PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Arizona

Gila County, AZ

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Gila 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).

28.2%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
14.6%
on SNAP
54K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 AZ

The food-access picture

28.2% of Gila County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
6.4%
households, no vehicle
16.9%
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 Gila County's low-access share at 28.2%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,132 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,904 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 Gila County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Gila County's 28.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,073 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Gila County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Gila 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 Gila County, AZ USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (50.0%) 2 tracts limited (12.5%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (37.5%) Adequate 50% Limited 13% Severe 38% Food-access tier distribution: Gila County, AZ
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Gila County vs. other Arizona counties

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

% 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 Gila County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)53,597
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population15,132
Low-Access Share28.2%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,904

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Gila County
IndicatorValue
Population53,795
Median Household Income$61,986
Poverty Rate16.9%above the national average
SNAP Households3,455
SNAP Participation Rate14.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.0%
SNAP participation in Gila County 14.6%

About 14.6% of Gila County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 28.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,455 households here.
  • 6.4% 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 Gila County

above the national share

6 of Gila County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 37.5% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 15,132 residents, roughly 28.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,904 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Gila County

Gila County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • apache burger travel center, peridot
  • cherry creek store, young
  • circle k 2700423, globe
  • circle k 2700689, globe
  • circle k 2700816, payson
  • circle k 2700854, globe
  • circle k 2701445, claypool
  • circle k 2701792, payson
  • circle k 2706670, star valley
  • dave's fast stop 1, miami
  • dave's fast stop 3, miami
  • dave's fast stop 4, miami
  • good 2 go store 503, globe
  • jakes corner general store, payson
  • noline's country store, peridot
  • san carlos market place, san carlos
  • speedway 2884, payson
  • speedway 2890, payson
  • speedway 2951, payson
  • speedway 2968, winkelman
  • speedway 2979, globe
  • spring creek store, roosevelt
  • star k 32398, globe

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 6811, globe
  • dollar general 16995, tonto basin
  • dollar tree 3117, miami
  • dollar tree 3129, payson
  • family dollar store 5082, miami
  • family dollar store 5102, globe
  • walgreens 6533, payson

Super Store · 5

  • bashas' 54, payson
  • bashas' 8, san carlos
  • fry's 109, globe
  • walmart 1334, claypool
  • walmart 1369, payson

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • pinemarket llc, pine
  • tonto basin marketplace, tonto basin

Supermarket · 2

  • safeway 1536, payson
  • safeway 3187, globe

Farmers' Market · 1

  • payson farmers market, llc, payson

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • giorsetti's superior grocery, llc, winkelman

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Arizona

Apache County
54.7% low-access · 30.5% SNAP
Cochise County
43.9% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Coconino County
32.5% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Graham County
39.6% low-access · 16.3% SNAP
Greenlee County
32.9% low-access · 5.7% SNAP
La Paz County
53.4% low-access · 11.6% SNAP

Compare Gila County vs Apache County → · All Arizona counties →

Food access nationally, Arizona in context

Gila County sits inside Arizona (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 Gila County has low food access? ▼
28.2% of residents in Gila County, AZ 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 Gila County? ▼
14.6% of households in Gila County receive SNAP, covering 3,455 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Gila County? ▼
The poverty rate in Gila County, AZ is 16.9%, with a median household income of $61,986 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Gila County a food desert? ▼
6 of Gila County's 16 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 Gila County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.4% of households in Gila 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.