PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Mexico

Eddy County, NM

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

30.5%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
14.2%
on SNAP
61K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NM

The food-access picture

30.5% of Eddy County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
4.7%
households, no vehicle
13.8%
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 Eddy County's low-access share at 30.5%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 12 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 16,399 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,475 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 Eddy County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Eddy County's 30.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #904 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Eddy County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

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

Eddy 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 Eddy County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)53,829
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population16,399
Low-Access Share30.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,475

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Eddy County
IndicatorValue
Population61,105
Median Household Income$78,426
Poverty Rate13.8%near the national average
SNAP Households3,345
SNAP Participation Rate14.2%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Eddy County 14.2%

About 14.2% of Eddy County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 30.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,345 households here.
  • 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Eddy County

above the national share

3 of Eddy County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.

A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 16,399 residents, roughly 30.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,475 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Eddy County

Eddy County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • 7-eleven, inc. 42579, carlsbad
  • allsup's 102499, carlsbad
  • allsups 102404, carlsbad
  • allsups 190, carlsbad
  • allsups 195, carlsbad
  • allsups 201, carlsbad
  • allsups 202, artesia
  • allsups 203, artesia
  • allsups 211, artesia
  • allsups 219, carlsbad
  • allsups 223, artesia
  • allsups 243, carlsbad
  • allsups 269, carlsbad
  • allsups 285, carlsbad
  • bell gas artesia 30, artesia
  • maverik, inc 713, artesia
  • maverik, inc 743, carlsbad
  • murphy express 8607, carlsbad
  • pecos pit stop 4101, carlsbad
  • roadrunner express 1, carlsbad
  • the general store, loco hills

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • cvs pharmacy 10148, hobbs
  • cvs pharmacy 10448, carlsbad
  • dollar general 10246, carlsbad
  • dollar general 6450, artesia
  • dollar general 6484, carlsbad
  • dollar tree 2793, carlsbad
  • dollartree 9974, carlsbad
  • dollar general 17795, carlsbad
  • dollar general 21747, carlsbad
  • dollar general 23850, carlsbad
  • dollar general store 17273, artesia
  • dollar tree 5244, artesia
  • family dollar store 2746, carlsbad
  • family dollar store 3163, artesia
  • family dollar store 5000, carlsbad
  • terribles 461, carlsbad
  • walgreens 07930, carlsbad

Super Store · 4

  • fenns country market #1, artesia
  • la tienda thriftway, carlsbad
  • walmart 868, carlsbad
  • walmart supercenter 3427, artesia

Supermarket · 2

  • albertsons market 665, carlsbad
  • gregg's, artesia

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • lakeside meats inc., carlsbad

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
Curry County
32.4% low-access · 25.5% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, New Mexico in context

Eddy 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 Eddy County has low food access? ▼
30.5% of residents in Eddy 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 Eddy County? ▼
14.2% of households in Eddy County receive SNAP, covering 3,345 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Eddy County? ▼
The poverty rate in Eddy County, NM is 13.8%, with a median household income of $78,426 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Eddy County a food desert? ▼
3 of Eddy 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 Eddy County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.7% of households in Eddy 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.