2716, littleton
- walmart sc 1252, highlands ranch
- walmart sc 2892, parker
- walmart sc 984, castle rock
- whole foods market 10142, highlands ranch
- whole foods market 10459, castle rock
- whole foods market 10826, parker
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- cvs pharmacy 10785, parker
- cvs pharmacy 11104, castle rock
- dollar tree 4005, castle rock
- dollar tree 4338, parker
- dollar tree 5094, highlands ranch
- spices n beyond, parker
- walgreens 04952, highlands ranch
- walgreens 05261, parker
- walgreens 06514, castle rock
- walgreens 06987, castle rock
- walgreens 07138, parker
- walgreens 07837, castle rock
- walgreens 2641, littleton
- walgreens 3489, highlands ranch
- walgreens 5538, littleton
Supermarket · 12
- natural grocers u015, highlands ranch
- safeway 1446, parker
- safeway 1480, highlands ranch
- safeway 1548, lone tree
- safeway 1877, castle rock
- safeway 2722, littleton
- sprouts farmers market 302, parker
- sprouts farmers market 307, castle rock
- sprouts farmers market 309, lone tree
- trader joe's parker 309, parker
- vitamin cottage natural food markets inc u023, parker
- vitamin cottage natural food markets inc u035, castle rock
Bakery Specialty · 5
- papa murphy's of highlands ranch co092, highlands ranch
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 013, parker
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 095, parker
- papa murphys co021, highlands ranch
- papa murphys co046, castle rock
Farmers' Market · 1
- highlands ranch farmers' market, highlands ranch
Large Grocery Store · 1
- konark grocers 2, parker
Small Grocery Store · 1
- sv sweets and grocers, lone tree
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Colorado
Compare Douglas County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Douglas County sits inside Colorado (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 Douglas County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Douglas County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Douglas County? ▼
Is Douglas County a food desert? ▼
What share of Douglas 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.