County food-access profile · Colorado

Weld County, CO

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Weld 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).

23.1%
low-access pop.
12
food-desert tracts
9.1%
on SNAP
350K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 CO

The food-access picture

23.1% of Weld County residents live in a low-access area, and 12 of its 77 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

31
low-access tracts
15K
food-desert residents
3.6%
households, no vehicle
9.6%
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).

USDA data puts Weld County's low-access share at 23.1%, above the national share. 31 of the county's 77 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 58,457 people. 12 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,953 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 Weld County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Weld County's 23.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 54% of them and ranked #1,444 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Weld County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 77 census tracts in Weld 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 Weld County, CO USDA-defined food-access tiers: 46 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 19 limited, 12 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 77 tracts evaluated. 46 tracts adequate (59.7%) 19 tracts limited (24.7%) 12 tracts severe / food desert (15.6%) Adequate 60% Limited 25% Severe 16% Food-access tier distribution: Weld County, CO
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Weld County vs. other Colorado counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Colorado

% 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 Weld County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts77
Atlas Population (2010 basis)252,825
Low-Access Tracts31
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)12
Low-Access Population58,457
Low-Access Share23.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population14,953

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Weld County
IndicatorValue
Population350,396
Median Household Income$97,097
Poverty Rate9.6%below the national average
SNAP Households11,355
SNAP Participation Rate9.1%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.6%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Weld County 9.1%

About 9.1% of Weld County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 23.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 11,355 households here.
  • 3.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 12 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 Weld County

above the national share

12 of Weld County's 77 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.6% of all its tracts.

A further 19 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 31.

An estimated 58,457 residents, roughly 23.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 14,953 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 46 tracts (59.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Weld County

Weld County has 178 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 85 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 85

  • 54th market pl inc, greeley
  • 7-11 34924, greeley
  • 7-eleven 13185j, greeley
  • 7-eleven 25684b, greeley
  • 7-eleven 34238a, johnstown
  • 7-eleven 34924a, greeley
  • 7-eleven 39077j, greeley
  • 7-eleven 41257h, platteville
  • 7-eleven 41743h, fort lupton
  • 7-eleven store 18724a, greeley
  • 7-eleven store 34210l, firestone
  • 7-eleven store 39081c, windsor
  • 7-eleven store 39451a, mead
  • 7-eleven store 41130h, greeley
  • 7-eleven, inc. 42279h, keenesburg
  • 7-eleven 34316a, johnstown
  • 7-eleven store 35269b 35269b, frederick
  • 7-eleven store 38485a 38485a, lochbuie
  • 7-eleven store 39078d, milliken
  • 7-eleven store 39510b, longmont
  • 7-eleven store 41231a, longmont
  • 7-eleven store 41243a 41243a, fort lupton
  • 7-eleven store 41334a 41334a, greeley
  • 7-eleven store 41877a 41877a, la salle
  • abarrotes y carniceria la bikina inc, fort lupton
  • barn store, hudson
  • big d oil 51, greeley
  • big d oil 57, evans
  • big d oil 60, greeley
  • briggsdale market, briggsdale
  • carniceria los corrales, llc, evans
  • carniceria y panaderia mexico, dacono
  • carniceria y taqueria lozano 2 inc, greeley
  • circle k 2706625, eaton
  • circle k 2706786, erie
  • circle k 2706787, frederick
  • circle k 2709082, firestone
  • circle k 2709098, greeley
  • circle k 2740641, greeley
  • circle k 2740697, la salle
  • corner mart hudson, hudson
  • everyday, greeley
  • everyday 5712 5712, greeley
  • everyday stores llc 5711, greeley
  • everyday stores llc 5718, platteville
  • gia's food mart, greeley
  • good 2 go store 712, dacono
  • good 2 go store 713, brighton
  • johnstown convenience store, johnstown
  • loaf n jug 750818, windsor
  • loaf n jug 750012, berthoud
  • loaf n jug 750848, windsor
  • loaf n jug 750850, greeley
  • loaf n jug 750852, evans
  • loves country store 377, hudson
  • maverik 5136, greeley
  • maverik 5149, evans
  • maverik 5166, greeley
  • maverik 5198, mead
  • maverik 5203, dacono
  • maverik 5260, greeley
  • maverik 5264, erie
  • maverik 5279, evans
  • maverik 5319, windsor
  • maverik 5392, keenesburg
  • maverik 5408, windsor
  • morenos supermarket, greeley
  • murphy express 8827, firestone
  • murphy express 8844, greeley
  • murphy usa 7880, evans
  • murphy usa 7919, evans
  • murphy usa 7960, greeley
  • petro johnson's corner 399, johnstown
  • pilot travel center 1382, hudson
  • pope farms produce & garden center llc, greeley
  • quiktrip 4202, firestone
  • quiktrip 4208, brighton
  • quiktrip 4227, mead
  • quiktrip 4231, evans
  • quiktrip 4239, greeley
  • sbm colorado travel stop llc, fort lupton
  • sherrys market, greeley
  • sky shop, eaton
  • stinker store 346, kersey
  • valero corner store 2744109, fort lupton

Combination Grocery/Other · 37

  • dollartree 10177, greeley
  • dollar general 10574, greeley
  • dollar general 10647, eaton
  • dollar general 10886, platteville
  • dollar general 10912, milliken
  • dollar general 20448, severance
  • dollar general 21869, firestone
  • dollar general 23646, kersey
  • dollar general 23768, evans
  • dollar general 30185, pierce
  • dollar tree 2690, greeley
  • dollar tree 3455, evans
  • dollar tree 3697, windsor
  • dollar tree plus 9066, greeley
  • esh's at windsor, llc, windsor
  • family dollar 13388, wiggins
  • family dollar 5367, greeley
  • family dollar 5907, dacono
  • family dollar 5949, fort lupton
  • family dollar 7221, greeley
  • family dollar 8274, brighton
  • family dollar 9217, keenesburg
  • family dollar store 10323, evans
  • family dollar store 10500, la salle
  • family dollar store 10760, kersey
  • family dollar store 11065, greeley
  • la tarahumara market inc, greeley
  • los comales market n/a, greeley
  • mdhoofe market 1, greeley
  • samafale store, greeley
  • walgreen 17003, greeley
  • walgreens 02086, evans
  • walgreens 07417, windsor
  • walgreens 09212, greeley
  • walgreens 09315, firestone
  • walgreens 11263, greeley
  • walgreens 9244, greeley

Super Store · 15

  • food king 128, greeley
  • hays market inc, johnstown
  • heritage market, eaton
  • king soopers 104, windsor
  • king soopers 105, firestone
  • king soopers 11, greeley
  • king soopers 117, greeley
  • king soopers 129, erie
  • king soopers 154, frederick
  • king soopers 32, greeley
  • sam's club 4770, evans
  • target stores t- 1813, greeley
  • walmart sc 5051, greeley
  • walmart sc 980, greeley
  • walmart supercenter 905, longmont

Medium Grocery Store · 10

  • carniceria el primo llc, firestone
  • carniceria la preferida 1, greeley
  • carniceria y taqueria mi pueblo inc, greeley
  • daris uroon retail store llc 1, greeley
  • el mero mero market, greeley
  • golden star asian grocery n/a, greeley
  • ismail halal asian market llc 1, greeley
  • karen asian market, greeley
  • la huasteca, platteville
  • lakay boutique llc, greeley

Supermarket · 10

  • safeway 1045, fort lupton
  • safeway 1791, windsor
  • safeway 1828, firestone
  • safeway 2918, greeley
  • safeway 4614, firestone
  • safeway stores 2666, greeley
  • save a lot 24564, greeley
  • sprouts farmers market 308, greeley
  • vitamin cottage natural food markets inc u036, greeley
  • woods supermarket 9800, johnstown

Small Grocery Store · 9

  • carniceria la tuxpena llc, greeley
  • carniceria las iv americas, evans
  • carniceria y panaderia mexico, gilcrest
  • grover market basket, grover
  • gulshan halal market llc, greeley
  • la patrona market, milliken
  • mini market moras, kersey
  • ro international bazaar limited 1, greeley
  • tawakal halal market llc, greeley

Bakery Specialty · 5

  • papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 002, greeley
  • papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 060, firestone
  • papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 062, windsor
  • papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 094, greeley
  • papa murphy's take & bake pizza co 125, evans

Farmers' Market · 4

  • greeley farmers' market 0102196, greeley
  • milliken market day, milliken
  • platteville market day, platteville
  • tigges farm produce & pumpkin patch, greeley

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • hudson lockers, hudson
  • mountain view meats, fort collins

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • keene market, keenesburg

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Colorado

Compare Weld County vs Adams County → · All Colorado counties →

Food access nationally, Colorado in context

Weld 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 Weld County has low food access?
23.1% of residents in Weld County, CO 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 Weld County?
9.1% of households in Weld County receive SNAP, covering 11,355 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Weld County?
The poverty rate in Weld County, CO is 9.6%, with a median household income of $97,097 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Weld County a food desert?
12 of Weld County's 77 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 Weld County households lack a vehicle?
3.6% of households in Weld 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.