PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Colorado

Las Animas County, CO

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Las Animas 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).

31.8%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
20.3%
on SNAP
14K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CO

The food-access picture

31.8% of Las Animas County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
7.1%
households, no vehicle
18.7%
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 Las Animas County's low-access share at 31.8%, above the national share. 3 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 4,930 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,958 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 Las Animas County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Las Animas County's 31.8% low-access share is elevated, higher than 74% of them and ranked #827 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Las Animas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 6 census tracts in Las Animas 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 Las Animas County, CO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 6 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 50% Limited 0% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Las Animas County, CO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Las Animas 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 Las Animas County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts6
Atlas Population (2010 basis)15,507
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population4,930
Low-Access Share31.8%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,958

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Las Animas County
IndicatorValue
Population14,413
Median Household Income$52,074
Poverty Rate18.7%above the national average
SNAP Households1,323
SNAP Participation Rate20.3%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.6%
SNAP participation in Las Animas County 20.3%

About 20.3% of Las Animas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 31.8% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,323 households here.
  • 7.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Las Animas County

above the national share

3 of Las Animas County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 50.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 4,930 residents, roughly 31.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,958 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 3 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Las Animas County

Las Animas County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (59% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 10

  • aguilar mercantile, aguilar
  • alta 6030, trinidad
  • alta 6031, trinidad
  • alta 6032, trinidad
  • alta 6033, trinidad
  • alta 6034, trinidad
  • alta 6255, trinidad
  • love's travel stop 1035, trinidad
  • maverik, inc 775, trinidad
  • ringos super trading post, trinidad

Combination Grocery/Other · 2

  • dollar tree 7870, trinidad
  • family dollar 2942, trinidad

Farmers' Market · 1

  • trinidad community farmers market nafmnp, trinidad

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • ringos food market inc, aguilar

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • simpson's local market, trinidad

Super Store · 1

  • walmart sc 962, trinidad

Supermarket · 1

  • safeway 722, trinidad

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 Las Animas County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →

Food access nationally, Colorado in context

Las Animas 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 Las Animas County has low food access? ▼
31.8% of residents in Las Animas 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 Las Animas County? ▼
20.3% of households in Las Animas County receive SNAP, covering 1,323 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Las Animas County? ▼
The poverty rate in Las Animas County, CO is 18.7%, with a median household income of $52,074 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Las Animas County a food desert? ▼
3 of Las Animas County's 6 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 Las Animas County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.1% of households in Las Animas 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.