County food-access profile · Colorado
Mesa County, CO
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Mesa 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).
- 32.5%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 11.3%
- on SNAP
- 159K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.5% of Mesa County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 15
- low-access tracts
- 13K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.7%
- 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 Mesa County's low-access share at 32.5%, above the national share. 15 of the county's 29 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 47,675 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 12,976 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 Mesa County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Mesa County's 32.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #778 most-affected nationwide.
Mesa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 29 census tracts in Mesa County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mesa County vs. other Colorado counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado
- Mesa
Mesa County, CO
32.5 % 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 | 29 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 146,723 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 15 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 47,675 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 12,976 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 158,601 |
| Median Household Income | $73,658 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,468 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
About 11.3% of Mesa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,468 households here.
- 6.0% 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 Mesa County
above the national share
6 of Mesa County's 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.7% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 15.
An estimated 47,675 residents, roughly 32.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 12,976 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (48.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mesa County
Mesa County has 103 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 53 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 53
- alta 6311, grand junction
- alta 6312, grand junction
- alta 6315, grand junction
- alta 6316, grand junction
- alta 6317, fruita
- alta 6124, grand junction
- alta 6125, grand junction
- alta 6151, grand junction
- c & f food stores inc 1, grand junction
- c & f food stores inc 10, clifton
- c & f food stores inc 2, grand junction
- c & f food stores inc 4, grand junction
- c & f food stores inc 8, palisade
- c & f food stores inc 9, grand junction
- carniceria el baron rojo, grand junction
- carniceria snoyta ii, grand junction
- circle k 2744061, clifton
- circle k 2744115, grand junction
- citizen sheepdog llc, palisade
- de beque country store, de beque
- euromart, grand junction
- golden gate gas 70, palisade
- golden gate petroleum 73, grand junction
- golden gate petroleum 74, grand junction
- good 2 go 1st and grand 706, grand junction
- good 2 go 1st and grand 706, grand junction
- good 2 go fruitvale 704, grand junction
- good 2 go horizon 705, grand junction
- good 2 go store 707, grand junction
- good 2 go store 708, fruita
- happy country store llc 0720490, loma
- happy stop market llc 0720490, fruita
- happy stop superstore, grand junction
- love's travel stop 517, grand junction
- lucky me, grand junction
- marigold market, collbran
- maverik 482, grand junction
- maverik 5200, de beque
- maverik, inc 400, fruita
- maverik, inc 417, clifton
- maverik, inc 418, grand junction
- maverik, inc 500, grand junction
- maverik, inc 653, clifton
- pilot travel center 592, grand junction
- rodeo market, grand junction
- san jose bakery, grand junction
- stinker store 320, clifton
- stinker store 321, grand junction
- stinker store 322, grand junction
- stinker store 323, grand junction
- ta express grand junction, grand junction
- vt, llc - dba super c convenience store, grand junction
- you are lucky convenience store, grand junction
Combination Grocery/Other · 18
- carols oriental foods inc, grand junction
- dollar general 13952, palisade
- dollartree 10137, grand junction
- dollartree 8205, grand junction
- dollar general 23456, grand junction
- dollar general store 13246, fruita
- dollar tree 3782, grand junction
- dollar tree 3946, grand junction
- dollar tree 6364, clifton
- dollar tree 7641, grand junction
- family dollar 10579, grand junction
- family dollar 11558, clifton
- family dollar 7356, fruita
- family dollar 7580, grand junction
- walgreens 06108, clifton
- walgreens 09769, grand junction
- walgreens 10307, grand junction
- walgreens 11187, fruita
Super Store · 11
- city market 401, grand junction
- city market 413, fruita
- city market 425, grand junction
- city market 44, grand junction
- city market 451, grand junction
- sam's club 6360, grand junction
- shamrock foodservice warehouse 573, grand junction
- target stores t- 0093, grand junction
- walmart neighborhood market 4491, grand junction
- walmart sc 1280, grand junction
- walmart sc 5099, grand junction
Supermarket · 5
- natural grocers by vitamin cottage u018, grand junction
- safeway 1533, grand junction
- safeway 2625, grand jct
- safeway 897, grand junction
- sprouts farmers market 324, grand junction
Small Grocery Store · 4
- el torito carniceria, grand junction
- la milpa tortilla factory, llc, grand junction
- la pasadita supermarket, clifton
- skip's farm to market, fruita
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- fisher's market, grand junction
- old world meat, grand junction
- quality meat co inc, grand junction
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- asian market, grand junction
- gj mart, grand junction
- orchard mesa market, grand junction
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 001, grand junction
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 018, grand junction
Farmers' Market · 2
- downtown grand junction farmers market, grand junction
- fruita farmer's market, fruita
Large Grocery Store · 2
- carniceria sonoyta, clifton
- family food town, palisade
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Colorado
Compare Mesa County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Mesa 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 Mesa County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mesa County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mesa County? ▼
Is Mesa County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mesa 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.