County food-access profile · Texas
El Paso County, TX
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of El Paso 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).
- 20.3%
- low-access pop.
- 40
- food-desert tracts
- 19.3%
- on SNAP
- 871K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
20.3% of El Paso County residents live in a low-access area, and 40 of its 161 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 64
- low-access tracts
- 73K
- food-desert residents
- 6.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.7%
- 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 El Paso County's low-access share at 20.3%, above the national share. 64 of the county's 161 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 162,635 people. 40 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 73,081 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 El Paso County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, El Paso County's 20.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,668 most-affected nationwide.
El Paso County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 161 census tracts in El Paso County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
El Paso County vs. other Texas counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Texas
- El Paso
El Paso County, TX
20.3 % low-access
- Anderson
Anderson County, TX
43.8 % low-access
- Andrews
Andrews County, TX
26.8 % low-access
- Angelina
Angelina County, TX
26 % low-access
- Aransas
Aransas County, TX
31.7 % low-access
- Archer
Archer County, TX
18.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 161 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 800,647 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 64 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 40 |
| Low-Access Population | 162,635 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 73,081 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 870,779 |
| Median Household Income | $59,806 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 57,900 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 19.3% of El Paso County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 20.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 57,900 households here.
- 6.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 40 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 El Paso County
above the national share
40 of El Paso County's 161 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 24.8% of all its tracts.
A further 24 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 64.
An estimated 162,635 residents, roughly 20.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 73,081 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 97 tracts (60.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in El Paso County
El Paso County has 646 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 189 locations (29% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 189
- cvs 10073, el paso
- cvs 10446, laredo
- cvs 10451, el paso
- cvs 10600, el paso
- cvs pharmacey 11100, el paso
- cvs pharmacy 10215, el paso
- cvs pharmacy 10874, el paso
- cvs pharmacy 10995, el paso
- cvs pharmacy 11020, el paso
- cvs pharmacy 11044, el paso
- cvs pharmacy 11160, el paso
- carniceria cazares, anthony
- chuco town farm, san elizario
- dollar general 10533, clint
- dollar general 10709, el paso
- dollar general 11026, el paso
- dollar general 18332, horizon city
- dollar general 18483, el paso
- dollar general 6131, el paso
- dollar general 6257, el paso
- dollar general 6968, el paso
- dollar general 8815, el paso
- dollar general 8816, el paso
- dollar general 8856, el paso
- dollar general 8858, el paso
- dollar general 8869, el paso
- dollar general 9026, el paso
- dollar general 9092, el paso
- dollar general 9108, el paso
- dollar general 9144, socorro
- dollar general 9187, el paso
- dollar general 9202, el paso
- dollar general 9291, anthony
- dollar general 9304, canutillo
- dollar general 9346, el paso
- dollar general 9347, el paso
- dollar general 9432, el paso
- dollar general 9606, el paso
- dollartree 10208, el paso
- dollartree 10588, el paso
- dollartree 8035, el paso
- dollartree 8046, el paso
- dollartree 8092, el paso
- dollartree 8382, el paso
- dollartree 9174, canutillo
- dollartree 9428, el paso
- dollartree 9855, el paso
- dollartree plus 8873, san elizario
- dollartree plus 8932, socorro
- dollar general 10830, el paso
- dollar general 12265, vinton
- dollar general 12907, el paso
- dollar general 13420, tornillo
- dollar general 15247, el paso
- dollar general 17091, el paso
- dollar general 19294, el paso
- dollar general 19328, el paso
- dollar general 20413, el paso
- dollar general 22487, san elizario
- dollar general 24224, el paso
- dollar general 25537, fabens
- dollar general 5825, el paso
- dollar general 6260, horizon city
- dollar general 6764, el paso
- dollar general 6793, el paso
- dollar general 9459, fabens
- dollar general 9605, el paso
- dollar general store 17090, el paso
- dollar tree 2660, el paso
- dollar tree 2673, el paso
- dollar tree 2698, el paso
- dollar tree 2703, el paso
- dollar tree 2995, el paso
- dollar tree 3112, el paso
- dollar tree 3123, el paso
- dollar tree 3163, el paso
- dollar tree 4650, el paso
- dollar tree 4694, anthony
- dollar tree 4777, el paso
- dollar tree 4781, el paso
- dollar tree 4835, el paso
- dollar tree 5283, el paso
- dollar tree 5337, socorro
- dollar tree 5381, fort bliss
- dollar tree 5463, el paso
- dollar tree 5801, el paso
- dollar tree 5817, el paso
- dollar tree 5916, el paso
- dollar tree 6023, el paso
- dollar tree 6302, el paso
- dollar tree 6345, el paso
- dollar tree 6375, el paso
- dollar tree 6411, el paso
- dollar tree 6468, el paso
- dollar tree 6541, clint
- dollar tree 6557, horizon city
- dollar tree 6566, el paso
- dollar tree 6566, el paso
- dollar tree 6879, el paso
- dollar tree 6927, el paso
- dollar tree 7871, el paso
- dollartree 6432, el paso
- el loco express inc, el paso
- family dollar 10117, el paso
- family dollar 10147, el paso
- family dollar 11385, el paso
- family dollar 11595, el paso
- family dollar 11851, el paso
- family dollar 11897, el paso
- family dollar 11945, el paso
- family dollar 12055, san elizario
- family dollar 12167, el paso
- family dollar 2536, el paso
- family dollar 2556, el paso
- family dollar 2651, el paso
- family dollar 2676, el paso
- family dollar 2781, el paso
- family dollar 2826, socorro
- family dollar 3096, el paso
- family dollar 3211, el paso
- family dollar 3363, el paso
- family dollar 3423, el paso
- family dollar 3517, el paso
- family dollar 3642, el paso
- family dollar 3853, el paso
- family dollar 3919, socorro
- family dollar 4143, anthony
- family dollar 4308, el paso
- family dollar 4315, el paso
- family dollar 4351, el paso
- family dollar 4444, canutillo
- family dollar 4468, vinton
- family dollar 4507, fabens
- family dollar 4823, tornillo
- family dollar 5339, el paso
- family dollar 5475, el paso
- family dollar 5924, el paso
- family dollar 6122, el paso
- family dollar 6994, el paso
- family dollar 7107, el paso
- family dollar 7348, san elizario
- family dollar 7510, el paso
- family dollar 7680, el paso
- family dollar 7786, el paso
- family dollar 7945, el paso
- family dollar 8603, el paso
- family dollar 9239, el paso
- family dollar 9372, horizon city
- family dollar store 2527, el paso
- family dollar store 8014, el paso
- family dollar store 8024, el paso
- horizon vista supermarket, horizon city
- howdy's, el paso
- la estrella meat mkt & kitchen inc, el paso
- licon dairy inc, san elizario
- la estrella ii meat market & kitchen, el paso
- maharlika asian merchandise, el paso
- mi tierra meat market 2, el paso
- star medical specialties, el paso
- vista quality market 506, socorro
- vista quality market 507, el paso
- vista urban market 501, el paso
- walgreens 03236, el paso
- walgreens 03542, el paso
- walgreens 03570, el paso
- walgreens 03826, el paso
- walgreens 03924, el paso
- walgreens 06543, el paso
- walgreens 11436, socorro
- walgreens 11516, el paso
- walgreens 12376, anthony
- walgreens 13125, el paso
- walgreens 6435, el paso
- walgreens 6498, el paso
- walgreens 6542, el paso
- walgreens 6753, el paso
- walgreen 10582, el paso
- walgreens 09173, el paso
- walgreens 09368, el paso
- walgreens 10414, el paso
- walgreens 11518, horizon city
- walgreens 11749, el paso
- walgreens 1293, el paso
- walgreens 15036, el paso
- walgreens 15371, el paso
- walgreens 21444, el paso
- walgreens 4679, el paso
- walgreens 5274, el paso
- walgreens 7328, el paso
Convenience Store · 56
- 7-eleven 0600, el paso
- 7-eleven 0601, el paso
- 7-eleven 0603, el paso
- 7-eleven 0604, el paso
- 7-eleven 0605, el paso
- 7-eleven 0606, el paso
- 7-eleven 0607, el paso
- 7-eleven 0608, el paso
- 7-eleven 0609, el paso
- 7-eleven 0610, el paso
- 7-eleven 0611, el paso
- 7-eleven 0612, el paso
- 7-eleven 0613, el paso
- 7-eleven 0615, el paso
- 7-eleven 0616, el paso
- 7-eleven 0617, el paso
- 7-eleven 0618, el paso
- 7-eleven 0619, el paso
- 7-eleven 0620, el paso
- 7-eleven 0621, el paso
- 7-eleven 0626, el paso
- 7-eleven 0628, el paso
- 7-eleven 0629, el paso
- 7-eleven 0630, el paso
- 7-eleven 0632, el paso
- 7-eleven 0633, el paso
- 7-eleven 0634, el paso
- 7-eleven 0635, el paso
- 7-eleven 0636, el paso
- 7-eleven 0637, el paso
- 7-eleven 0641, el paso
- 7-eleven 0643, el paso
- 7-eleven 0645, el paso
- 7-eleven 0646, el paso
- 7-eleven 0647, el paso
- 7-eleven 0648, el paso
- 7-eleven 0649, el paso
- 7-eleven 0651, el paso
- 7-eleven 53301, el paso
- 7-eleven 53304, socorro
- 7-eleven 53306, fabens
- 7-eleven 53312, el paso
- 7-eleven 53315, el paso
- 7-eleven 53317, san elizario
- 7-eleven 53318, clint
- 7-eleven 53321, el paso
- 7-eleven 53322, el paso
- 7-eleven 53323, el paso
- 7-eleven 53324, el paso
- 7-eleven 53325, el paso
- 7-eleven 53327, el paso
- 7-eleven 53328, el paso
- 7-eleven 53329, el paso
- 7-eleven 53333, el paso
- 7-eleven 53334, anthony
- 7-eleven 53335, el paso
Bakery Specialty · 5
- arcoiris fine pastry, el paso
- bowie bakery, el paso
- bowie bakery 2, el paso
- don pancho tortillas factory 1, fabens
- tortilleria cuauhtemoc, canutillo
Showing 250 of 646 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Texas
Compare El Paso County vs Anderson County → · All Texas counties →
Food access nationally, Texas in context
El Paso County sits inside Texas (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 El Paso County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in El Paso County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in El Paso County? ▼
Is El Paso County a food desert? ▼
What share of El Paso 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.