PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Colorado

Fremont County, CO

Fremont County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

51.6%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
16.0%
on SNAP
50K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CO

The food-access picture

51.6% of Fremont County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

10
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
13.3%
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).

Fremont County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 51.6% is well above the national share. 10 of the county's 14 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 24,170 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,271 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 Fremont County compares nationally

Fremont County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 51.6% low-access share outpaces 94% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #185 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Fremont County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Fremont 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 Fremont County, CO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (28.6%) 4 tracts limited (28.6%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (42.9%) Adequate 29% Limited 29% Severe 43% Food-access tier distribution: Fremont County, CO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Fremont County vs. other Colorado counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado

% 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 Fremont County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)46,824
Low-Access Tracts10
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population24,170
Low-Access Share51.6%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,271

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Fremont County
IndicatorValue
Population49,634
Median Household Income$62,664
Poverty Rate13.3%near the national average
SNAP Households2,878
SNAP Participation Rate16.0%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population15.4%
SNAP participation in Fremont County 16.0%

About 16.0% of Fremont County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 51.6% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 16.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,878 households here.
  • 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Fremont County

well above the national share

6 of Fremont County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 42.9% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.

An estimated 24,170 residents, roughly 51.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,271 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (28.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Fremont County

Fremont County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • alta 6020, penrose
  • alta 6021, florence
  • alta 6022, canon city
  • alta 6023, canon city
  • alta 6024, canon city
  • alta 6025, canon city
  • alta 6026, florence
  • alta 6122, canon city
  • alta 6330, canon city
  • in n out conoco 4, canon city
  • jr's country store 306, canon city
  • loaf n jug 750054, canon city
  • loaf n jug 750076, florence
  • love's travel stop 873, canon city
  • maverik 5431, canon city

Combination Grocery/Other · 5

  • dollar general 12154, florence
  • dollar general 18042, penrose
  • dollar tree 3130, canon city
  • ricks processing royal gorge packing, canon city
  • walgreens 09393, canon city

Super Store · 3

  • big d super foods, florence
  • city market 417, canon city
  • walmart sc 1019, canon city

Supermarket · 2

  • canon city co canon city, canon city
  • safeway 3728, canon city

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 044, canon city

Farmers' Market · 1

  • main street farmers market, canon city

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • moonlit mountain farm llc, cotopaxi

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • neighborhood market, penrose

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Colorado

Adams County
17.9% low-access · 10.3% SNAP
Alamosa County
27.7% low-access · 28.6% SNAP
Arapahoe County
13.6% low-access · 7.7% SNAP
Archuleta County
40.9% low-access · 6.9% SNAP
Baca County
25.2% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bent County
12.4% low-access · 21.4% SNAP

Compare Fremont County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →

Food access nationally, Colorado in context

Fremont County sits inside Colorado (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 Fremont County has low food access? ▼
51.6% of residents in Fremont County, CO 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 Fremont County? ▼
16.0% of households in Fremont County receive SNAP, covering 2,878 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Fremont County? ▼
The poverty rate in Fremont County, CO is 13.3%, with a median household income of $62,664 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Fremont County a food desert? ▼
6 of Fremont County's 14 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 Fremont County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Fremont 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.