PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Mexico

San Miguel County, NM

San Miguel 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.

45.4%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
29.2%
on SNAP
27K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NM

The food-access picture

45.4% of San Miguel County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
7K
food-desert residents
8.7%
households, no vehicle
24.4%
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).

San Miguel County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 45.4% is well above the national share. 5 of the county's 7 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 13,346 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,665 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 Miguel County compares nationally

San Miguel County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 45.4% low-access share outpaces 91% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #279 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

San Miguel County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 7 census tracts in San Miguel 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 San Miguel County, NM USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 7 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (28.6%) 1 tracts limited (14.3%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (57.1%) Adequate 29% Limited 14% Severe 57% Food-access tier distribution: San Miguel County, NM
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

San Miguel 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 San Miguel County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts7
Atlas Population (2010 basis)29,393
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population13,346
Low-Access Share45.4%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,665

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for San Miguel County
IndicatorValue
Population26,850
Median Household Income$49,431
Poverty Rate24.4%well above the national average
SNAP Households3,486
SNAP Participation Rate29.2%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.7%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.2%
SNAP participation in San Miguel County 29.2%

About 29.2% of San Miguel County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 45.4% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 29.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,486 households here.
  • 8.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Miguel County

well above the national share

4 of San Miguel County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 57.1% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 13,346 residents, roughly 45.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,665 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 2 tracts (28.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in San Miguel County

San Miguel County has 30 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • allsups 021, las vegas
  • allsups 080, las vegas
  • allsups 255, las vegas
  • allsups 259, las vegas
  • allsups 259, las vegas
  • allsups 271, las vegas
  • better stop, las vegas
  • love's travel stop 733, las vegas
  • maverik, inc 740, las vegas
  • murphy express 8709, las vegas
  • pecos river rv camp, san jose
  • panchos, pecos
  • speedway 9117, las vegas
  • the 104 store, conchas dam
  • villanueva general store, villanueva

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 12823, las vegas
  • dollar general 12875, pecos
  • dollar general 31156, las vegas
  • dollar tree 3265, las vegas
  • family dollar store 2636, las vegas
  • family dollar store 7734, pecos
  • walgreens 02425, las vegas

Farmers' Market · 3

  • tesoros del valle farmers market, ribera
  • tesoros del valle farmers market, villanueva
  • tri-county farmers market, las vegas

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • el ranchito market llc, las vegas
  • semilla natural foods, las vegas

Super Store · 2

  • lowes 92, las vegas
  • walmart 1380, las vegas

Supermarket · 1

  • lowes 91, las vegas

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 San Miguel County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →

Food access nationally, New Mexico in context

San Miguel 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 San Miguel County has low food access? ▼
45.4% of residents in San Miguel 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 San Miguel County? ▼
29.2% of households in San Miguel County receive SNAP, covering 3,486 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in San Miguel County? ▼
The poverty rate in San Miguel County, NM is 24.4%, with a median household income of $49,431 (Census ACS 2024).
Is San Miguel County a food desert? ▼
4 of San Miguel County's 7 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 San Miguel County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.7% of households in San Miguel 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.