PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Colorado

Montrose County, CO

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Montrose 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).

22.0%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
11.2%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CO

The food-access picture

22.0% of Montrose County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
3.6%
households, no vehicle
11.5%
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 Montrose County's low-access share at 22.0%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,077 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,160 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 Montrose County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Montrose County's 22.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 51% of them and ranked #1,527 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Montrose County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Montrose County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Montrose County, CO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (60.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (40.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 0% Severe 40% Food-access tier distribution: Montrose County, CO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Montrose County vs. other Colorado counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Montrose County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)41,276
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population9,077
Low-Access Share22.0%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,160

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Montrose County
IndicatorValue
Population43,807
Median Household Income$72,120
Poverty Rate11.5%below the national average
SNAP Households2,023
SNAP Participation Rate11.2%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.6%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Montrose County 11.2%

About 11.2% of Montrose County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.0% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,023 households here.
  • 3.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Montrose County

above the national share

4 of Montrose County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% of all its tracts.

An estimated 9,077 residents, roughly 22.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,160 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Montrose County

Montrose County has 31 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 12

  • alta 6126, montrose
  • claudia's bakery n/a, montrose
  • el super 1, montrose
  • golden gate petroleum 77, montrose
  • good 2 go montrose 709, montrose
  • humdinger 17, olathe
  • humdinger's travel shoppe 15, montrose
  • maverik, inc 616, montrose
  • pour gas gas & mini-mart 1, montrose
  • shell food plaza, montrose
  • smart market, montrose
  • stinker store 316, montrose

Combination Grocery/Other · 6

  • dollar general 10864, montrose
  • dollar general 21938, olathe
  • dollar general 30758, montrose
  • dollar tree 3442, montrose
  • family dollar store 10532, nucla
  • walgreens 0403, montrose

Super Store · 4

  • city market 403, montrose
  • city market 440, montrose
  • target stores t- 2343, montrose
  • walmart sc 1058, montrose

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • busy corner market, olathe
  • carniceria sonora montrose llc, montrose

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • carniceria el senor de los cortes llc, montrose
  • wild gal's market, nucla

Supermarket · 2

  • natural grocers by vitamin cottage u034, montrose
  • safeway 1131, montrose

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • papa murphy's take and bake pizza co 057, montrose

Farmers' Market · 1

  • montrose farmers market, montrose

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • family market, naturita

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Colorado

Adams County
17.9% low-access · 10.3% SNAP
Alamosa County
27.7% low-access · 28.6% SNAP
Arapahoe County
13.6% low-access · 7.7% SNAP
Archuleta County
40.9% low-access · 6.9% SNAP
Baca County
25.2% low-access · 21.3% SNAP
Bent County
12.4% low-access · 21.4% SNAP

Compare Montrose County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →

Food access nationally, Colorado in context

Montrose County sits inside Colorado (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Montrose County has low food access? ▼
22.0% of residents in Montrose County, CO live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Montrose County? ▼
11.2% of households in Montrose County receive SNAP, covering 2,023 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Montrose County? ▼
The poverty rate in Montrose County, CO is 11.5%, with a median household income of $72,120 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Montrose County a food desert? ▼
4 of Montrose County's 10 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Montrose County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.6% of households in Montrose County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.