County food-access profile · New Jersey
Essex County, NJ
Essex 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.
- 8.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 14.8%
- on SNAP
- 863K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.1% of Essex County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 210 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 28
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 21.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.6%
- 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).
Essex County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.1% per the USDA Atlas. 28 of the county's 210 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 63,498 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,869 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 Essex County compares nationally
Essex County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.1% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,637).
Essex County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 210 census tracts in Essex County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Essex County vs. other New Jersey counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Jersey
- Essex 8.1
Essex County, NJ
8.1 % low-access
- Atlantic
Atlantic County, NJ
30.1 % low-access
- Bergen 10.3
Bergen County, NJ
10.3 % low-access
- Burlington
Burlington County, NJ
36.3 % low-access
- Camden
Camden County, NJ
20 % low-access
- Cape May
Cape May County, NJ
32.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 210 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 783,969 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 28 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 63,498 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,869 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 863,002 |
| Median Household Income | $80,789 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 47,471 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 21.0%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
About 14.8% of Essex County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 47,471 households here.
- 21.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Essex County
near the national share
3 of Essex County's 210 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 1.4% of all its tracts.
A further 25 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 28.
An estimated 63,498 residents, roughly 8.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,869 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 182 tracts (86.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Essex County
Essex County has 589 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 151 locations (26% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 151
- 1139 broad st petroleum llc 89, newark
- 24/7 ez check mart corp, east orange
- 509 grove deli llc, irvington
- 7 heaven mart, newark
- 7-eleven 34296j, newark
- 7-eleven 35640a, west orange
- 7-eleven 36429a, south orange
- 7-eleven inc f 20496d, bloomfield
- 7-eleven inc f 21390e, nutley
- 7-eleven inc f 39315a, maplewood
- 7-eleven store 11437c, livingston
- 7-eleven store 11438b, west caldwell
- 7-eleven store 2415 36882a, nutley
- 7-eleven, inc. 34052h, maplewood
- 7-eleven 39713b, bloomfield
- 7-eleven store #34174b, verona
- 7-eleven store #34211c 34211c, montclair
- 7-eleven store #37695a 37695a, east orange
- 7-eleven store #39322b, bloomfield
- 7-eleven store 2413 37091a, east orange
- 7-eleven store 38268a 38268a, belleville
- 911 quick stop deli llc, east orange
- a.t. mini market, newark
- amg bp 149, newark
- alexca grocery & deli 1, newark
- alvarez grocery, newark
- amberly supermarket, irvington
- amrah mini market usa, montclair
- andy grocery store corp, newark
- b c halal deli, east orange
- ben mini market, newark
- bengal convenience llc, west orange
- best tropical 2 grocery, newark
- bodega yuly & mello, newark
- broadway grocery corp, newark
- brookdale supermarket no. 1, newark
- brother d & o supermarket, newark
- buck n up, newark
- chancellor food market, irvington
- corocito sr corp, newark
- carousel convenience, west orange
- cash maker mini market, newark
- central avenue mini mart, orange
- chancellorave grocery corp, newark
- chris's deli, orange
- christi mini mart, newark
- circle convenience store, irvington
- columbia market, irvington
- convenience store flora, newark
- cruz grocery store, newark
- djh newstand, bloomfield
- de jesus deli market, newark
- deli world convenience inc, irvington
- dollar deal, east orange
- don lucho grocery multiservice, newark
- downtown fuel llc, newark
- duran dely grocery, east orange
- el azteca, bloomfield
- el meneo mini market, newark
- el nuevo caballo blanco liquor & grocery, newark
- el shaddai grocery, newark
- eliany grocery store, newark
- elizabeth market llc, newark
- evergreen grocery supermarket, newark
- ez mart, newark
- f & d supermarket, newark
- f&n deli grocery, newark
- fatima supermarket, newark
- five rivers grocery, irvington
- fourm gift shop, newark
- glenwood confectionery, bloomfield
- grove st. convenience inc, montclair
- h & h variety llc, east orange
- hari mini store, east orange
- henry's fine foods, verona
- hudson food market, orange
- isidora grocery and deli llc, newark
- jm grocery store & deli, newark
- jrg mini market llc, newark
- jt family grocery, irvington
- jayden mini mart, newark
- jenny grocery & deli corp., east orange
- jenye llc, newark
- jeo's deli grocery llc, newark
- jimmy mini market llc, newark
- julie's summer food market, newark
- k & e mini market, east orange
- k & g supermarket corp, newark
- keda convenience store, east orange
- kehpeh mini market, irvington
- kiari mini market llc, east orange
- kraurszer's food store, west orange
- krauszer's, newark
- krauszer's, belleville
- krauszers, newark
- l&d family mini market, newark
- la bodeguita 1 del medio, newark
- la esquina food market no, irvington
- lot stop, irvington
- lownif mini-market, orange
- ls deli market inc, newark
- lucky 7 deli & food mart inc, nutley
- luna grocery llc, west orange
- mhb mini market, newark
- mprl pharmacy dba abels pharmacy, irvington
- mary mini market, orange
- marys deli & grocery, irvington
- medina family grocery corp, newark
- medina family ii, newark
- mike's central food, east orange
- milenio mini market llc, east orange
- minier grocery inc, newark
- mission mini market 2 llc, montclair
- mj supermarket llc 1, newark
- mk grocery store, newark
- naeema llc, newark
- nana express food market, newark
- nandas mini mart, newark
- new style supermarket 4, irvington
- noah supermarket llc, newark
- noor convenience, irvington
- omda convenience store & smoke shop, newark
- omer supermarket, newark
- one stop supermarket, orange
- orange housing resident store, orange
- orange mini market llc, orange
- original deli and grocery, bloomfield
- original tropical food market, bloomfield
- oscar supermarket, east orange
- p&t supermarket, newark
- p. & p. tobacco & stationery, irvington
- park ave super deli and grocery llc, newark
- pichardo grocery, llc., newark
- pilot travel center 1098, newark
- pit stop food mart, east orange
- poppies grocery & deli, east orange
- primos supermarket, orange
- quality grocery and deli, newark
- quick faso mini market, irvington
- quick mart, bloomfield
- r & s deli grocery, east orange
- r & t mini market, orange
- r. k. food store, inc, verona
- ramirez grocery of east orange,, east orange
- rt 21 mart, newark
- rodriguez mini market llc, east orange
- sara food, west orange
- san judas tadeo deli and grocery, newark
- sasha food market, newark
- shell, newark
- shoppers express n/a, belleville
Combination Grocery/Other · 98
- a & j seabras supermarket, newark
- amy african food & grocery market, newark
- anna e. african market, newark
- b&b international african & caribbean market 46, newark
- broadway poultry, newark
- banik international llc, newark
- cvs 463, bloomfield
- cvs 6073, livingston
- cvs pharmacy 548, livingston
- cvs pharmacy 10087, west orange
- cvs pharmacy 10211, maplewood
- cvs pharmacy 10527, newark
- cvs pharmacy 1158, nutley
- cvs pharmacy 1243, newark
- cvs pharmacy 2051, bloomfield
- cvs pharmacy 2261, newark
- cvs pharmacy 2492, cedar grove
- cvs pharmacy 2535, montclair
- cvs pharmacy 2795, east orange
- cvs pharmacy 2813, west orange
- cvs pharmacy 298, montclair
- cvs pharmacy 4626, millburn
- cvs pharmacy 617, cedar grove
- cvs pharmacy 687, west orange
- cvs pharmacy 761, west caldwell
- dollar tree 4631, bloomfield
- dollartree 9517, newark
- divine mercy african food market, newark
- dollar general 13399, irvington
- dollar general 17165, irvington
- dollar general 18757, orange
- dollar general 19187, east orange
- dollar general 19193, irvington
- dollar general 19898, newark
- dollar general 21127, maplewood
- dollar general 21792, newark
- dollar general 22339, newark
- dollar general 24168, bloomfield
- dollar tree 4987, maplewood
- dollar tree 5265, belleville
- dollar tree 5481, irvington
- dollar tree 5887, newark
- dollar tree 5927, east orange
- dollar tree 6027, orange
- dollar tree 6537, newark
- dollar tree 7508, fairfield
- dollar tree 7557, irvington
- dollar tree 8292, nutley
- family dollar 10504, orange
- family dollar 12130, newark
- family dollar 12745, west orange
- family dollar 4503, newark
- family dollar 4982, newark
- family dollar 6555, east orange
- family dollar 6856, newark
- family dollar 6908, east orange
- family dollar 7442, east orange
- family dollar 8205, newark
- family dollar 8334, newark
- family dollar 8513, belleville
- family dollar 8944, irvington
- family dollar store 11379, orange
- goshen african variety store, newark
- hadja mai african market llc, newark
- lushz variety store, irvington
- m & f international market, newark
- makola african market imports, newark
- machou tropical fresh fish market, east orange
- mile 12 international africa market, irvington
- oja oba international market, irvington
- okyeman africa market, east orange
- osibisa african market - endless foods, maplewood
- our community grocery store, newark
- quick chek food stores 91, bloomfield
- quick chek 157, fairfield
- quickchek #198, belleville
- steves market, east orange
- volcy unity grocery store, east orange
- walgreens 02470, roseland
- walgreens 01881, bloomfield
- walgreens 03146, newark
- walgreens 03379, newark
- walgreens 06162, east orange
- walgreens 07794, west caldwell
- walgreens 12064, newark
- walgreens 12079, belleville
- walgreens 13686, maplewood
- walgreens 13701, verona
- walgreens 13702, fairfield
- walgreens 13718, belleville
- walgreens 15010, irvington
- walgreens 15595, short hills
- walgreens 16402, belleville
- walgreens 18252, newark
- walgreens 19670, south orange
- walgreens 19964, bloomfield
- walgreens 3292, orange
- west orange fooderie, west orange
Bakery Specialty · 1
- calandra's italian & french bakery, newark
Showing 250 of 589 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Jersey
Compare Essex County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →
Food access nationally, New Jersey in context
Essex County sits inside New Jersey (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 Essex County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Essex County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Essex County? ▼
Is Essex County a food desert? ▼
What share of Essex 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.