Signature · 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts)
Montezuma County, CO
Montezuma County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of the book) alongside 14.4% low-access.
- 14.4%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 11.9%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Montezuma County, CO
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 14.4% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -7.7 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 11.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 43% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: La Plata County (+ 0.4 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Montezuma County lands in the lower national band (14.4%, #2,163 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,163
- national by low-access %
- #43
- in CO
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (42.9% of tracts) .
How Montezuma County compares nationally
Montezuma County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.4% low-access share that beats 31% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,163).
Montezuma County's lower-band USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Montezuma County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (6 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Montezuma County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Colorado, not a full county-board reprint
- Kiowa
Kiowa 100%
100 % low-access
- Eagle 15.8
Eagle 15.8%
15.8 % low-access
- Morgan 15
Morgan 15%
15 % low-access
- La Plata 14.8
La Plata 14.8%
14.8 % low-access
- Montezuma 14.4
Montezuma 14.4%
14.4 % low-access
- Arapahoe 13.6
Arapahoe 13.6%
13.6 % low-access
- Gilpin 0
Gilpin 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 25,535 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,680 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,867 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 26,412 |
| Median Household Income | $65,244 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,336 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Montezuma County
Montezuma County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 31 authorized stores; Cortez holds 71% of them. 2 of the 5 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Bayfield, Towaco.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Cortez | 22 | 4 |
| Mancos | 4 | 1 |
| Dolores | 3 | 1 |
| Bayfield | 1 | none |
| Towaco | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 15
- esmeraldas ranchito, cortez
- fb organics, cortez
- good 2 go store 710, cortez
- good 2 go store 711, cortez
- handy mart south, cortez
- love's travel stop 850, cortez
- maverik, inc 275, cortez
- maverik, inc 497, cortez
- maverik, inc 763, cortez
- speedway 9491, bayfield
- speedway 9492, cortez
- speedway 9496, cortez
- speedway 9498, dolores
- speedway 9499, cortez
- ute mountain travel center 2, towaco
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 20981, cortez
- dollar tree 3139, cortez
- family dollar 11029, cortez
- family dollar 11273, mancos
- family dollar 11737, dolores
- p & d grocery, mancos
- walgreens 10370, cortez
Farmers' Market · 2
- mancos valley farmers market, mancos
- onward a legacy foundation dba cortez farmer's mar, cortez
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- nuchu market, cortez
- zuma natural foods, mancos
Super Store · 2
- city market 408, cortez
- walmart sc 966, cortez
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys pizza co102, cortez
Large Grocery Store · 1
- dolores food market, dolores
Supermarket · 1
- safeway 1892, cortez
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Colorado
One of 63 counties in Colorado, 6 are shown here.
Compare Montezuma County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Counties near Montezuma County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Montezuma County, both outside Colorado so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside CO (14.4% here).
- San Joaquin County, CA · 14.4% low-access
- Neosho County, KS · 14.4% low-access
- Lincoln County, NE · 14.4% low-access
- Chautauqua County, NY · 14.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside CO (11.9% here).
- Jersey County, IL · 11.9% SNAP
- Crawford County, KS · 11.9% SNAP
- Boyle County, KY · 11.9% SNAP
- Simpson County, KY · 11.9% 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.
Colorado among Mountain states
Colorado ranks 8th of 8 Mountain states by population-weighted low-access (21.5%). Montezuma County, at 14.4%, runs 7.1 pts below the Colorado rate.
- New Mexico 31.7%
- Wyoming 29.7%
- Arizona 26.8%
- Idaho 25.8%
- Utah 23.9%
- Nevada 23.0%
- Montana 22.3%
- Colorado 21.5%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Montezuma County, CO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 08083. 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.