Grocery & Food Access
Available on: All plans including Free
The Grocery & Food Access card measures how easy it is to buy groceries near an address. It combines data on nearby grocery stores, food desert classification, and SNAP-eligible retailers to give you a picture of both convenience and food security.
Data sources
- Commercial and community place data — grocery stores, supermarkets, warehouse clubs, and specialty food retailers, refreshed on a scheduled basis.
- Official food-access records — food desert classification based on tract income levels and distance to the nearest supermarket, updated on the publisher's release cycle.
What the card shows
- Nearby grocery stores — name, type (supermarket, warehouse club, specialty), and distance from the address
- Closest store distance — the single nearest full-service grocery in miles
- Food desert status — whether the tract is classified as having low income and low food access under official standards
- SNAP-eligible retailers — whether SNAP (food stamps) accepting stores are within reach (relevant context for affordability)
- Grocery access score — 0–100, based on proximity and variety of options
Food desert classification
Official methodology defines a food desert using two criteria:
- Low-income census tract — median family income at or below 80% of the statewide or metropolitan area median, OR poverty rate of 20% or more
- Low access — at least 500 people or 33% of the population lives more than 1 mile from the nearest supermarket in urban areas, or more than 10 miles in rural areas
An address in an officially classified food desert sees this flagged prominently on the card. Food desert status is a tract-level designation — your specific block may be closer to or farther from a grocery than the tract average implies.
How the grocery score is calculated
The score primarily weights the distance to the nearest full-service grocery store:
| Distance to nearest grocery | Contribution to score |
|---|---|
| Under 0.25 miles (5-minute walk) | Highest |
| 0.25–0.5 miles (10-minute walk) | Strong |
| 0.5–1 mile (15–20 minute walk) | Moderate |
| 1–2 miles (short drive) | Low |
| 2–5 miles (car required) | Minimal |
| Over 5 miles | Very low |
Having multiple grocery options within the radius adds a diversity bonus. A neighborhood with a supermarket, a specialty store, and a warehouse club all within a mile scores higher than one with only a single option at the same distance.
Interpreting scores in different area types
The grocery score means different things depending on whether the address is urban, suburban, or rural:
- Urban Denver/Aurora: A score below 50 in an urban area is a meaningful warning — it suggests the nearest grocery is a significant car trip. Urban addresses typically score 60–95.
- Suburban areas: Scores of 40–70 are common and reflect typical suburban car-dependent grocery access. A score of 40 in a suburb where every resident drives to the grocery store is less alarming than the same score in a walkable urban neighborhood.
- Mountain/rural areas: Scores of 10–40 are normal. The nearest grocery may be the closest town's only store, 8–15 miles away. This is expected and doesn't indicate a problem beyond the inherent geography.
When comparing two suburban addresses, the grocery score is more useful as a relative comparison than an absolute one. A score of 65 vs. 45 in the same suburb tells you something meaningful. A score of 65 in Denver vs. 65 in a rural area may represent very different actual driving times.
SNAP retailers
SNAP-eligible stores are flagged separately from general grocery scores. This data is useful context for households that rely on SNAP benefits and need to confirm that nearby stores participate in the program. The closest SNAP-eligible retailer's distance is shown on the card.