County food-access profile · New York
Chenango County, NY
Most of Chenango 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).
- 4.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 14.4%
- on SNAP
- 46K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
4.1% of Chenango County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 915
- food-desert residents
- 7.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.8%
- 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, Chenango County fares better than most: just 4.1% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 12 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,050 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 915 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 Chenango County compares nationally
Food access in Chenango County compares favorably nationally: its 4.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 9% of them (rank #2,865).
Chenango County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 12 census tracts in Chenango County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Chenango County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Chenango 4.1
Chenango County, NY
4.1 % 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
- Cattaraugus 7.9
Cattaraugus County, NY
7.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 50,477 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,050 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 915 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 46,321 |
| Median Household Income | $62,948 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,874 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.8%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 14.4% of Chenango County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 4.1% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,874 households here.
- 7.8% 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 Chenango County
below the national share
1 of Chenango County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 2,050 residents, roughly 4.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 915 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (91.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Chenango County
Chenango County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 32 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 32
- afton country store 13, afton
- arnav singh inc, bainbridge
- bainbridge country store 12, bainbridge
- byrne dairy norwich 77, norwich
- ez food mart, greene
- guilford deli & grocery inc, guilford
- j&h express, coventry, greene
- j&r smoke shop food mart llc, norwich
- local gas, llc, south otselic
- mirabito 112 - greene, greene
- mirabito 120 - afton, afton
- mirabito 121 - bainbridge, bainbridge
- mirabito 25, oxford
- norwich deli & shop incorporated, norwich
- polkville store, norwich
- quickway 16, norwich
- quickway 20, earlville
- quickway 26, sherburne
- quickway 7, norwich
- quickway new berlin 8, new berlin
- quickway south new berlin 6, south new berlin
- red apple food mart 369, new berlin
- service pharmacy, sherburne
- service pharmacy, new berlin
- stewarts shop 426, sherburne
- speedway 7679, norwich
- speedway 7691, bainbridge
- speedway 7692, norwich
- stewart's shops 474, norwich
- stewart's shops 476, oxford
- stewart's shops 479, mount upton
- stewarts shop 221, new berlin
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- dollar general 18530, afton
- dollar general 19410, earlville
- dollar general 11151, oxford
- dollar general 12070, greene
- dollar general 13554, new berlin
- dollar general 19842, mount upton
- dollar general 21772, plymouth
- dollar general 21789, south new berlin
- dollar general 22374, norwich
- dollar general 8994, sherburne
- dollar tree 993, norwich
- family dollar 7360, bainbridge
- farmers place, new york
- walgreens 19715, greene
- walgreens 19952, norwich
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- frog pond llc, bainbridge
- pine ridge grocery, bainbridge
- the butcher's cuts & deli llc, greene
- the new 5&10, afton
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 65064, norwich
- grand union 19498, norwich
- price chopper norwich 161, norwich
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- greene pasture ranch, greene
- stella's meat and deli, sherburne
Farmers' Market · 1
- oxford farmers' market, oxford
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- pires farmers market llc, norwich
Small Grocery Store · 1
- the new 5&10 variety store, greene
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2120, norwich
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Chenango County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Chenango 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 Chenango County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Chenango County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Chenango County? ▼
Is Chenango County a food desert? ▼
What share of Chenango 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.