County food-access profile · New York
Clinton County, NY
Clinton County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 9.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 16.9%
- on SNAP
- 78K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.3% of Clinton County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 10.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.7%
- 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).
Clinton County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.3% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 19 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,621 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,650 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 Clinton County compares nationally
Clinton County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.3% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,542).
Clinton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 19 census tracts in Clinton County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Clinton County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Clinton 9.3
Clinton County, NY
9.3 % 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 | 19 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 82,128 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,621 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,650 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 78,493 |
| Median Household Income | $71,224 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.7%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,663 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.4%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 7.8% |
About 16.9% of Clinton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,663 households here.
- 10.4% 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 Clinton County
near the national share
1 of Clinton County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.3% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 7,621 residents, roughly 9.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,650 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 15 tracts (78.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Clinton County
Clinton County has 83 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 35 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 35
- arnold's, keeseville
- border view grocery, champlain
- buck's discount centers inc, plattsburgh
- chuck wagon 2, plattsburgh
- champy's gas n go 23, plattsburgh
- doogan's, plattsburgh
- exit 40 mobil 40, plattsburgh
- five star food & fuel inc., plattsburgh
- keeseville mobil, keeseville
- keeseville pharmacy inc, keeseville
- leroux's iron ore market llc, lyon mountain
- luckys mini mart, morrisonville
- mhab fresh, plattsburgh
- mirabito plattsburgh 140, plattsburgh
- mirabito rouses point 138, rouses point
- mountain mart inc 109 109, plattsburgh
- plattsburgh express lane llc, plattsburgh
- public america gas & convenience, champlain
- rock's beverages & grocery inc., schuyler falls
- rs family 2811 inc, west chazy
- sonis mart inc, plattsburgh
- stewart's shop #270, plattsburgh
- stewart's shop 260, plattsburgh
- stewart's shop 272, plattsburgh
- stewart's shop 321, plattsburgh
- stewarts shop 225, plattsburgh
- saleem petroleum llc, plattsburgh
- stewart's shop 375, keeseville
- stewart's shops 272, plattsburgh
- stewarts shop 200, plattsburgh
- stewarts shop 207, dannemora
- stewarts shop 257, peru
- stewarts shop 378, chazy
- xpress mart, plattsburgh
- yazzy's market, plattsburgh
Combination Grocery/Other · 29
- big m plattsburgh, plattsburgh
- dollartree 9571, plattsburgh
- dollar general 10345, peru
- dollar general 10763, rouses point
- dollar general 12931, keeseville
- dollar general 14201, plattsburgh
- dollar general 14943, champlain
- dollar general 15350, ellenburg center
- dollar general 15842, plattsburgh
- dollar general 17063, plattsburgh
- dollar general 17064, chazy
- dollar general 17480, cadyville
- dollar general 19573, mooers
- dollar general 21753, plattsburgh
- dollar general 23449, west chazy
- dollar tree 1416, plattsburgh
- dollar tree 6404, champlain
- family dollar 10635, cadyville
- family dollar store 10282, altona
- family dollar store 10495, au sable forks
- family dollar store 2659, plattsburgh
- family dollar store 3883, plattsburgh
- kinney drugs 121, peru
- kinney drugs 19, plattsburgh
- kinney drugs 40, plattsburgh
- kinney drugs 50, plattsburgh
- kinney drugs 52, champlain
- kinney drugs 59, plattsburgh
- walgreens 11378, plattsburgh
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 65002, plattsburgh
- grand union 19496, peru
- market 32 plattsburgh 168, plattsburgh
- price chopper 220, champlain
- tops markets 717, ausable forks
- yando's big m, plattsburgh
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- b's country quick stop, ellenburg depot
- d&d meats, west chazy
- maggy marketplace, dannemora
- mountain mart 101, mooers
Small Grocery Store · 4
- island vybz llc, plattsburgh
- mountain mart 112 llc 112, ellenburg center
- north country cooperative inc, plattsburgh
- northern cakes, plattsburgh
Super Store · 4
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8166, plattsburgh
- sam's club 6456, plattsburgh
- target 2459, plattsburgh
- walmart supercenter 1994, plattsburgh
Large Grocery Store · 1
- keeseville grocery, keeseville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Clinton County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Clinton 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 Clinton County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Clinton County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Clinton County? ▼
Is Clinton County a food desert? ▼
What share of Clinton 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.