Where does Harding County rank for food access?

According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019), Harding County ranks #20 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #2 of 33 counties in NM, the same sort as the worst-food-deserts ranking. See /methodology#corpus-placement.

What share of Harding County has low food access?

100.0% of residents in Harding County, NM 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 Harding County?

8.7% of households in Harding County receive SNAP, covering 25 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).

What is the poverty rate in Harding County?

The poverty rate in Harding County, NM is 19.4%, with a median household income of $48,553 (Census ACS 2024).

Is Harding County a food desert?

1 of Harding County's 1 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 Harding County households lack a vehicle?

7.7% of households in Harding County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.

Signature · 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts)

Harding County, NM

Harding County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (100% of the book) alongside 100.0% low-access.

Compiled by Plainfoodaccess, Food Access Editorial Process · December 31, 2024

100.0%
low-access pop.: 1
food-desert tracts: 8.7%
on SNAP: 741
residents (ACS 2024)

USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NM

USDA FARA access plate

County Harding County, NM

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE

LA-SEVERE 100.0% low-access
ABOVE-NATIONAL +77.9 pts vs US
LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
SNAP-LIGHT 8.7% SNAP
VEH-TYPICAL 7.7% no vehicle
DENSITY-DENSE 100% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Catron County (+ 0.0 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Harding County sits in the upper national band (100.0%, #20 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.

#20
national by low-access %: #2
in NM: 1
low-access tracts: 335
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 1 LILA tracts (100% of tracts) .

How Harding County compares nationally

Harding County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 100.0% low-access share outpaces 98% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #49 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Harding County's elevated USDA tier split

1 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Harding County has 0 urban and 1 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Mora

100
Harding

100
Catron

100
Valencia

58.8
McKinley

54.7
De Baca

17.3

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Harding County
Indicator	Value
Census Tracts	1
Atlas Population (2010 basis)	695
Low-Access Tracts	1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)	1
Low-Access Population	695
Low-Access Share	100.0%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population	335

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Harding County
Indicator	Value
Population	741
Median Household Income	$48,553
Poverty Rate	19.4%above the national average
SNAP Households	25
SNAP Participation Rate	8.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle	7.7%near the national average

Slim SNAP store book in Harding County

Harding County has 1 store currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 1 store category. Every authorized retailer here is a convenience store.

Convenience Store · 1

gabrielle's convenience store llc, roy

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in New Mexico

One of 32 counties in New Mexico, 6 are shown here.

Bernalillo County

19.4% low-access · 17.0% SNAP

Catron County

100.0% low-access · 9.3% SNAP

Chaves County

28.2% low-access · 25.0% SNAP

Cibola County

39.3% low-access · 23.6% SNAP

Colfax County

28.5% low-access · 23.4% SNAP

Curry County

32.4% low-access · 25.5% SNAP

Compare Harding County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →

Harding County inside a higher low-access state context

Harding County sits inside New Mexico (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Read with this county

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled 2026-06-23.

PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Harding County, NM are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 35021. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.

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.