County food-access profile · New Mexico
Lea County, NM
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lea 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).
- 20.7%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 19.8%
- on SNAP
- 74K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
20.7% of Lea County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 4.3%
- 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 Lea County's low-access share at 20.7%, above the national share. 8 of the county's 18 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,396 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,634 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 Lea County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lea County's 20.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,634 most-affected nationwide.
Lea County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 census tracts in Lea County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lea County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- Lea 20.7
Lea County, NM
20.7 % low-access
- Bernalillo 19.4
Bernalillo County, NM
19.4 % low-access
- Catron
Catron County, NM
100 % low-access
- Chaves 28.2
Chaves County, NM
28.2 % low-access
- Cibola 39.3
Cibola County, NM
39.3 % low-access
- Colfax 28.5
Colfax County, NM
28.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 64,727 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 13,396 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,634 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 73,733 |
| Median Household Income | $68,015 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,886 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.3%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.9% |
About 19.8% of Lea County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 20.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,886 households here.
- 4.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Lea County
above the national share
4 of Lea County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 13,396 residents, roughly 20.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,634 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (55.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lea County
Lea County has 79 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 40 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 40
- 7-eleven, inc. 21307, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42437, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42438, lovington
- 7-eleven, inc. 42460, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42461, jal
- 7-eleven, inc. 42462, lovington
- 7-eleven, inc. 42475, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42476, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42543, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42553, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42554, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42558, hobbs
- 7-eleven, inc. 42588, tatum
- 7-eleven, inc. 42590, hobbs
- allsup's 102470, eunice
- allsups 001, eunice
- allsups 003, hobbs
- allsups 006, hobbs
- allsups 032, jal
- allsups 035, hobbs
- allsups 036, hobbs
- allsups 037, hobbs
- allsups 063, tatum
- allsups 102308, jal
- allsups 109, lovington
- allsups 117, lovington
- allsups 118, lovington
- allsups 138, hobbs
- allsups 142, hobbs
- allsups 144, hobbs
- allsups 145, hobbs
- allsups 146, hobbs
- allsups 220, lovington
- love's travel stop 760, eunice
- maverik, inc 728, lovington
- murphy express 8735, hobbs
- pilot travel center 1165, jal
- pilot travel center 557, hobbs
- popcorn alley nm, hobbs
- tio juan meat market llc, hobbs
Combination Grocery/Other · 26
- dollar general 10019, hobbs
- dollar general 13267, eunice
- dollar general 6303, lovington
- dollar tree 2590, hobbs
- dollar general 13270, hobbs
- dollar general 16442, jal
- dollar general 18344, hobbs
- dollar general 22297, hobbs
- dollar general 22830, hobbs
- dollar general 24044, hobbs
- dollar general 24954, hobbs
- dollar general 25334, lovington
- dollar general 25675, hobbs
- dollar general 25908, hobbs
- dollar tree 5420, lovington
- family dollar 11131, hobbs
- family dollar 12395, hobbs
- family dollar store 10448, lovington
- family dollar store 10802, tatum
- family dollar store 11078, lovington
- family dollar store 1620, hobbs
- family dollar store 2528, eunice
- family dollar store 2978, lovington
- family dollar store 4269, hobbs
- walgreens 2349, hobbs
- walgreens 12793, hobbs
Super Store · 5
- bobs supermarket, lovington
- la esperanza meat market-tihara llc, hobbs
- la tienda inc, hobbs
- thriftway supermarket, hobbs
- walmart 549, hobbs
Supermarket · 3
- albertsons 680, hobbs
- lowes 4, eunice
- la carniceria llc 5759641326, hobbs
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- kendall's kountry meat market, hobbs
- mi pueblito meat market, lovington
Small Grocery Store · 2
- carniceria la unica, lovington
- la perla del sur latin market llc, hobbs
Large Grocery Store · 1
- lowes 14, jal
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare Lea County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
Lea County sits inside New Mexico (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 Lea County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lea County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lea County? ▼
Is Lea County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lea 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.