PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New York

Cortland County, NY

Cortland 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.

17.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
15.5%
on SNAP
46K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NY

The food-access picture

17.6% of Cortland County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
11.7%
households, no vehicle
12.8%
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).

Cortland County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.6% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,699 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Cortland County compares nationally

Cortland County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.6% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,907).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cortland County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Cortland 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 Cortland County, NY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (66.7%) 4 tracts limited (33.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 33% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Cortland County, NY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cortland 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 Cortland County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,336
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population8,699
Low-Access Share17.6%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,127

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cortland County
IndicatorValue
Population46,246
Median Household Income$70,418
Poverty Rate12.8%near the national average
SNAP Households2,947
SNAP Participation Rate15.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.7%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.0%
SNAP participation in Cortland County 15.5%

About 15.5% of Cortland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 17.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,947 households here.
  • 11.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $70,418 with a 12.8% poverty rate.

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 Cortland County

near the national share

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 8,699 residents, roughly 17.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,127 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cortland County

Cortland County has 47 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • 7 eleven 35261h, cortland
  • a plus on the way 81, cortland
  • byrne dairy homer 134, homer
  • byrne dairy port watson cortland 147, cortland
  • cortland sunoco, cortland
  • dba mcgraw travel plaza 22, mc graw
  • joe's kwik mart 457, cortland
  • joe's kwik mart 471, homer
  • mirabito 111 - marathon, marathon
  • mirabito 41, preble
  • red apple food mart 339, cortland
  • s&d mini mart, cincinnatus
  • shop n hop, cortland
  • speedway 7743, cortland
  • speedway 9912, mcgraw
  • speedway 9930, cortland
  • student deli and grocery corp, cortland
  • student finest convenient inc -the daily grind, cortland
  • super lucky express inc, cortland

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs pharmacy 2135, cortland
  • cincinnatus home center dba 3607, cincinnatus
  • dollar general 11177, marathon
  • dollar general 21374, cuyler
  • dollar general 21398, smithville flats
  • dollar general 21716, cincinnatus
  • dollar general 6365, cortland
  • dollar tree 1450, cortland
  • dollar tree 7790, cortland
  • family dollar 2499, cortland
  • family dollar 4756, cortland
  • kinney drugs 07, cortland
  • kinney drugs 36, cortland
  • walgreens 10158, cortland
  • walgreens 17204, cortland

Large Grocery Store · 5

  • bill anderson's farm market, homer
  • cortland produce cash & carry, cortland
  • gregg's market place, marathon
  • the local food market, cortland
  • williams iga, homer

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 65096, cortland
  • grand union 19487, cortland
  • price chopper cortland 178, cortland

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • bill bros dairy, cortland
  • bill bros market iii, mcgraw

Super Store · 2

  • p&c fresh market #95, cortland
  • walmart supercenter 1781, cortland

Farmers' Market · 1

  • cortland county comm action farmers market, cortland

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 Cortland County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →

Food access nationally, New York in context

Cortland 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 Cortland County has low food access? ▼
17.6% of residents in Cortland 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 Cortland County? ▼
15.5% of households in Cortland County receive SNAP, covering 2,947 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cortland County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cortland County, NY is 12.8%, with a median household income of $70,418 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cortland County a food desert? ▼
0 of Cortland County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Cortland County households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.7% of households in Cortland 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.