PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Nevada

Nye County, NV

Nye 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.

87.1%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
14.9%
on SNAP
54K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NV

The food-access picture

87.1% of Nye County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

8
low-access tracts
15K
food-desert residents
5.6%
households, no vehicle
14.1%
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).

Nye County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 87.1% is well above the national share. 8 of the county's 9 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 38,294 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 15,035 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 Nye County compares nationally

Nye County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 87.1% low-access share outpaces 97% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #85 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Nye County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Nye 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 Nye County, NV USDA-defined food-access tiers: 1 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 1 tracts adequate (11.1%) 3 tracts limited (33.3%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (55.6%) Adequate 11% Limited 33% Severe 56% Food-access tier distribution: Nye County, NV
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Nye County vs. other Nevada counties

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

% 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 Nye County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)43,946
Low-Access Tracts8
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population38,294
Low-Access Share87.1%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population15,035

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Nye County
IndicatorValue
Population54,344
Median Household Income$60,714
Poverty Rate14.1%near the national average
SNAP Households3,307
SNAP Participation Rate14.9%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Nye County 14.9%

About 14.9% of Nye County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 87.1% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 14.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,307 households here.
  • 5.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Nye County

well above the national share

5 of Nye County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 55.6% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.

An estimated 38,294 residents, roughly 87.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 15,035 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 1 tract (11.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Nye County

Nye County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • 76/chevron of amargosa/fort amargosa, amargosa valley
  • coyote corner 2, pahrump
  • coyote corner i 1, pahrump
  • coyote corner iii, pahrump
  • gv grocery 22, pahrump
  • horizon market 1, pahrump
  • horizon market 2, pahrump
  • horizon market 3, pahrump
  • horizon market 4, pahrump
  • horizon market 5, pahrump
  • horizon market 6, pahrump
  • love's travel stop 857, tonopah
  • low low liquor & minimart, pahrump
  • maverik, inc 437, pahrump
  • maverik, inc 453, battle mountain
  • pahrump circle k, pahrump
  • quick save storage and mini mart, pahrum
  • rebel 48 66148, pahrump
  • rebel 74 66174, beatty
  • rebel 78 66178, pahrump
  • ruby store market, amargosa valley

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs pharmacy 8789, pahrump
  • carniceria la piedad, pahrump
  • dollar general 15044, pahrump
  • dollar tree 5899, pahrump
  • family dollar 11679, pahrump
  • family dollar 11680, pahrump
  • family dollar 11746, beatty
  • family dollar 8576, pahrump
  • family dollar 8760, tonopah
  • jed's jerky 1, beatty
  • terrible's 143, pahrump
  • terrible's 211, pahrump
  • walgreens 5646, pahrump

Supermarket · 3

  • albertsons 341, pahrump
  • raley's 120, tonopah
  • the general store, round mountain

Super Store · 2

  • smith's food & drug 341, pahrump
  • walmart 5101, pahrump

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • martell market, amargosa valley

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Nevada

Carson City
14.3% low-access · 10.3% SNAP
Churchill County
18.9% low-access · 10.6% SNAP
Clark County
19.0% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Douglas County
50.1% low-access · 5.6% SNAP
Elko County
16.1% low-access · 9.1% SNAP
Esmeralda County
97.2% low-access · 27.8% SNAP

Compare Nye County vs Carson City → · All Nevada counties →

Food access nationally, Nevada in context

Nye County sits inside Nevada (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 Nye County has low food access? ▼
87.1% of residents in Nye County, NV 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 Nye County? ▼
14.9% of households in Nye County receive SNAP, covering 3,307 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Nye County? ▼
The poverty rate in Nye County, NV is 14.1%, with a median household income of $60,714 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Nye County a food desert? ▼
5 of Nye County's 9 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 Nye County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.6% of households in Nye 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.