County food-access profile · New York
Cattaraugus County, NY
Most of Cattaraugus 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).
- 7.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.0%
- on SNAP
- 76K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.9% of Cattaraugus County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 10.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 19.1%
- 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, Cattaraugus County fares better than most: just 7.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 20 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 6,322 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 1,940 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 Cattaraugus County compares nationally
Food access in Cattaraugus County compares favorably nationally: its 7.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 15% of them (rank #2,656).
Cattaraugus County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 20 census tracts in Cattaraugus County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Cattaraugus County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Cattaraugus 7.9
Cattaraugus County, NY
7.9 % low-access
- Albany
Albany County, NY
31.4 % low-access
- Allegany 3.9
Allegany County, NY
3.9 % low-access
- Bronx 0.6
Bronx County, NY
0.6 % low-access
- Broome
Broome County, NY
16.4 % low-access
- Cayuga 3.3
Cayuga County, NY
3.3 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 20 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 80,317 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,322 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,940 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 76,145 |
| Median Household Income | $59,540 |
| Poverty Rate | 19.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,729 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.7%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.1% |
About 18.0% of Cattaraugus County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,729 households here.
- 10.7% 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 Cattaraugus County
below the national share
1 of Cattaraugus County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.0% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 6,322 residents, roughly 7.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,940 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (90.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 21 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 21
- cvs pharmacy 539, olean
- dollar general 18458, south dayton
- dollar general 18976, olean
- dollar tree 509, olean
- dollar general 10097, franklinville
- dollar general 11658, cattaraugus
- dollar general 14922, allegany
- dollar general 17246, little valley
- dollar general 17674, hinsdale
- dollar general 17913, delevan
- dollar general 24973, delevan
- dollar general 30568, olean
- dollar general 6175, portville
- dollar general 6383, great valley
- dollar general 6724, randolph
- dollar general 8104, olean
- dollar general 8627, chaffee
- dollar tree 7180, salamanca
- family dollar store 2125, olean
- family dollar store 2129, salamanca
- walgreens 11984, yorkshire
Convenience Store · 17
- 7 eleven 35095h, allegany
- 7 eleven 35097h, portville
- 7 eleven 35101h, randolph
- 7 eleven 35110h, olean
- 7 eleven 35201a, olean
- country fair 75, olean
- country fair 77, olean
- crosby's 40039, hinsdale
- crosby's 40041, little valley
- crosby's 40055, randolph
- crosby's 40085, delevan
- crosby's 40100, west valley
- dudek incorporated - 7 eleven 35105a, yorkshire
- freedom one stop inc, freedom
- gurcharn 1573 olean corporation, olean
- kwik fill 396, ellicottville
- reid stores, llc, crosby's 40105, ellicottville
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 69084, olean
- jim's park and shop llc, olean
- salamanca save a lot 24304, salamanca
- south dayton supermarket inc, south dayton
- tops markets 206, olean
- tops pt, llc d/b/a tops pt 271, ellicottville
- tops pt, llc d/b/a tops pt 273, randolph
Super Store · 5
- bj's wholesale club 302, olean
- olean food market, olean
- save-a-lot yorkshire, chaffee
- sander's parkview, salamanca
- walmart 2159, olean
Farmers' Market · 1
- olean area farmers market, olean
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- miller's farm market, olean
Large Grocery Store · 1
- franklinville food store llc, franklinville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Cattaraugus County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Cattaraugus County sits inside New York (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 Cattaraugus County has low food access? ▼
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Is Cattaraugus County a food desert? ▼
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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.