County food-access profile · New York
Fulton County, NY
Fulton 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.
- 12.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 15.4%
- on SNAP
- 52K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
12.5% of Fulton County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 10.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.1%
- 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).
Fulton County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.5% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 15 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,966 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 Fulton County compares nationally
Fulton County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.5% low-access share that beats 26% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,305).
Fulton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 15 census tracts in Fulton County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Fulton County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Fulton 12.5
Fulton County, NY
12.5 % low-access
- Albany
Albany County, NY
31.4 % low-access
- Allegany 3.9
Allegany County, NY
3.9 % low-access
- Bronx 0.6
Bronx County, NY
0.6 % low-access
- Broome
Broome County, NY
16.4 % low-access
- Cattaraugus 7.9
Cattaraugus County, NY
7.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 55,531 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,966 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,113 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 52,487 |
| Median Household Income | $66,533 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,521 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.2%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.0% |
About 15.4% of Fulton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 12.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,521 households here.
- 10.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $66,533 with a 13.1% 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 Fulton County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 6,966 residents, roughly 12.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,113 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 13 tracts (86.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Fulton County
Fulton County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 19
- cumberland farms 1596, gloversville
- campers corner store, gloversville
- cobble pond farms 12, gloversville
- convenience/deli store inc, gloversville
- fraz & sons inc, gloversville
- gulf express, johnstown
- mohan stop & shop inc, johnstown
- naifs groceries inc, gloversville
- stewart's shop 180, gloversville
- stewart's shop 224, johnstown
- stewart's shop 279, johnstown
- stewarts shop 284, mayfield
- smiley smoke and food mart, llc, gloversville
- speedway 7671, johnstown
- stewart's shops 247, gloversville
- stewart's shops corp./stewart's shop 107, northville
- stewarts shop 143, broadalbin
- stewarts shop 419, gloversville
- stewarts shop 425, johnstown
Combination Grocery/Other · 16
- cvs pharmacy 793, gloversville
- dollar general 19226, johnstown
- dollar tree 1929, johnstown
- dollar general 10237, gloversville
- dollar general 10752, gloversville
- dollar general 14669, broadalbin
- dollar general 15744, mayfield
- dollar general 20951, caroga lake
- dollar tree 7027, gloversville
- family dollar store 1870, gloversville
- jimmy's deli and grocery, gloversville
- service deli provisions distributor llc-cash&carry, johnstown
- snyder's convenient corner, gloversville
- walgreens 10752, gloversville
- walgreens 17461, northville
- walgreens 18296, johnstown
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 65110, johnstown
- price chopper 012, johnstown
- price chopper gloversville 195, gloversville
- tops markets 721, northville
Small Grocery Store · 2
- bowman's market, gloversville
- mohawk harvest cooperative market, gloversville
Super Store · 2
- hannaford food & drug 8377, gloversville
- walmart supercenter 1806, gloversville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- deli master, broadalbin
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- nacs meat market, mayfield
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Fulton County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Fulton County sits inside New York (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 Fulton County has low food access? ▼
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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.