Signature · 38.4% low-access (85th pct)
Lincoln County, NM
Lincoln County sits in the upper national band on low-access (38.4%, +16.3 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 38.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.7%
- on SNAP
- 20K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lincoln County, NM
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 38.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +16.3 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Rio Arriba County ( -0.2 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Lincoln County sits in the upper national band (38.4%, #465 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #465
- national by low-access %
- #13
- in NM
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- 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: 38.4% low-access (85th pct) (+16.3 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Lincoln County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lincoln County's 38.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #465 most-affected nationwide.
Lincoln County's elevated USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Lincoln County has 2 urban and 3 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Lincoln County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in New Mexico, not a full county-board reprint
- Mora
Mora 100%
100 % low-access
- Cibola 39.3
Cibola 39.3%
39.3 % low-access
- San Juan 39.1
San Juan 39.1%
39.1 % low-access
- Lincoln 38.4
Lincoln 38.4%
38.4 % low-access
- Rio Arriba 38.2
Rio Arriba 38.2%
38.2 % low-access
- Quay 38
Quay 38%
38 % low-access
- De Baca 17.3
De Baca 17.3%
17.3 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,497 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,870 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,142 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 20,224 |
| Median Household Income | $53,303 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,466 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.8% |
SNAP retailers in Lincoln County
Lincoln County has 23 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- allsup's 102373, ruidoso
- allsups 102379, tinnie
- allsups 132, carrizozo
- allsups 339, ruidoso
- allsups 340, ruidoso
- allsups 341, ruidoso
- allsups 343, ruidoso
- circle k 2701341, ruidoso downs
- onda ruidoso downs shamrock 8008, ruidoso downs
- onda ruidoso shamrock 8005, ruidoso
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 13712, ruidoso
- dollar general 6659, ruidoso
- dollar general 24498, capitan
- dollar tree 3825, ruidoso
- family dollar 11403, carrizozo
- family dollar store 2954, ruidoso
- mario's market, ruidoso
- walgreens 04650, ruidoso
Supermarket · 3
- albertsons market 682, ruidoso
- lowe's 7, ruidoso
- smokeys country market, capitan
Small Grocery Store · 1
- el gallo loco carniceria y mas, ruidoso
Super Store · 1
- walmart 851, ruidoso downs
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in New Mexico
One of 32 counties in New Mexico, 6 are shown here.
Compare Lincoln County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Counties near Lincoln County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Lincoln County, both outside New Mexico so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NM (38.4% here).
- Barrow County, GA · 38.4% low-access
- Barrow County, GA · 38.4% low-access
- Highlands County, FL · 38.4% low-access
- Highlands County, FL · 38.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NM (14.7% here).
- Hudson County, NJ · 14.7% SNAP
- Hudson County, NJ · 14.7% SNAP
- Niagara County, NY · 14.7% SNAP
- Niagara County, NY · 14.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Lincoln County inside a higher low-access state context
Lincoln County sits inside New Mexico (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Lincoln County, NM are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 35027. 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.