PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New York

Franklin County, NY

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Franklin County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

20.7%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
17.5%
on SNAP
47K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NY

The food-access picture

20.7% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
10.6%
households, no vehicle
18.2%
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).

USDA data puts Franklin County's low-access share at 20.7%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 10,694 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,912 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 Franklin County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Franklin County's 20.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 48% of them and ranked #1,634 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Franklin 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 Franklin County, NY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (50.0%) 3 tracts limited (21.4%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (28.6%) Adequate 50% Limited 21% Severe 29% Food-access tier distribution: Franklin County, NY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Franklin 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 Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)51,599
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population10,694
Low-Access Share20.7%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,912

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Population46,696
Median Household Income$65,151
Poverty Rate18.2%above the national average
SNAP Households3,410
SNAP Participation Rate17.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle10.6%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population8.8%
SNAP participation in Franklin County 17.5%

About 17.5% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 17.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,410 households here.
  • 10.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Franklin County

above the national share

4 of Franklin County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 28.6% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 10,694 residents, roughly 20.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,912 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Franklin County

Franklin County has 49 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (35% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • dollar general 15825, fort covington
  • dollar general 16269, moira
  • dollar general 17932, dickinson center
  • dollar general 19239, saranac lake
  • dollar general 22010, chateaugay
  • dollar general 23337, constable
  • dollar general 6014, tupper lake
  • dollar general 7325, malone
  • dollar tree 2077, malone
  • family dollar store 4423, tupper lake
  • kinney drugs 02, saranac lake
  • kinney drugs 12, malone
  • kinney drugs 14, malone
  • kinney drugs 39, tupper lake
  • martin's country store llc 1, moira
  • walgreens 10591, malone
  • walgreens 17227, saranac lake

Convenience Store · 17

  • bears den, llc 103, hogansburg
  • farm to market country store, north bangor
  • farm to market country store 0, brushton
  • mad joe's store, moira
  • mountain mart 104, malone
  • mountain mart 107, malone
  • midway market, llc, malone
  • midway market, llc, malone
  • mountain mart 108, moira
  • mountain mart 110 llc 110, chateaugay
  • stewarts shop 242, saranac lake
  • stewarts shop 252, tupper lake
  • stewarts shop 340, malone
  • speedway convenience, hogansburg
  • stewart's shops 331, malone
  • stewarts shop 137, chateaugay
  • stewarts shop 312, brushton

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 65003, malone
  • grand union 19495, saranac lake
  • price chopper malone 166, malone
  • shaheen supermarket inc, tupper lake
  • tupper lake save a lot 24535, tupper lake

Farmers' Market · 3

  • davis family farm, moira
  • high peaks farmers market saranac lake, saranac lake
  • tupper lake farmers market, tupper lake

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • eastside market, malone
  • martins country store, brushton
  • nori's village market inc, saranac lake

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • akwesasne mini-mart, hogansburg
  • busy beaver holdings llc-st regis falls quick stop, saint regis falls

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • lavigne & sons llc - lavigne iga, chateaugay

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 3334, malone

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

Food access nationally, New York in context

Franklin 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 Franklin County has low food access? ▼
20.7% of residents in Franklin 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 Franklin County? ▼
17.5% of households in Franklin County receive SNAP, covering 3,410 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Franklin County, NY is 18.2%, with a median household income of $65,151 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
4 of Franklin 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 Franklin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
10.6% of households in Franklin 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.