Signature · 3.9% SNAP (13th pct in CO)
Elbert County, CO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Elbert 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).
- 26.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 3.9%
- on SNAP
- 28K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Elbert County, CO
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 26.5% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +4.4 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 3.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 1.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 14% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Kit Carson County ( -0.3 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Elbert County ranks #1,184 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #23 of 63 counties in CO (26.5% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,184
- national by low-access %
- #23
- in CO
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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: 3.9% SNAP (13th pct in CO) (-8.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Elbert County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Elbert County's 26.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,186 most-affected nationwide.
Elbert County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Elbert County has 0 urban and 7 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.
Elbert County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Colorado, not a full county-board reprint
- Kiowa
Kiowa 100%
100 % low-access
- Alamosa 27.7
Alamosa 27.7%
27.7 % low-access
- Jackson 27.4
Jackson 27.4%
27.4 % low-access
- Douglas 27.3
Douglas 27.3%
27.3 % low-access
- Elbert 26.5
Elbert 26.5%
26.5 % low-access
- Kit Carson 26.2
Kit Carson 26.2%
26.2 % low-access
- Gilpin 0
Gilpin 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,086 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,107 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,619 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 27,874 |
| Median Household Income | $132,685 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 393 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 1.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.2% |
SNAP retailers in Elbert County
Elbert County has 7 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 3 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 3
- alta 6153, elizabeth
- coyote market, kiowa
- murphy express 8796, elizabeth
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- dollar general 25374, simla
Small Grocery Store · 1
- simla food store, simla
Super Store · 1
- walmart sc 4639, elizabeth
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 1532, elizabeth
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 Elbert County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Nationwide peers for Elbert County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Elbert County (3.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Colorado.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside CO (26.5% here).
- Sutter County, CA · 26.5% low-access
- Sutter County, CA · 26.5% low-access
- Clark County, AR · 26.5% low-access
- Clark County, AR · 26.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside CO (3.9% here).
- Saline County, AR · 3.9% SNAP
- Saline County, AR · 3.9% SNAP
- Benton County, AR · 3.9% SNAP
- Benton County, AR · 3.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Elbert 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 Elbert County, CO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 08039. 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.