County food-access profile · New Mexico
Taos County, NM
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Taos 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).
- 28.2%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 17.3%
- on SNAP
- 35K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.2% of Taos County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 3.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.5%
- 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 Taos County's low-access share at 28.2%, above the national share. 4 of the county's 6 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 9,292 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,546 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 Taos County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Taos County's 28.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,073 most-affected nationwide.
Taos County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Taos County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Taos County vs. other New Mexico counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Mexico
- Taos 28.2
Taos County, NM
28.2 % 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 | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,937 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,292 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,546 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,543 |
| Median Household Income | $58,950 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.5%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,689 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 17.3% of Taos County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,689 households here.
- 3.0% 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 Taos County
above the national share
4 of Taos County's 6 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 66.7% of all its tracts.
An estimated 9,292 residents, roughly 28.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,546 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 2 tracts (33.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Taos County
Taos County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (35% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- allsups 317, taos
- allsups 319, taos
- garcia's general store llc, penasco
- hail creek travel center llc, taos
- maverik, inc 699, taos
- pachecos grocery, penasco
- poco loco market, carson
- speedway 9120, el prado
- speedway 9136, el prado
- speedway 9137, taos
- speedway 9138, taos
- speedway 9745, rancho de taos
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 14139, sur taos
- dollar general 21400, questa
- dollar tree 6132, taos
- family dollar 8235, pensaco
- family dollar store 2931, taos
- family dollar store 7652, questa
- ortega's jerky & meat market, taos
- walgreens 12751, taos
Farmers' Market · 4
- questa farmers market, program of localogy, questa
- red willow center farmers market, taos pueblo
- taos farmers market, taos
- taos farmers market, taos
Supermarket · 4
- albertsons 920, taos
- cids food market, taos
- der markt food store, red river
- lowe's 52, taos
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- rosita's mexican store & bakery, taos
- sangre de cristo valley market na, questa
- taos food coop, taos
Super Store · 2
- smiths # 426 426, taos
- walmart 873, taos
Small Grocery Store · 1
- midtown market & spirits, arroyo hondo
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Mexico
Compare Taos County vs Bernalillo County → · All New Mexico counties →
Food access nationally, New Mexico in context
Taos 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 Taos County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Taos County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Taos County? ▼
Is Taos County a food desert? ▼
What share of Taos 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.