PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Colorado

Kit Carson County, CO

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

26.2%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
10.5%
on SNAP
7K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CO

The food-access picture

26.2% of Kit Carson County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
772
food-desert residents
5.9%
households, no vehicle
9.8%
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 Kit Carson County's low-access share at 26.2%, above the national share. 2 of the county's 3 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 2,167 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 772 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 Kit Carson County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kit Carson County's 26.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 62% of them and ranked #1,203 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Kit Carson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 3 census tracts in Kit Carson 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 Kit Carson County, CO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 3 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (66.7%) Adequate 33% Limited 0% Severe 67% Food-access tier distribution: Kit Carson County, CO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Kit Carson 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 Kit Carson County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts3
Atlas Population (2010 basis)8,270
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,167
Low-Access Share26.2%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population772

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Kit Carson County
IndicatorValue
Population7,023
Median Household Income$70,259
Poverty Rate9.8%below the national average
SNAP Households304
SNAP Participation Rate10.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.9%
SNAP participation in Kit Carson County 10.5%

About 10.5% of Kit Carson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 26.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 304 households here.
  • 5.9% 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 Kit Carson County

above the national share

2 of Kit Carson County's 3 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 66.7% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,167 residents, roughly 26.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 772 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Kit Carson County

Kit Carson County has 11 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 5 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 5

  • alta 6142, burlington
  • health essentials, inc., burlington
  • loaf n jug 750066, flagler
  • love's travel stop 644, burlington
  • travel center, burlington

Combination Grocery/Other · 3

  • dollar general 12041, burlington
  • dollar general 21376, flagler
  • family dollar 7265, burlington

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • stop & shop supermarket, flagler
  • stratton stop & shop, stratton

Supermarket · 1

  • safeway 3399, burlington

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 Kit Carson County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →

Food access nationally, Colorado in context

Kit Carson 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 Kit Carson County has low food access? ▼
26.2% of residents in Kit Carson 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 Kit Carson County? ▼
10.5% of households in Kit Carson County receive SNAP, covering 304 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Kit Carson County? ▼
The poverty rate in Kit Carson County, CO is 9.8%, with a median household income of $70,259 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Kit Carson County a food desert? ▼
2 of Kit Carson County's 3 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 Kit Carson County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.9% of households in Kit Carson 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.