PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New York

Columbia County, NY

Columbia 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.

16.7%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
9.7%
on SNAP
61K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NY

The food-access picture

16.7% of Columbia County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
6.1%
households, no vehicle
12.1%
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).

Columbia County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.7% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 21 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,567 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,499 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 Columbia County compares nationally

Columbia County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.7% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,973).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Columbia County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 21 census tracts in Columbia 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 Columbia County, NY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 16 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 21 tracts evaluated. 16 tracts adequate (76.2%) 3 tracts limited (14.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (9.5%) Adequate 76% Limited 14% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Columbia County, NY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Columbia 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 Columbia County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts21
Atlas Population (2010 basis)63,096
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population10,567
Low-Access Share16.7%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,499

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Columbia County
IndicatorValue
Population61,100
Median Household Income$81,528
Poverty Rate12.1%below the national average
SNAP Households2,592
SNAP Participation Rate9.7%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.6%
SNAP participation in Columbia County 9.7%

About 9.7% of Columbia County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,592 households here.
  • 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts 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 Columbia County

near the national share

2 of Columbia County's 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.5% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 10,567 residents, roughly 16.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,499 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 16 tracts (76.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Columbia County

Columbia County has 66 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 31

  • 66 food mart, hudson
  • alltown fresh livingston 776, hudson
  • blue stores xtra mart 10149, germantown
  • cumberland farms 1567, valatie
  • cumberland farms 1625, philmont
  • chatham xtra mart 10053, old chatham
  • chef richies deli incorporated, hudson
  • claverack xtra mart 10120, claverack
  • cobble pond farms 6, craryville
  • cumberland farms 1592, columbiaville
  • dania foodmart, canaan
  • dba mcnans variety foods, philmont
  • germantown xtra mart 10137, germantown
  • ghent one stop inc, ghent
  • hillsdale gulf 1, hillsdale
  • love's travel stop 611, canaan
  • onvo travel plaza - canaan 26, canaan
  • quick mart no, hudson
  • sam's market, hudson
  • stewart's shop #285, germantown
  • speedway 7672, hudson
  • speedway 7712, hudson
  • stewart's shops 493, hudson
  • stewarts shop 168, new lebanon
  • stewarts shop 209, hudson
  • stewarts shop 239, hudson
  • stewarts shop 281, hillsdale
  • stewarts shop 297, chatham
  • stewarts shop 349, kinderhook
  • stewarts shop 412, valatie
  • warren street market, hudson

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs pharmacy 424, hudson
  • cvs pharmacy 557, hudson
  • cvs pharmacy 783, valatie
  • dollartree 9512, hudson
  • dollar general 12546, hudson
  • dollar general 14942, valatie
  • dollar general 16022, germantown
  • dollar general 25025, new lebanon
  • dollar tree 1860, hudson
  • family dollar 10547, new lebanon
  • family dollar 2358, chatham
  • family dollar 7556, philmont
  • ocean state job lot 504, valatie
  • walgreens 17466, hudson
  • walgreens 18978, chatham

Medium Grocery Store · 7

  • chatham real food market co-op inc, chatham
  • filli's deli and bakery, claverack
  • mx morningstar farm store, hudson
  • random harvest, craryville
  • rolling grocer 19, hudson
  • the meat hook hudson llc, hudson
  • upstate grocery inc, hudson

Super Store · 5

  • freshtown of hillsdale 614, hillsdale
  • hawthorne valley farm store, ghent
  • hannaford food & drug 8364, valatie
  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8416, hudson
  • walmart supercenter 2097, hudson

Farmers' Market · 3

  • copake hillsdale farmers market, hillsdale
  • hudson farmers' market, hudson
  • new lebanon farmers market, new lebanon

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 73016, hudson
  • price chopper 246, chatham
  • shoprite 277, hudson

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • canaan general store, canaan
  • hearty roots market, germantown

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New York

Albany County
31.4% low-access · 11.0% SNAP
Allegany County
3.9% low-access · 15.9% 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

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

Food access nationally, New York in context

Columbia 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 Columbia County has low food access? ▼
16.7% of residents in Columbia 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 Columbia County? ▼
9.7% of households in Columbia County receive SNAP, covering 2,592 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Columbia County? ▼
The poverty rate in Columbia County, NY is 12.1%, with a median household income of $81,528 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Columbia County a food desert? ▼
2 of Columbia County's 21 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 Columbia County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.1% of households in Columbia 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.