County food-access profile · Arizona
Santa Cruz County, AZ
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Santa Cruz 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).
- 36.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 23.9%
- on SNAP
- 49K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
36.3% of Santa Cruz County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 5.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 20.2%
- 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 Santa Cruz County's low-access share at 36.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 17,204 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,689 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 Santa Cruz County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Santa Cruz County's 36.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 83% of them and ranked #545 most-affected nationwide.
Santa Cruz County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Santa Cruz County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Santa Cruz County vs. other Arizona counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arizona
- Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County, AZ
36.3 % low-access
- Apache
Apache County, AZ
54.7 % low-access
- Cochise
Cochise County, AZ
43.9 % low-access
- Coconino
Coconino County, AZ
32.5 % low-access
- Gila
Gila County, AZ
28.2 % low-access
- Graham
Graham County, AZ
39.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 47,420 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 17,204 |
| Low-Access Share | 36.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,689 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 48,926 |
| Median Household Income | $55,217 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.2%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,056 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 23.9%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.3% |
About 23.9% of Santa Cruz County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 36.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 23.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,056 households here.
- 5.0% 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 Santa Cruz County
above the national share
4 of Santa Cruz County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 40.0% 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 17,204 residents, roughly 36.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 8,689 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (52% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 15
- circle k 2700259, nogales
- circle k 2700745, nogales
- circle k 2700916, nogales
- circle k 2701772, nogales
- circle k 2703443, nogales
- el mercado market n/a, tubac
- el ranchito market llc., rio rico
- fastrip food stores #6648 6648, nogales
- fiesta market rio rico, rio rico
- grand chevron, nogales
- k money nogales llc, nogales
- love's travel stop 350, nogales
- patagonia market, patagonia
- pilot travel center 279, rio rico
- raj nogales inc, nogales
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- dollar general 17334, sonita
- dollar tree 2629, nogales
- family dollar store 4567, nogales
- family dollar store 6848, rio rico
- walgreens 07623, nogales
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- nogales market 2, nogales
- red mountain foods, patagonia
- tubac market, tubac
Super Store · 3
- food city 60, nogales
- garrett's supermarket, rio rico
- walmart 1324, nogales
Supermarket · 2
- safeway 1229, nogales
- villa's market 2, nogales
Large Grocery Store · 1
- nogales market llc, nogales
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arizona
Compare Santa Cruz County vs Apache County → · All Arizona counties →
Food access nationally, Arizona in context
Santa Cruz County sits inside Arizona (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 Santa Cruz County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Santa Cruz County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Santa Cruz County? ▼
Is Santa Cruz County a food desert? ▼
What share of Santa Cruz 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.