County food-access profile · New Mexico
McKinley County, NM
McKinley County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 54.7%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 37.7%
- on SNAP
- 70K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
54.7% of McKinley County residents live in a low-access area, and 10 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 12
- low-access tracts
- 24K
- food-desert residents
- 10.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 33.2%
- 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).
McKinley County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 54.7% is well above the national share. 12 of the county's 17 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 39,105 people. 10 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 24,379 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 McKinley County compares nationally
McKinley County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 54.7% low-access share outpaces 95% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #158 most-affected nationwide.
McKinley County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 census tracts in McKinley County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
McKinley County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- McKinley
McKinley County, NM
54.7 % 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 | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 71,492 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 12 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 39,105 |
| Low-Access Share | 54.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 24,379 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 70,431 |
| Median Household Income | $47,668 |
| Poverty Rate | 33.2%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 8,047 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 37.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.7%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 37.7% of McKinley County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 54.7% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 37.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 8,047 households here.
- 10.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 10 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 McKinley County
well above the national share
10 of McKinley County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 58.8% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.
An estimated 39,105 residents, roughly 54.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 24,379 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (29.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in McKinley County
McKinley County has 83 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 46
- adi north llc, gallup
- allsups 222, gallup
- allsups 234, gallup
- allsups 250, gallup
- allsups 263, gallup
- crownpoint trading co 503, crownpoint
- fast stop iii mini market, zuni
- gas up 106, gallup
- gasmax 111, gallup
- lewis trading post, ramah
- love's travel stops & country stores inc 215, gallup
- maverik 645, gallup
- maverik country stores 671, gallup
- navajo conoco, navajo
- navajo shopping center, gamerco
- nks truck stop, gallup
- one9 1358, gallup
- pilot travel center 305, jamestown
- red mesa express 513, thoreau
- red mesa express 536, crownpoint
- red rock package, smithlake
- speedway 8687, tse bonito
- speedway 8688, gallup
- speedway 8691, gallup
- speedway 8694, gallup
- speedway 9098, gallup
- speedway 9115, gallup
- speedway 9116, gallup
- speedway 9525, gallup
- speedway 9525, gallup
- speedway 9535, church rock
- speedway 9539, gallup
- speedway 9647, crownpoint
- speedway 9647, crownpoint
- speedway 9668, tohatchi
- speedway 9668, tohatchi
- speedway 9672, zuni
- speedway 9676, thoreau
- speedway 9676, thoreau
- speedway 9774, gallup
- speedway 9776, gallup
- speedys #120, gallup
- ta gallup 008, gallup
- third street tavern mini mart, gallup
- tsaya trading post, crownpoint
- zuni express 521, zuni
Combination Grocery/Other · 21
- dollar general 10282, gallup
- dollartree 8685, gallup
- dollar general 12336, gallup
- dollar general 21742, thoreau
- dollar general 22934, gallup
- dollar general 30027, tse bonito
- dollar general 30040, gallup
- dollar general 30297, vanderwagen
- dollar general 30388, ramah
- dollar tree 3268, gallup
- family dollar 11582, gallup
- family dollar 11719, gallup
- family dollar 11766, yah-ta-hey
- family dollar 7521, thoreau
- family dollar store 10325, ramah
- family dollar store 3760, gallup
- family dollar store 6621, gallup
- family dollar store 7992, vanderwagen
- family dollar store 9288, gallup
- the filipino market, gallup
- walgreens 9007, gallup
Super Store · 6
- bashas inc 31, crownpoint
- halona marketplace, zuni
- lowes 21, gallup
- lowes 23, gallup
- t & r market, gallup
- walmart supercenter 906, gallup
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- bjs kountry store, thoreau
- la montanita food co-op, gallup
- major market inc 1, zuni
Supermarket · 3
- albertsons 2902, gallup
- safeway 1743, gallup
- t & r super station, gallup
Small Grocery Store · 2
- pronto express 107, gallup
- the community pantry, gallup
Farmers' Market · 1
- gallup farmers market, gallup
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- red rock beef jerky, gallup
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare McKinley County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
McKinley 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 McKinley County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in McKinley County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in McKinley County? ▼
Is McKinley County a food desert? ▼
What share of McKinley 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.