Signature · 1 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Lake County, CO
Lake County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 1 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 45.2% low-access.
- 45.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.6%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lake County, CO
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-SEVERE 45.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +23.1 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.6% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Moffat County ( -3.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Lake County sits in the upper national band (45.2%, #281 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #281
- national by low-access %
- #8
- in CO
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- 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 (50% of tracts) .
How Lake County compares nationally
Lake County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.2% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #281 most-affected nationwide.
Lake County's elevated USDA tier split
2 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 2 of Lake County's tracts are urban in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 1-mile test, the stricter of the two distance thresholds.
Lake County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Colorado, not a full county-board reprint
- Kiowa
Kiowa 100%
100 % low-access
- Fremont
Fremont 51.6%
51.6 % low-access
- Lake
Lake 45.2%
45.2 % low-access
- Moffat
Moffat 42.1%
42.1 % low-access
- Pueblo
Pueblo 41.6%
41.6 % low-access
- Archuleta
Archuleta 40.9%
40.9 % low-access
- Gilpin 0
Gilpin 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 2 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,310 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,306 |
| Low-Access Share | 45.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,671 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 7,380 |
| Median Household Income | $96,575 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 231 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.6%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
SNAP retailers in Lake County
Lake County has 8 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 4 locations (50% of the total), followed by small grocery store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 8 authorized stores; Leadville holds 88% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Leadvill.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Leadville | 7 | 1 |
| Leadvill | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 4
- diamond shamrock corner store 274682, leadville
- fast stop 1161 inc., leadville
- fast stop 1164 inc., leadville
- fast stop 1166 inc., leadville
Small Grocery Store · 2
- envios la pasadita llc, leadville
- tenderfoot market leadville, leadvill
Combination Grocery/Other · 1
- family dollar 5166, leadville
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 2824, leadville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Colorado
One of 63 counties in Colorado, 6 are shown here.
Compare Lake County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Colorado among Mountain states
Colorado ranks 8th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (21.5%). Lake County, at 45.2%, runs 23.7 pts above the Colorado rate.
- New Mexico 31.7%
- Wyoming 29.7%
- Arizona 26.8%
- Idaho 25.8%
- Utah 23.9%
- Nevada 23.0%
- Montana 22.3%
- Colorado 21.5%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 .
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 Lake County, CO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 08065. 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.