County food-access profile · Nevada
Elko County, NV
Elko County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 16.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 9.1%
- on SNAP
- 54K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.1% of Elko County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.8%
- 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).
Elko County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.1% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,873 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,995 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 Elko County compares nationally
Elko County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.1% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,023).
Elko County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Elko County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Elko County vs. other Nevada counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Nevada
- Elko 16.1
Elko County, NV
16.1 % low-access
- Carson City 14.3
Carson City, NV
14.3 % low-access
- Churchill 18.9
Churchill County, NV
18.9 % low-access
- Clark 19
Clark County, NV
19 % low-access
- Douglas
Douglas County, NV
50.1 % low-access
- Esmeralda
Esmeralda County, NV
97.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 48,818 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,873 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,995 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 54,047 |
| Median Household Income | $86,487 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,781 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.1%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 9.1% of Elko County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,781 households here.
- 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Elko County
near the national share
1 of Elko County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.1% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 7,873 residents, roughly 16.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,995 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (64.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Elko County
Elko County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 22
- airport phillips 66 80227, elko
- cavalier liquor & mini mart, carlin
- elko chevron extramile 4221, elko
- elko food mart, elko
- golden gate gas 68, wells
- golden gate gas 72, elko
- khoury's mini mart, spring creek
- love's travel stop 891, jackpot
- love's travel stop 978, carlin
- love's travel stops 365, wells
- maverik 530, spring creek
- maverik, inc 509, elko
- maverik, inc 510, elko
- maverik, inc 681, west wendover
- maverik, inc 716, wells
- miller's spring creek, spring creek
- montello gas and grocery, montello
- our store, elko
- pilot travel center 147, west wendover
- pilot travel center 387, carlin
- pilot travel center 692, wells
- ryndon gas & food llc, elko
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 8801, elko
- dollartree 10883, elko
- dollartree 9012, elko
- family dollar 11399, elko
- family dollar 8830, wells
- family dollar 9006, calrin
- family dollar store 7445, elko
- terribles 454, carlin
Super Store · 6
- ridley's family markets 1144, spring creek
- ridley's family markets 1147, spring creek
- ridley's family markets 1189, carlin
- smith's food & drug 388, elko
- smith's food & drug 390, wendover
- walmart 2402, elko
Large Grocery Store · 3
- cactus petes general store, jackpot
- roy's inc, elko
- roy's market, wells
Small Grocery Store · 3
- azteca market, elko
- joe's roadside market, elko
- reyes market llc, west wendover
Supermarket · 3
- albertsons 155, elko
- our grocery store, owyhee
- raleys 117, elko
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- carniceria los compadres, elko
- la nortena, elko
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphy's nv04, elko
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Nevada
Compare Elko County vs Carson City → · All Nevada counties →
Food access nationally, Nevada in context
Elko County sits inside Nevada (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 Elko County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Elko County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Elko County? ▼
Is Elko County a food desert? ▼
What share of Elko 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.