County food-access profile · New Mexico
Grant County, NM
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Grant 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).
- 26.6%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 19.1%
- on SNAP
- 28K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
26.6% of Grant County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 3.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.5%
- 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 Grant County's low-access share at 26.6%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 8 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 7,843 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,160 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 Grant County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Grant County's 26.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,181 most-affected nationwide.
Grant County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Grant County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Grant County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- Grant 26.6
Grant County, NM
26.6 % low-access
- Bernalillo 19.4
Bernalillo County, NM
19.4 % low-access
- Catron
Catron County, NM
100 % low-access
- Chaves 28.2
Chaves County, NM
28.2 % low-access
- Cibola 39.3
Cibola County, NM
39.3 % low-access
- Colfax 28.5
Colfax County, NM
28.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 29,514 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,843 |
| Low-Access Share | 26.6%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,160 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 27,775 |
| Median Household Income | $44,958 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,162 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.1%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.7% |
About 19.1% of Grant County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 26.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,162 households here.
- 3.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Grant County
above the national share
2 of Grant County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 7,843 residents, roughly 26.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,160 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 4 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Grant County
Grant County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 9 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs 10449, silver city
- dollar general 18007, santa clara
- dollar general 21475, silver city
- dollar general 24720, hurley
- dollar tree 6140, silver city
- family dollar store 4778, silver city
- family dollar store 4885, bayard
- the jerky store and more, bayard
- walgreens 10808, silver city
Convenience Store · 5
- chuck's folly, cliff
- gateway travel plaza, hurley
- shell food mart, silver city
- silver city quick stop, silver city
- snappy 202, silver city
Farmers' Market · 3
- gila farmers market, gila
- mimbres valley farmers' market, mimbres
- silver city farmers market, silver city
Large Grocery Store · 2
- food basket 101, bayard
- food basket 102, silver city
Supermarket · 2
- albertsons 3914, silver city
- silver city food co-op, silver city
Delivery Route · 1
- southwest new mexico food hub, silver city
Super Store · 1
- walmart 1357, silver city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare Grant County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
Grant County sits inside New Mexico (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 Grant County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Grant County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Grant County? ▼
Is Grant County a food desert? ▼
What share of Grant 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.