PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New York

Delaware County, NY

Delaware 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.

11.4%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
12.4%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NY

The food-access picture

11.4% of Delaware County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
8.6%
households, no vehicle
14.4%
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).

Delaware County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.4% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,492 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,774 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 Delaware County compares nationally

Delaware County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.4% low-access share that beats 24% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,385).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Delaware County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Delaware 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 Delaware County, NY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (85.7%) 1 tracts limited (7.1%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (7.1%) Adequate 86% Limited 7% Severe 7% Food-access tier distribution: Delaware County, NY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Delaware 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 Delaware County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)47,980
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population5,492
Low-Access Share11.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,774

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Delaware County
IndicatorValue
Population44,487
Median Household Income$63,337
Poverty Rate14.4%near the national average
SNAP Households2,390
SNAP Participation Rate12.4%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.6%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population5.2%
SNAP participation in Delaware County 12.4%

About 12.4% of Delaware County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 11.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,390 households here.
  • 8.6% 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 Delaware County

near the national share

1 of Delaware County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.1% 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 5,492 residents, roughly 11.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,774 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (85.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Delaware County

Delaware County has 55 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 25

  • delhi country store 8, delhi
  • downsville country store 24, downsville
  • downsville mini mart, downsville
  • east branch country store 23, east branch
  • east hancock country store 07, hancock
  • fleischmanns supermarket, fleischmanns
  • grand gorge country store 25, grand gorge
  • hamden general store, hamden
  • margaretville country store 15, margaretville
  • quickway 12, west davenport
  • quickway 18, hobart
  • quickway 19, davenport
  • quickway 27, delhi
  • quickway 28, hancock
  • quickway 4, franklin
  • quickway 59, sidney
  • quickway masonville 2, masonville
  • sidney country store 14, sidney
  • speedway 7693, walton
  • speedway 7694, margaretville
  • speedway 9955, delhi
  • stamford country store 9, stamford
  • stewarts shop 289, stamford
  • taste of the catskills, inc., delhi
  • walton country store 6, walton

Combination Grocery/Other · 20

  • cvs pharmacy 5019, walton
  • cvs pharmacy 5013, margaretville
  • dollar general 18914, davenport center
  • dollar general 19338, hancock
  • dollar general 10232, walton
  • dollar general 11022, sidney
  • dollar general 11789, margaretville
  • dollar general 17621, grand gorge
  • dollar general 19634, deposit
  • dollar general 19989, masonville
  • dollar general 21723, downsville
  • dollar tree 7425, sidney
  • family dollar 3862, delhi
  • family dollar 4167, sidney
  • family dollar 7219, walton
  • family dollar 7493, stamford
  • smiley's stop n shop, sidney
  • walgreens 18993, hancock
  • walgreens 19333, sidney
  • walgreens 19729, delhi

Supermarket · 4

  • price chopper delhi 218, delhi
  • price chopper sidney 215, sidney
  • tops markets 722, stamford
  • tops markets 726, hancock

Super Store · 2

  • freshtown 604, margaretville
  • walton big m, walton

Food Buying Co-op · 1

  • the 607 csa, hamden

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • catskill packing llc, sidney center

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • good grocer ny, roxbury

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • hobart hardware plus, hobart

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

Food access nationally, New York in context

Delaware 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 Delaware County has low food access? ▼
11.4% of residents in Delaware 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 Delaware County? ▼
12.4% of households in Delaware County receive SNAP, covering 2,390 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Delaware County? ▼
The poverty rate in Delaware County, NY is 14.4%, with a median household income of $63,337 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Delaware County a food desert? ▼
1 of Delaware County's 14 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 Delaware County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.6% of households in Delaware 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.