PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Mexico

Rio Arriba County, NM

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

38.2%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
18.8%
on SNAP
40K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NM

The food-access picture

38.2% of Rio Arriba County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

6
low-access tracts
0
food-desert residents
3.8%
households, no vehicle
18.2%
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 Rio Arriba County's low-access share at 38.2%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 15,361 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Rio Arriba County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rio Arriba County's 38.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #475 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Rio Arriba County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Rio Arriba 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 Rio Arriba County, NM USDA-defined food-access tiers: 3 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 3 tracts adequate (33.3%) 6 tracts limited (66.7%) Adequate 33% Limited 67% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Rio Arriba County, NM
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Rio Arriba County vs. other New Mexico counties

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

% 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 Rio Arriba County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)40,246
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population15,361
Low-Access Share38.2%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population0

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Rio Arriba County
IndicatorValue
Population40,070
Median Household Income$57,155
Poverty Rate18.2%above the national average
SNAP Households2,948
SNAP Participation Rate18.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population0.9%
SNAP participation in Rio Arriba County 18.8%

About 18.8% of Rio Arriba County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 38.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 18.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,948 households here.
  • 3.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $57,155 with a 18.2% poverty rate.

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 Rio Arriba County

above the national share

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 15,361 residents, roughly 38.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

The remaining 3 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Rio Arriba County

Rio Arriba County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 13 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs/ pharmacy inc 5994, espanola
  • carniceria ortega 1, espanola
  • dollar general 14151, hernandez
  • dollar general 16906, alcalde
  • dollar general 30855, chama
  • dollar general store 16409, espanola
  • dollar tree 5738, espanola
  • family dollar 11508, abiquiu
  • family dollar 11799, tierra amarilla
  • family dollar store 4839, chama
  • family dollar store 8180, dulce
  • grajeda's produce, espanola
  • walgreens 5157, espanola

Convenience Store · 13

  • allsups 314, espanola
  • bode's general store, abiquiu
  • el cuerno, llc, cebolla
  • la tiendita de ulibarri na, alcalde
  • michaels mini mart & pkg liq, velarde
  • murphy express 8693, espanola
  • ohkay travel center, ohkay owingeh
  • rio chama chevron, hernandez
  • speedway 9132, espanola
  • speedway 9135, espanola
  • speedway 9261, espanola
  • speedway 9321, chama
  • triple s shortstop, espanola

Farmers' Market · 4

  • abiquiu farmers market, abiquiu
  • dixon farmers market, dixon
  • espanola farmers market, espanola
  • rio grande farmers market, embudo

Supermarket · 3

  • center market, espanola
  • jicarilla shopping center, dulce
  • lowes 18, chama

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • c4 enterprises, inc., tierra amarilla
  • deedees finest beef jerky, espanola

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • dixon coop market, dixon
  • el moreno mini market llc, espanola

Super Store · 2

  • food king 93, espanola
  • walmart 2656, espanola

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New Mexico

Bernalillo County
19.4% low-access · 17.0% SNAP
Catron County
100.0% low-access · 9.3% SNAP
Chaves County
28.2% low-access · 25.0% SNAP
Cibola County
39.3% low-access · 23.6% SNAP
Colfax County
28.5% low-access · 23.4% SNAP
Curry County
32.4% low-access · 25.5% SNAP

Compare Rio Arriba County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →

Food access nationally, New Mexico in context

Rio Arriba County sits inside New Mexico (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 Rio Arriba County has low food access? ▼
38.2% of residents in Rio Arriba County, NM 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 Rio Arriba County? ▼
18.8% of households in Rio Arriba County receive SNAP, covering 2,948 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Rio Arriba County? ▼
The poverty rate in Rio Arriba County, NM is 18.2%, with a median household income of $57,155 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Rio Arriba County a food desert? ▼
0 of Rio Arriba County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Rio Arriba County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.8% of households in Rio Arriba 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.