County food-access profile · New Mexico
Santa Fe County, NM
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Santa Fe 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).
- 30.2%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 11.0%
- on SNAP
- 156K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
30.2% of Santa Fe County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 50 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 21
- low-access tracts
- 13K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.0%
- 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 Fe County's low-access share at 30.2%, above the national share. 21 of the county's 50 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 43,543 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,473 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 Fe County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Santa Fe County's 30.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 71% of them and ranked #918 most-affected nationwide.
Santa Fe County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 50 census tracts in Santa Fe County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Santa Fe County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- Santa Fe 30.2
Santa Fe County, NM
30.2 % 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 | 50 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 144,170 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 21 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 43,543 |
| Low-Access Share | 30.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,473 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 156,105 |
| Median Household Income | $79,071 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,774 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 11.0% of Santa Fe County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 30.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,774 households here.
- 4.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Fe County
above the national share
6 of Santa Fe County's 50 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.0% of all its tracts.
A further 15 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 21.
An estimated 43,543 residents, roughly 30.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 13,473 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 29 tracts (58.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Santa Fe County
Santa Fe County has 75 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (33% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 25
- allsups 252, santa fe
- allsups 254, santa fe
- allsups 296, santa fe
- allsups 307, santa fe
- allsups 330, santa fe
- allsups 334, santa fe
- allsups 336, santa fe
- allsups 344, santa fe
- allsups 345, santa fe
- allsups 346, santa fe
- lone butte general store, santa fe
- maverik 632, santa fe
- murphy express 8609, santa fe
- murphy express 8862, santa fe
- old boarding house mercantile, madrid
- panchitos market, santa fe
- speedway 8698, santa fe
- speedway 8983, santa fe
- speedway 9000, santa fe
- speedway 9131, sante fe
- speedway 9133, santa fe
- speedway 9134, santa fe
- speedway 9256, santa fe
- speedway 9264, santa fe
- speedway 9309, santa fe
Combination Grocery/Other · 18
- cvs pharmacy 10227, santa fe
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 9263, santa fe
- cvs/ pharmacy inc 9269, santa fe
- dollar general 13200, santa fe
- dollar general 20823, santa fe
- dollar tree 4848, santa fe
- dollar tree 5659, santa fe
- dollar tree 6042, edgewood
- dollar tree plus 9110, santa fe
- el paisano supermarkets 3, santa fe
- family dollar store 10280, santa fe
- family dollar store 7919, chimayo
- village greengrocer, cerrillos
- walgreens 12005, santa fe
- walgreens 2900, santa fe
- walgreens 3934, santa fe
- walgreens 6346, santa fe
- walgreens 7881, edgewood
Super Store · 12
- eldorado supermart, santa fe
- food king 89, santa fe
- la montanita food cooperative, santa fe
- smith's food & drug 491, santa fe
- smiths food & drug 461, santa fe
- sam's club 6408, santa fe
- smiths food & drug 424, edgewood
- target store 1034, santa fe
- walmart 829, santa fe
- walmart supercenter 3423, santa fe
- walmart supercenter 4201, edgewood
- whole foods market 10104, santa fe
Supermarket · 9
- albertsons 986, santa fe
- albertsons 987, santa fe
- kaune's neighborhood market inc., santa fe
- market street 927, santa fe
- pueblo plaza supermarket, santa fe
- sprouts farmers market 705, santa fe
- sprouts farmers market 706, santa fe
- trader joe's 165, santa fe
- vitamin cottage natural food markets inc u020, santa fe
Farmers' Market · 3
- eldorado farmers' market, santa fe
- pojoaque valley farmers market, santa fe
- santa fe farmers market, santa fe
Large Grocery Store · 3
- familia mexicana carniceria, santa fe
- mini super delicias 1, santa fe
- paisano carniceria, santa fe
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphys pizza, santa fe
- papa murphys pizza nm0032, santa fe
Small Grocery Store · 2
- latinos unidos mini market 2, santa fe
- reunity farm market stand, santa fe
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- beck & bulow, santa fe
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare Santa Fe County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Santa Fe County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Santa Fe County? ▼
Is Santa Fe County a food desert? ▼
What share of Santa Fe 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.