County food-access profile · Colorado
Larimer County, CO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Larimer 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).
- 23.3%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 7.7%
- on SNAP
- 367K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.3% of Larimer County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 73 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 32
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 3.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.2%
- 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 Larimer County's low-access share at 23.3%, above the national share. 32 of the county's 73 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 69,675 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,135 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 Larimer County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Larimer County's 23.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,421 most-affected nationwide.
Larimer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 73 census tracts in Larimer County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Larimer County vs. other Colorado counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado
- Larimer
Larimer County, CO
23.3 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, CO
17.9 % low-access
- Alamosa
Alamosa County, CO
27.7 % low-access
- Arapahoe 13.6
Arapahoe County, CO
13.6 % low-access
- Archuleta
Archuleta County, CO
40.9 % low-access
- Baca
Baca County, CO
25.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 73 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 299,630 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 32 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 69,675 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,135 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 367,368 |
| Median Household Income | $93,765 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 11,813 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.9% |
About 7.7% of Larimer County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 11,813 households here.
- 3.6% 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 Larimer County
above the national share
6 of Larimer County's 73 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.2% of all its tracts.
A further 26 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 32.
An estimated 69,675 residents, roughly 23.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,135 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 41 tracts (56.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Larimer County
Larimer County has 165 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 79 locations (48% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 79
- 7 eleven 39079b, fort collins
- 7 eleven 39519b, windsor
- 7-eleven 42372h, loveland
- 7-eleven store 13171a, fort collins
- 7-eleven store 20104a, fort collins
- 7-eleven store 26933a, fort collins
- 7-eleven store 38981a, loveland
- 7-eleven, inc. 39082j, loveland
- 7-eleven, inc. 41990h, loveland
- 7-eleven 17142a 17142a, loveland
- 7-eleven 32276b, fort collins
- 7-eleven 35708a, loveland
- 7-eleven 35880b, fort collins
- 7-eleven 38887a, berthoud
- 7-eleven store 25290d 25290d, fort collins
- 7-eleven store 26803d 26803d, fort collins
- 7-eleven store 26927c 26927c, fort collins
- 7-eleven store 35506b 35506b, fort collins
- 7-eleven store 35717b 35717b, windsor
- 7-eleven store 41224a 41224a, loveland
- alta 6029, johnstown
- alta 6119, loveland
- alta 6130, fort collins
- alta 6138, fort collins
- big d oil 47, loveland
- big d oil 49, fort collins
- big d oil 50, fort collins
- big d oil 61, loveland
- big d oil 64, wellington
- broadmoor heights convenience, loveland
- circle k 2709209, loveland
- circle k 2740645, loveland
- circle k 2740698, loveland
- circle k 2741186, loveland
- circle k 2744135, loveland
- csu - cams corner store, fort collins
- diamond shamrock corner store 2741152, fort collins
- diamond shamrock corner store 2744104, fort collins
- diamond shamrock corner store 2744105, fort collins
- fast market 4587, fort collins
- frank's bbq trading post llc, loveland
- jj's country corner, fort collins
- just pump it, loveland
- kwik korner, berthoud
- loaf n jug 750810, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750811, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750812, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750813, windsor
- loaf n jug 750814, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750815, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750816, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750817, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750819, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750821, bellvue
- loaf n jug 750822, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750823, loveland
- loaf n jug 750824, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750825, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750826, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750827, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750828, estes park
- lake street market, fort collins
- loaf n jug 750846, wellington
- loaf n jug 750858, fort collins
- love's travel stop 668, berthoud
- maverik 5150, wellington
- maverik 5199, loveland
- maverik 520, fort collins
- maverik 5261, loveland
- maverik 5320, loveland
- maverik 5391, berthoud
- maverik 5401, timnath
- maverik, inc 642, fort collins
- minimal market, loveland
- murphy express 8586, loveland
- murphy usa 7494, timnath
- one stop fuel, loveland
- red feather trading post, red feather lakes
- the rockies, fort collins
Super Store · 27
- costco wholesale 1178, timnath
- esh's grocery market, llc, loveland
- king soopers 146, fort collins
- king soopers 18, fort collins
- king soopers 44, loveland
- king soopers 73, fort collins
- king soopers 74, loveland
- king soopers 9, fort collins
- king soopers 97, fort collins
- king soopers 99, fort collins
- lucky's market, fort collins
- ridleys family markets 1136, wellington
- safeway 862, fort collins
- sam's club 6633, fort collins
- sam's club 8147, loveland
- shamrock foodservice warehouse 571, fort collins
- target store t3416, fort collins
- target stores t- 0079, fort collins
- target stores t- 1178, loveland
- target stores t- 2403, fort collins
- walmart sc 1008, loveland
- walmart sc 2729, fort collins
- walmart sc 4599, timnath
- walmart sc 5370, longmont
- walmart sc 953, loveland
- walmart supercenter 3177, ft collins
- whole foods market 10147, fort collins
Combination Grocery/Other · 24
- country super market, estes park
- dollar general 18151, estes park
- dollartree plus 9151, loveland
- dollar general 22713, wellington
- dollar general 23039, loveland
- dollar tree 2692, fort collins
- dollar tree 2699, loveland
- dollar tree 3967, fort collins
- dollar tree 5161, fort collins
- dollar tree 6507, fort collins
- dollar tree 9626, estes park
- family dollar 9016, wellington
- quick go, estes park
- turmeric indian grocery, fort collins
- walgreens 05645, loveland
- walgreens 06844, fort collins
- walgreens 09564, loveland
- walgreens 09565, fort collins
- walgreens 10308, loveland
- walgreens 10601, fort collins
- walgreens 11862, fort collins
- walgreens 18340, fort collins
- walgreens 6343, loveland
- walgreens 7252, fort collins
Supermarket · 16
- fresh foods 4, fort collins
- gordon restaurant market mp234, fort collins
- hays market of berthoud llc, berthoud
- natural grocers u172, loveland
- safeway 1552, fort collins
- safeway 2913, fort collins
- safeway 2915, loveland
- safeway 914, loveland
- safeway 920, estes park
- safeway 804, loveland
- safeway 876, fort collins
- sprouts farmers market 303, fort collins
- sprouts farmers market 330, loveland
- sunflower farmers market 316, fort collins
- trader joe's 304, fort collins
- vitamin cottage natural food market u013, fort collins
Bakery Specialty · 5
- bimbo bakeries 9109, loveland
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 003, fort collins
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 036, fort collins
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 041, loveland
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 076, loveland
Farmers' Market · 5
- berthoud local farmers market, berthoud
- city of loveland farmers market, loveland
- fort collins farmers market, fort collins
- fort collins winter farmers market, fort collins
- larimer county farmers market, fort collins
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- fort collins food coop, fort collins
- la barata 2, fort collins
- las delicias 2, fort collins
- las iv americas, fort collins
- the olive tree market 1, fort collins
Large Grocery Store · 2
- dacono discount grocery llc, loveland
- overland foods, laporte
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- scofield fruits llc, loveland
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- friendly nick's butcher, fort collins
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Colorado
Compare Larimer County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Larimer County sits inside Colorado (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 Larimer County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Larimer County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Larimer County? ▼
Is Larimer County a food desert? ▼
What share of Larimer 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.