County food-access profile · Colorado
Teller County, CO
Teller County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 17.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 10.9%
- on SNAP
- 25K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.7% of Teller County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 753
- food-desert residents
- 3.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.6%
- 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).
Teller County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.7% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 6 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,133 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Teller County compares nationally
Teller County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.7% low-access share that beats 40% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,895).
Teller County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Teller County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Teller County vs. other Colorado counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado
- Teller
Teller County, CO
17.7 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, CO
17.9 % low-access
- Alamosa
Alamosa County, CO
27.7 % low-access
- Arapahoe 13.6
Arapahoe County, CO
13.6 % low-access
- Archuleta
Archuleta County, CO
40.9 % low-access
- Baca
Baca County, CO
25.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,350 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,133 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 753 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 24,825 |
| Median Household Income | $85,361 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,298 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.6% |
About 10.9% of Teller County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,298 households here.
- 3.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $85,361 with a 7.6% poverty rate.
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 Teller County
near the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 4,133 residents, roughly 17.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 753 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Teller County
Teller County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 6 locations (30% of the total), followed by supermarket.
Convenience Store · 6
- alta 6006, woodland park
- alta 6106, woodland park
- alta 6115, divide
- florissant conoco, florissant
- k & l claim jumper, victor
- loaf n jug 750026, woodland park
Supermarket · 5
- cripple creek market, llc, cripple creek
- divide market llc, divide
- safeway 1578, woodland park
- safeway 4613, woodland park
- vitamin cottage natural grocers u154, woodland park
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollar tree 6527, woodland park
- family dollar 8849, cripple creek
- walgreens 09561, woodland park
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 073, woodland park
- pioneer palace llc, cripple creek
Super Store · 2
- city market 431, woodland park
- walmart sc 3805, woodland park
Farmers' Market · 1
- woodland park farmers market, woodland park
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- florissant mercantile, florissant
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Colorado
Compare Teller County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →
Food access nationally, Colorado in context
Teller County sits inside Colorado (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 Teller County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Teller County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Teller County? ▼
Is Teller County a food desert? ▼
What share of Teller 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.