County food-access profile · New Mexico
San Juan County, NM
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of San Juan 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).
- 39.1%
- low-access pop.
- 13
- food-desert tracts
- 23.1%
- on SNAP
- 121K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
39.1% of San Juan County residents live in a low-access area, and 13 of its 33 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 21
- low-access tracts
- 25K
- food-desert residents
- 6.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 23.1%
- 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).
USDA data puts San Juan County's low-access share at 39.1%, above the national share. 21 of the county's 33 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 50,865 people. 13 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 24,986 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 San Juan County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, San Juan County's 39.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 86% of them and ranked #435 most-affected nationwide.
San Juan County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 33 census tracts in San Juan County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
San Juan County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- San Juan 39.1
San Juan County, NM
39.1 % 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 | 33 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 130,044 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 21 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 13 |
| Low-Access Population | 50,865 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.1%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 24,986 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 120,942 |
| Median Household Income | $55,872 |
| Poverty Rate | 23.1%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,643 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 23.1%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 23.1% of San Juan County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 39.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 23.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,643 households here.
- 6.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 13 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 San Juan County
above the national share
13 of San Juan County's 33 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 39.4% of all its tracts.
A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 21.
An estimated 50,865 residents, roughly 39.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 24,986 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (36.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in San Juan County
San Juan County has 124 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 66 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 66
- 7-2-11 1, farmington
- 7-2-11 16, farmington
- 7-2-11 2, farmington
- 7-2-11 23, farmington
- 7-2-11 33, bloomfield
- 7-2-11 34, farmington
- 7-2-11 35, farmington
- 7-2-11 38, aztec
- 7-2-11 40, farmington
- 7-2-11 42, farmington
- 7-2-11 43, farmington
- 7-2-11 440, farmington
- 7-2-11 46, farmington
- 7-2-11 47, bloomfield
- 7-2-11 5, farmington
- allsup's 102475, farmington
- beclabito express 514, shiprock
- broadway conoco, farmington
- circle k 2722703586, flora vista
- dino mart 170, farmington
- dino's mart, farmington
- golden's, fruitland
- little water express 522, shiprock
- maverik, inc 714, aztec
- maverik, inc 730, farmington
- maverik, inc 759, farmington
- red mesa express 518, nageezi
- red mesa express 519, shiprock
- sheep springs express 511, sheep springs
- shiprock express 515, shiprock
- shiprock quick stop 528, shiprock
- speedway 8685, shiprock
- speedway 8686, kirtland
- speedway 8689, farmington
- speedway 8695, farmington
- speedway 9139, bloomfield
- speedway 9140, farmington
- speedway 9141, farmington
- speedway 9142, farmington
- speedway 9316, farmington
- speedway 9317, aztec
- speedway 9318, bloomfield
- speedway 9320, farmington
- speedway 9322, la plata
- speedway 9323, aztec
- speedway 9324, kirtland
- speedway 9350, bloomfield
- speedway 9362, aztec
- speedway 9372, farmington
- speedway 9378, farmington
- speedway 9551, bloomfield
- speedway 9556, farmington
- speedway 9559, bloomfield
- speedway 9568, farmington
- speedway 9577, farmington
- speedway 9602, aztec
- speedway 9627, bloomfield
- speedway 9629, farmington
- speedway 9694, kirtland
- speedway 9698, newcomb
- speedway 9698, newcomb
- speedway 9713, waterflow
- speedway 9738, farmington
- speedway 9768, waterflow
- toadlena trading post, newcomb
- upop 7-2-11 37, kirtland
Combination Grocery/Other · 34
- dollar general 14109, farmington
- dollar tree 2683, farmington
- dollar general 10174, farmington
- dollar general 12604, aztec
- dollar general 12986, farmington
- dollar general 13295, farmington
- dollar general 15260, farmington
- dollar general 15429, aztec
- dollar general 15654, bloomfield
- dollar general 16991, flora vista
- dollar general 20531, farmington
- dollar general 21749, waterflow
- dollar general 21923, farmington
- dollar general 22622, la plata
- dollar general 24608, bloomfield
- dollar general 25035, farmington
- dollar general 30029, farmington
- dollar general 30231, farmington
- dollar general 31182, waterflow
- dollar general 6789, bloomfield
- dollar general 6790, kirtland
- dollar tree 5772, farmington
- dollar tree 7873, kirtland
- dollar tree 9729, farmington
- family dollar 11186, waterflow
- family dollar store 2937, farmington
- family dollar store 4838, bloomfield
- family dollar store 4858, aztec
- family dollar store 5080, farmington
- family dollar store 5861, kirtland
- san juan college harvest food hub, farmington
- valley trading co, waterflow
- walgreens 4510, farmington
- walgreens 9067, farmington
Super Store · 8
- farmers family center, bloomfield
- farmers family center, flora vista
- sam's club 6347, farmington
- shamrock foodservice warehouse 537, farmington
- smith's 409, farmington
- target store t 952, farmington
- walmart 826, farmington
- walmart supercenter 3428, farmington
Supermarket · 6
- albertsons 0824, farmington
- bashas 32, shiprock
- natural grocers by vitamin cottage u042, farmington
- safeway 1438, aztec
- safeway 2004, farmington
- safeway 683, farmington
Farmers' Market · 5
- aztec farmers' market, aztec
- bloomfield growers' market, bloomfield
- farmington growers market, farmington
- kirtland growers market, kirtland
- shiprock farmers market, shiprock
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- manila sunrise, farmington
- mercado y carnecieria sonora, farmington
Bakery Specialty · 1
- papa murphys pizza nm005, farmington
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- camacho produce, kirtland
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the original sweetmeat, waterflow
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare San Juan County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
San Juan 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 San Juan County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in San Juan County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in San Juan County? ▼
Is San Juan County a food desert? ▼
What share of San Juan 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.