PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Colorado

Garfield County, CO

Garfield 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.

17.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
8.0%
on SNAP
62K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CO

The food-access picture

17.6% of Garfield County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
8.2%
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).

Garfield County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.6% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 9,933 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Garfield County compares nationally

Garfield County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.6% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,907).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Garfield County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Garfield 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 Garfield County, CO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (63.6%) 4 tracts limited (36.4%) Adequate 64% Limited 36% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Garfield County, CO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Garfield 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 Garfield County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)56,389
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population9,933
Low-Access Share17.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,246

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Garfield County
IndicatorValue
Population62,479
Median Household Income$91,131
Poverty Rate8.2%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,868
SNAP Participation Rate8.0%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.7%
SNAP participation in Garfield County 8.0%

About 8.0% of Garfield County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,868 households here.
  • 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $91,131 with a 8.2% poverty rate.

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 Garfield County

near the national share

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

An estimated 9,933 residents, roughly 17.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,246 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (63.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Garfield County

Garfield County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (47% of the total), followed by super store.

Convenience Store · 23

  • 7-eleven 22088b, carbondale
  • 7-eleven 17211a 17211a, glenwood springs
  • alta 6318, glenwood springs
  • alta 6019, glenwood springs
  • carniceria los nogales, rifle
  • diamond shamrock corner store 2744112, glenwood springs
  • el mercadito, rifle
  • fine cuts meat market llc, glenwood springs
  • golden gate petroleum 75, silt
  • good 2 go parachute exxon 702, parachute
  • good 2 go parachute shell 703, parachute
  • good 2 go store 701, silt
  • love's travel stop 826, parachute
  • maverik 5011, rifle
  • maverik 5012, rifle
  • maverik 5031, rifle
  • maverik 5032, glenwood springs
  • maverik 5033, glenwood springs
  • maverik 5050, new castle
  • maverik 5114, silt
  • maverik 5134, battlement mesa
  • stinker store 317, glenwood springs
  • thunder river market #3 #3, parachute

Super Store · 7

  • city market 405, glenwood spgs
  • city market 441, new castle
  • city market 443, rifle
  • city market 47, carbondale
  • target stores t- 2029, glenwood springs
  • walmart 1095, glenwood springs
  • walmart sc 5232, rifle

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dollartree 6894, carbondale
  • dollar general 19727, parachute
  • dollar general store 13582, silt
  • family dollar 13620, silt
  • family dollar 6890, parachute
  • walgreens 18163, glenwood springs

Farmers' Market · 5

  • carbondale farmers' market, carbondale
  • glenwood's downtown market, glenwood springs
  • market on 7th nafmnp, glenwood springs
  • parachute monday market, parachute
  • rifle farmers market, rifle

Small Grocery Store · 5

  • azteca super market inc, rifle
  • carniceria san jose, rifle
  • el azteca west, glenwood springs
  • mi pueblito market of colorado, parachute
  • veros mexican bakery, parachute

Supermarket · 2

  • clarks market, parachute
  • vitamin cottage natural food markets inc u024, glenwood springs

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • mana foods, carbondale

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 Garfield County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →

Food access nationally, Colorado in context

Garfield 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 Garfield County has low food access? ▼
17.6% of residents in Garfield 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 Garfield County? ▼
8.0% of households in Garfield County receive SNAP, covering 1,868 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Garfield County? ▼
The poverty rate in Garfield County, CO is 8.2%, with a median household income of $91,131 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Garfield County a food desert? ▼
0 of Garfield County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Garfield County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Garfield 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.