County food-access profile · New Mexico
Otero County, NM
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Otero 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).
- 23.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 21.6%
- on SNAP
- 69K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.9% of Otero County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.3%
- 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 Otero County's low-access share at 23.9%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 16 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,259 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,041 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 Otero County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Otero County's 23.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,375 most-affected nationwide.
Otero County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 16 census tracts in Otero County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Otero County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- Otero 23.9
Otero County, NM
23.9 % low-access
- Bernalillo 19.4
Bernalillo County, NM
19.4 % low-access
- Catron
Catron County, NM
100 % low-access
- Chaves 28.2
Chaves County, NM
28.2 % low-access
- Cibola 39.3
Cibola County, NM
39.3 % low-access
- Colfax 28.5
Colfax County, NM
28.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,797 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,259 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.9%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,041 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 68,816 |
| Median Household Income | $55,876 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,283 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 21.6%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.0% |
About 21.6% of Otero County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.9% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 21.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,283 households here.
- 5.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Otero County
above the national share
2 of Otero County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 15,259 residents, roughly 23.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,041 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Otero County
Otero County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- aiko's oriental food store 781, alamogordo
- allsups 009, alamogordo
- allsups 095, alamogordo
- allsups 102377, alamogordo
- allsups 143, cloudcroft
- busy bee general store n/a, timberon
- circle k 2741285, alamogordo
- circle k 2741296, alamogordo
- kent kwik 501, alamogordo
- la luz market, la luz
- maverik, inc 712, alamogordo
- murphy express 8880, alamogordo
- speedway 9121, alamogordo
- speedway 9122, alamogordo
- speedway 9123, alamogordo
- speedway 9124, tularosa
- timberon mountain market, timberon
- your community connection, alamogotdo
Combination Grocery/Other · 16
- dollar general 14122, alamogordo
- dollar general 18689, alamogordo
- dollar general 18749, west alamogordo
- dollar general 18864, alamogordo
- dollar general 12069, tularosa
- dollar general 13112, alamogordo
- dollar general 16043, alamogordo
- dollar general 24579, alamogordo
- dollar general 25215, chaparral
- dollar general 31078, alamogordo
- dollar general 31095, la luz
- dollar tree 3198, alamogordo
- dollar tree 6943, alamogordo
- family dollar 10933, cloudcroft
- family dollar store 4131, tularosa
- walgreens 9991, alamogordo
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- little store, chaparral
- mescalero tribal store, mescalero
- the little store 2, chaparral
Super Store · 3
- lowe's signature 55, alamogordo
- walmart 1306, alamogordo
- walmart neighborhood market 5726, alamogordo
Supermarket · 2
- albertson's market 681, alamogordo
- lowes 59, tularosa
Farmers' Market · 1
- alamogordo farmers market, alamogordo
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- a & m meat processing, alamogordo
Military Commissary · 1
- holloman afb commissary 818, holloman air force base
Small Grocery Store · 1
- the bear necessities, timberon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare Otero County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
Otero County sits inside New Mexico (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 Otero County has low food access? ▼
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Is Otero County a food desert? ▼
What share of Otero 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.