County food-access profile · New York
Greene County, NY
Greene 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.
- 11.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.9%
- on SNAP
- 47K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.7% of Greene County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 967
- food-desert residents
- 7.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.9%
- 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).
Greene County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.7% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 15 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,762 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 Greene County compares nationally
Greene County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.7% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,363).
Greene County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 15 census tracts in Greene County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Greene County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Greene 11.7
Greene County, NY
11.7 % 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) | 49,221 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,762 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 967 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 47,409 |
| Median Household Income | $77,945 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,477 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.3% |
About 7.9% of Greene County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,477 households here.
- 7.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $77,945 with a 9.9% 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 Greene 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 5,762 residents, roughly 11.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 967 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 Greene County
Greene County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 26
- athens one stop inc, athens
- bonfare 245, coxsackie
- catskill grocery and news, catskill
- cumberland farms 1620, hunter
- catskill food market inc, catskill
- cumberland farms 1559, cairo
- cumberland farms 1566, catskill
- cumberland farms 1576, greenville
- cumberland farms, inc 1571, west coxsackie
- lawyer's general store, east durham
- mittal convenience store corp, catskill
- new baltimore xtra mart 10130, west coxsackie
- nyc deli grocery, catskill
- ram sunrise inc 2, catskill
- stewart's shop #161, athens
- sagar purani inc., south cairo
- south cairo country store llc, south cairo
- speedway 7713, catskill
- stewart's shops 129, catskill
- stewart's shops 298, leeds
- stewarts shop 120, coxsackie
- stewarts shop 298, catskill
- stewarts shop 311, cairo
- stewarts shop 362, tannersville
- stewarts shop 389, greenville
- visat one stop inc, windham
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- cvs pharmacy 5036, cairo
- dollar general 16748, athens
- dollar general 10430, greenville
- dollar general 15881, palenville
- dollar general 16252, tannersville
- dollar general 17472, east durham
- dollar general 30066, cairo
- dollar general 6540, west coxsackie
- dollar tree 1187, catskill
- family dollar 1840, west coxsackie
- family dollar 5499, cairo
- great american - prattsville, prattsville
- via ravioli, west coxsackie
- walgreens 10955, catskill
- walgreens 18980, greenville
Supermarket · 4
- price chopper 042, catskill
- tops markets 720, greenville
- tops markets 724, cox sackie
- tops markets 725, tannersville
Farmers' Market · 2
- catskill farmers market, catskill
- shinglekill farmers market, purling
Super Store · 2
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8415, cairo
- walmart 2351, catskill
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- t and c products, cairo
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- catskill health food store, llc., catskill
Small Grocery Store · 1
- country k inc, tannersville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Greene County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Greene 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 Greene County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Greene County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Greene County? ▼
Is Greene County a food desert? ▼
What share of Greene 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.