PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New York

Allegany County, NY

Most of Allegany County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

3.9%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.9%
on SNAP
47K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NY

The food-access picture

3.9% of Allegany County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

1
low-access tracts
648
food-desert residents
7.7%
households, no vehicle
16.2%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Allegany County fares better than most: just 3.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 13 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,899 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 648 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 Allegany County compares nationally

Food access in Allegany County compares favorably nationally: its 3.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 8% of them (rank #2,874).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Allegany County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Allegany 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 Allegany County, NY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (92.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 92% Limited 0% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Allegany County, NY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Allegany County vs. other New York counties

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

% 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 Allegany County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)48,946
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population1,899
Low-Access Share3.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population648

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Allegany County
IndicatorValue
Population47,159
Median Household Income$62,869
Poverty Rate16.2%above the national average
SNAP Households2,813
SNAP Participation Rate15.9%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.7%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population10.3%
SNAP participation in Allegany County 15.9%

About 15.9% of Allegany County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 3.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,813 households here.
  • 7.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Allegany County

below the national share

1 of Allegany County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

An estimated 1,899 residents, roughly 3.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 648 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (92.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Allegany County

Allegany County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • dollar general 17999, rushford
  • dollartree 9714, wellsville
  • dollar general 10600, bolivar
  • dollar general 11056, belfast
  • dollar general 11284, cuba
  • dollar general 20345, andover
  • dollar general 20432, friendship
  • dollar general 21722, angelica
  • dollar general 24251, whitesville
  • dollar general 24752, canaseraga
  • dollar general 6067, belmont
  • dollar general 8319, alfred station
  • dollar general 8875, wellsville
  • dollar general 9592, fillmore
  • dollar general 9839, wellsville
  • family dollar 13163, friendship
  • family dollar store 4203, cuba
  • walgreens 12381, wellsville

Convenience Store · 17

  • 7 eleven 35113h, almond
  • 7 eleven 35116h, canaseraga
  • 7 eleven store #40142 40142, wellsville
  • belfast mini mart, belfast
  • crosby's 40040, belmont
  • crosby's 40052, bolivar
  • crosby's 40075, alfred station
  • crosby's 40081, friendship
  • crosby's 40090, cuba
  • crosby's 40094, scio
  • hanson farms belmont llc, belmont
  • mastins food market, canaseraga
  • quicklee's 22, amity
  • short's grocery, wellsville
  • the store, scio
  • uncle tom's kabin, centerville
  • unico mart, alfred

Supermarket · 4

  • bolivar foodland, bolivar
  • fillmore shop'n save, fillmore
  • tops markets 249, wellsville
  • wellsville save a lot 21377, wellsville

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • browns criss market, belmont
  • mak's meat & cheese, cuba
  • miller and brandes, friendship

Farmers' Market · 2

  • alfred farmers market, alfred
  • fillmore farmers market nafmnp, fillmore

Super Store · 2

  • giant food mart, cuba
  • giant food mart, wellsville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • wilson beef farms, canaseraga

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • harrington's shopwise, belfast

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New York

Albany County
31.4% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Bronx County
0.6% low-access · 38.6% SNAP
Broome County
16.4% low-access · 15.4% SNAP
Cattaraugus County
7.9% low-access · 18.0% SNAP
Cayuga County
3.3% low-access · 14.8% SNAP
Chautauqua County
14.4% low-access · 19.9% SNAP

Compare Allegany County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →

Food access nationally, New York in context

Allegany County sits inside New York (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Allegany County has low food access? ▼
3.9% of residents in Allegany County, NY 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 Allegany County? ▼
15.9% of households in Allegany County receive SNAP, covering 2,813 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Allegany County? ▼
The poverty rate in Allegany County, NY is 16.2%, with a median household income of $62,869 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Allegany County a food desert? ▼
1 of Allegany County's 13 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 Allegany County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.7% of households in Allegany 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.