Signature · 21.8% SNAP (94th pct in CO)
Otero County, CO
Otero County stands out on SNAP (21.8%, +9.7 pts vs U.S.) with 11.2% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 11.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 21.8%
- on SNAP
- 18K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Otero County, CO
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 11.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -10.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 21.8% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 29% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Chaffee County ( -0.4 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Otero County lands in the lower national band (11.2%, #2,395 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,395
- national by low-access %
- #50
- in CO
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 870
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 21.8% SNAP (94th pct in CO) (+9.7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Otero County compares nationally
Otero County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.2% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,400).
Otero County's lower-band USDA tier split
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Otero County has 3 urban and 4 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Otero County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Colorado, not a full county-board reprint
- Kiowa
Kiowa 100%
100 % low-access
- Routt 12.1
Routt 12.1%
12.1 % low-access
- Hinsdale 11.8
Hinsdale 11.8%
11.8 % low-access
- Otero 11.2
Otero 11.2%
11.2 % low-access
- Chaffee 10.8
Chaffee 10.8%
10.8 % low-access
- Denver 10.8
Denver 10.8%
10.8 % low-access
- Gilpin 0
Gilpin 0%
0 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 18,831 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,117 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 870 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,321 |
| Median Household Income | $54,037 |
| Poverty Rate | 22.1%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,654 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.7% |
SNAP retailers in Otero County
Otero County has 21 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 9 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 9
- alta 6133, fowler
- jr's country store 503, rocky ford
- loaf n jug 750001, fowler
- loaf n jug 750013, la junta
- loaf n jug 750016, la junta
- loaf n jug 750049, rocky ford
- loves country store 12, la junta
- tank-n-tummy, rocky ford
- wallace oil company, la junta
Combination Grocery/Other · 4
- dollar tree 2927, la junta
- family dollar 4785, rocky ford
- family dollar 5100, la junta
- family dollar 8898, fowler
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- blue ribbon processing, llc, fowler
- maya's carniceria, rocky ford
Supermarket · 2
- rocky ford food market llc, rocky ford
- safeway 3723, la junta
Farmers' Market · 1
- sacketts farm market llc, rocky ford
Large Grocery Store · 1
- thaxtons market of fowler, llc, fowler
Small Grocery Store · 1
- bauserman farm market, manzanola
Super Store · 1
- walmart sc 1384, la junta
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 Otero County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Counties near Otero County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Otero County (21.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Colorado.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside CO (11.2% here).
- Tulare County, CA · 11.2% low-access
- Tulare County, CA · 11.2% low-access
- Humboldt County, CA · 11.2% low-access
- Humboldt County, CA · 11.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside CO (21.8% here).
- Fresno County, CA · 21.8% SNAP
- Fresno County, CA · 21.8% SNAP
- McIntosh County, GA · 21.8% SNAP
- McIntosh County, GA · 21.8% 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.
Otero County inside a lower low-access state context
Otero County sits inside Colorado (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Otero County, CO are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 08089. 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.