County food-access profile · Arizona
Yuma County, AZ
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Yuma 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).
- 24.7%
- low-access pop.
- 13
- food-desert tracts
- 18.3%
- on SNAP
- 212K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.7% of Yuma County residents live in a low-access area, and 13 of its 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 20
- low-access tracts
- 20K
- food-desert residents
- 5.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.6%
- 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 Yuma County's low-access share at 24.7%, above the national share. 20 of the county's 53 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 48,388 people. 13 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 20,170 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 Yuma County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Yuma County's 24.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,315 most-affected nationwide.
Yuma County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 53 census tracts in Yuma County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Yuma County vs. other Arizona counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Arizona
- Yuma
Yuma County, AZ
24.7 % 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 | 53 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 195,751 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 20 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 13 |
| Low-Access Population | 48,388 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 20,170 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 211,741 |
| Median Household Income | $62,876 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 14,530 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.7% |
About 18.3% of Yuma County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 14,530 households here.
- 5.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 13 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 Yuma County
above the national share
13 of Yuma County's 53 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 24.5% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 20.
An estimated 48,388 residents, roughly 24.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 20,170 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 33 tracts (62.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Yuma County
Yuma County has 108 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 46
- 1st street market, yuma
- arco am-pm 82003, yuma
- arco am-pm 82219, san luis
- arco am-pm 82445, yuma
- cms market, yuma
- carioca shell 8, tacna
- circle k 2700684, yuma
- circle k 2700990, wellton
- circle k 2701356, yuma
- circle k 2701394, yuma
- circle k 2701736, yuma
- circle k 2701754, yuma
- circle k 2701756, yuma
- circle k 2701800, yuma
- circle k 2701849, yuma
- circle k 2701923, yuma
- circle k 2701930, yuma
- circle k 2701948, yuma
- circle k 2705187, yuma
- circle k 2705709, yuma
- circle k 2708475, yuma
- circle k 2708691, san luis
- circle k 2709664, yuma
- cocopah korner store, somerton
- colibri gas station & mini mart, san luis
- dateland chevron, dateland
- el fuego market and liquor, yuma
- express market, somerton
- love's travel stop 349, yuma
- maverik, inc 727, yuma
- morgan store llc, yuma
- pilot travel center 1208, yuma
- quality market, san luis
- shay's self serve 8, yuma
- shoppers save, yuma
- speedway 2952, yuma
- speedway 2953, yuma
- speedway 2955, yuma
- speedway 2956, yuma
- speedway 2957, yuma
- speedway 2958, yuma
- sunshine market & liquor no, yuma
- super c 001, san luis
- super gas mini mart, somerton
- valley liquor, yuma
- yuma liquor llc, yuma
Combination Grocery/Other · 30
- cvs pharmacy 9278, yuma
- cvs pharmacy 9334, yuma
- cvs/pharmacy 10028, yuma
- dollar general 14129, yuma
- dollar general 18312, wellton
- del sol 12, san luis
- dollar general 23492, yuma
- dollar general 6779, somerton
- dollar general 9937, yuma
- dollar tree 2640, yuma
- dollar tree 3776, yuma
- dollar tree 3927, san luis
- dollar tree 6693, yuma
- dollar tree 7664, yuma
- family dollar 12625, yuma
- family dollar 9247, yuma
- family dollar store 5448, san luis
- family dollar store 5494, somerton
- family dollar store 5806, yuma
- family dollar store 6328, yuma
- family dollar store 6524, yuma
- family dollar store 7419, wellton
- family dollar store 9187, yuma
- greentrees grocery outlet iv, yuma
- iga warehouse foods, san luis
- walgreens 02209, yuma
- walgreens 02611, yuma
- walgreens 2219, yuma
- walgreens 9742, yuma
- yuma market, yuma
Super Store · 17
- del sol 11, yuma
- del sol 4, yuma
- del sol 13, somerton
- del sol market #14, yuma
- fry's 107, yuma
- food city 114, yuma
- food city 124, yuma
- food city 127, san luis
- fry's 699, yuma
- smart & final 497, yuma
- sam's club 6205, yuma
- target store t-2083, yuma
- walmart 1474, yuma
- walmart 4325, yuma
- walmart 4337, san luis
- walmart 5342, yuma
- walmart neighborhood market 7320, yuma
Supermarket · 6
- albertsons 2951, yuma
- albertsons 3931, yuma
- del sol 8, wellton
- king market, san luis
- sprouts farmers market 35, yuma
- sprouts farmers market 52, yuma
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- asian store, yuma
- estrellita meat market llc 1, yuma
- greentrees grocery outlet, yuma
Bakery Specialty · 2
- papa murphy's take 'n' bake pizza az033, yuma
- tortilleria recien salidas, san luis
Military Commissary · 2
- yuma proving ground commissary 1936, yuma
- yuma mcas commissary 1935, yuma
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- kennedy's karne, yuma
Small Grocery Store · 1
- carniceria el cachanilla & meat market, somerton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Arizona
Compare Yuma County vs Apache County → · All Arizona counties →
Food access nationally, Arizona in context
Yuma 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 Yuma County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Yuma County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Yuma County? ▼
Is Yuma County a food desert? ▼
What share of Yuma 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.