County food-access profile · Arizona
Mohave County, AZ
Mohave 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.
- 45.9%
- low-access pop.
- 20
- food-desert tracts
- 13.1%
- on SNAP
- 221K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
45.9% of Mohave County residents live in a low-access area, and 20 of its 43 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 30
- low-access tracts
- 37K
- food-desert residents
- 3.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.1%
- 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).
Mohave County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 45.9% is well above the national share. 30 of the county's 43 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 91,823 people. 20 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 37,430 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 Mohave County compares nationally
Mohave County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.9% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #265 most-affected nationwide.
Mohave County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 43 census tracts in Mohave County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Mohave County vs. other Arizona counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arizona
- Mohave
Mohave County, AZ
45.9 % low-access
- Apache
Apache County, AZ
54.7 % low-access
- Cochise
Cochise County, AZ
43.9 % low-access
- Coconino
Coconino County, AZ
32.5 % low-access
- Gila
Gila County, AZ
28.2 % low-access
- Graham
Graham County, AZ
39.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 43 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 200,186 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 30 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 20 |
| Low-Access Population | 91,823 |
| Low-Access Share | 45.9%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 37,430 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 220,517 |
| Median Household Income | $57,684 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 13,386 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 13.1% of Mohave County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 45.9% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 13,386 households here.
- 3.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 20 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 Mohave County
well above the national share
20 of Mohave County's 43 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 46.5% of all its tracts.
A further 10 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 30.
An estimated 91,823 residents, roughly 45.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 37,430 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 13 tracts (30.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Mohave County
Mohave County has 166 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 78 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 78
- arco am/pm, bullhead city
- arco am/pm, kingman
- arco am/pm, lake havasu city
- arco ampm 42172, mohave valley
- baker chevron, kingman
- baker conoco, kingman
- bartco, mohave valley
- byers liqour-kingman ave, kingman
- byers liquor & convenience, kingman
- carioca shell 93, white hills
- circle k 2700247, bullhead city
- circle k 2700420, bullhead city
- circle k 2700586, kingman
- circle k 2701437, kingman
- circle k 2701473, lake havasu city
- circle k 2701765, bullhead city
- circle k 2705594, bullhead city
- circle k 2706669, lake havasu city
- circle k 2706674, lake havasu city
- coast in gas, golden valley
- commander center, lake havasu city
- crazy fred's truck stop, golden valley
- dockside mini mart inc, bullhead city
- eagles market, bullhead city
- el torito carniceria, fort mohave
- fastrip food store 634, bullhead city
- fastrip #770 770, bullhead city
- flying j 1372, yucca
- fort mohave food store, fort mohave
- fort mojave smoke shop n/a, mohave valley
- gas plus, kingman
- gas-n-grub dairy-n-sub, kingman
- gas-n-grub, kingman
- good 2 go store 506, kingman
- grab n go kingman, kingman
- hava gas lhc llc 1, lake havasu city
- jacksons 714, bullhead city
- kings 66, kingman
- kings mart, kingman
- liquor castle, bullhead city
- london bridge chevron, lake havasu city
- love's travel stop 386, lake havasu
- love's travel stops 272, kingman
- maverik, inc 201, lake havasu city
- maverik, inc 356, bullhead city
- maverik, inc 376, golden valley
- maverik, inc 471, kingman
- maverik, inc 690, lake havasu city
- maverik, inc 726, bullhead city
- maverik, inc 766, littlefield
- meadview gas n grub llc, meadview
- mikes gas n grub ii llc, kingman
- mikes gas n grub llc., kingman
- minit serve dairy inc, bullhead city
- petro kingman 315, kingman
- pilot 1213, yucca
- pilot travel center 211, lake havasu city
- pilot travel center 610, kingman
- randy's hilltop beer & wine, lake havasu city
- river city chevron, bullhead city
- riverstop topock, topock
- riviera beer & wine, bullhead city
- route 66 gas n grub, truxton
- sam's gas plus, kingman
- shell 11, wikieup
- short stop, kingman
- speedway liquor 1, fort mohave
- sunny stop, lake havasu city
- ta kingman 094, kingman
- ta express littlefield, littlefield
- thalypo convenience, mohave valley
- the mineshaft market, chloride
- tri-m mini mart lhc, llc, lake havasu city
- us petroleum gv, golden valley
- us petroleum wh #2, white hills
- us petroluem wh #1, white hills
- woodys 3401 3401, kingman
- woodys 3461 3461, kingman
Combination Grocery/Other · 55
- cvs pharmacy 7022, lake havasu city
- cvs pharmacy 8826, bullhead city
- cvs pharmacy 8977, kingman
- cvs pharmacy 9309, fort mohave
- dollartree 10388, lake havasu city
- dollartree 10493, bullhead city
- dollartree 9671, kingman
- dollar general 10196, kingman
- dollar general 11090, mohave valley
- dollar general 12417, lake havasu city
- dollar general 13482, lake havasu city
- dollar general 13529, kingman
- dollar general 16486, bullhead city
- dollar general 17831, lake havasu city
- dollar general 18114, kingman
- dollar general 19017, lake havasu city
- dollar general 20850, kingman
- dollar general 21999, bullhead city
- dollar general 22499, dolan springs
- dollar general 23902, kingman
- dollar general 24021, bullhead city
- dollar general 24865, kingman
- dollar general 25065, golden valley
- dollar general 31268, mohave valley
- dollar general 6772, fort mohave
- dollar general 6878, kingman
- dollar general 6939, golden valley
- dollar general store 16457, colorado city
- dollar tree 2855, kingman
- dollar tree 2960, bullhead city
- dollar tree 4689, lake havasu city
- dollar tree 4890, fort mohave
- dollar tree 9518, lake havasu city
- family dollar 10037, mohave valley
- family dollar 11149, kingman
- family dollar 11152, meadowview
- family dollar store 10900, topock
- family dollar store 4684, kingman
- family dollar store 4767, golden valley
- family dollar store 4843, bullhead city
- family dollar store 5485, bullhead city
- family dollar store 6559, lake havasu city
- family dollar store 7935, dolan springs
- herbs and more, kingman
- terrible's 101, lake havasu city
- terrible's 132, kingman
- terrible's 148, lake havasu city
- terrible's 180, bullhead city
- terrible's 233, lake havasu city
- terrible's 321, lake havasu city
- terrible's 411, white hills
- walgreens 03245, kingman
- walgreens 05208, lake havasu city
- walgreens 12880, kingman
- walgreens 3913, bullhead city
Super Store · 15
- bashas' 116, lake havasu city
- bashas' 30, kingman
- bee's marketplace, colorado city
- food city 108, lake havasu city
- smart & final 826, bullhead city
- smith's food & drug 190, kingman
- smith's food & drug 191, bullhead city
- smith's food & drug 473, fort mohave
- sam's club 4915, bullhead city
- smith's food & drug 188, lake havasu city
- target store t-2368, bullhead city
- walmart 1364, lake havasu city
- walmart 1370, bullhead city
- walmart 2051, kingman
- walmart 4203, fort mohave
Supermarket · 6
- albertson's 3204, lake havasu city
- safeway 1474, fort mohave
- safeway 1887, kingman
- safeway 2017, kingman
- safeway 216, lake havasu city
- safeway 248, bullhead city
Bakery Specialty · 3
- papa murphy's az014, kingman
- papa murphy's az027, lake havasu city
- red brick take n bake pizza, colorado city
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- dairy country store, colorado city
- hualpai market, peach springs
- sanchez brother's retail 1, bullhead city
Large Grocery Store · 2
- best buy market, mohave valley
- hualapai ranch market, kingman
Small Grocery Store · 2
- dolan station, dolan springs
- the outpost, golden valley
Farmers' Market · 1
- lake havasu farmers market, lake havasu city
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- just meats, lake havasu city
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arizona
Compare Mohave County vs Apache County → · All Arizona counties →
Food access nationally, Arizona in context
Mohave County sits inside Arizona (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 Mohave County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Mohave County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Mohave County? ▼
Is Mohave County a food desert? ▼
What share of Mohave 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.