County food-access profile · New York
Herkimer County, NY
Herkimer 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.
- 12.4%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 14.8%
- on SNAP
- 60K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
12.4% of Herkimer County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 9.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.4%
- 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).
Herkimer County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.4% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 19 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,996 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,695 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 Herkimer County compares nationally
Herkimer County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.4% low-access share that beats 26% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,314).
Herkimer County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 19 census tracts in Herkimer County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Herkimer County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Herkimer 12.4
Herkimer County, NY
12.4 % 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 | 19 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 64,519 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,996 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.4%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,695 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 59,757 |
| Median Household Income | $68,515 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,806 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.6%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.4% |
About 14.8% of Herkimer County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 12.4% 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 3,806 households here.
- 9.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Herkimer County
near the national share
2 of Herkimer County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.5% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 7,996 residents, roughly 12.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,695 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (73.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Herkimer County
Herkimer County has 59 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 29
- arham fuel inc, little falls
- beltres convenience and deli, herkimer
- boss' general store, llc, west winfield
- brix bulk items, dolgeville
- country farms, frankfort
- cliff's local market 507, herkimer
- cliff's local market 601, ilion
- cliff's local market 602, herkimer
- fast & easy convenience, utica
- fastrac eg llc 500226, old forge
- fastrac eg llc 500229, mohawk
- fastrac eg llc 500236, ilion
- fastrac eg llc 500275, herkimer
- greenies corner llc, ilion
- mirabito 106 - ilion, ilion
- nice n easy 431, little falls
- norway general store llc, newport
- one dream 4, dolgeville
- quickway 72, west winfield
- rj food center, middleville
- stewart's shop 155, ilion
- stewart's shop 427, frankfort
- stewarts shop 147, dolgeville
- sam's deli and shop inc, little falls
- stewarts shop 114, herkimer
- stewarts shop 171, little falls
- stewarts shop 175, poland
- stewarts shop 343, middleville
- trailside deli, stratford
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- 5 star market, herkimer
- dollar tree 1404, herkimer
- dollartree 10333, ilion
- dollar general 11102, dolgeville
- dollar general 19944, utica
- dollar general 20834, west winfield
- dollar general 23760, newport
- dollar general 23909, frankfort
- dollar general 25901, newport
- dollar general 8373, little falls
- dollar general 8626, ilion
- dollar general 9098, herkimer
- family dollar store 6667, mohawk
- friendly bake shop, frankfort
- kinney drugs 27, ilion
- kinney drugs 28, dolgeville
- kinney drugs 49, little falls
- kinney drugs 57, old forge
- walgreens 18376, herkimer
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 65031, ilion
- licari's dolgeville big m #890, dolgeville
- price chopper little falls 242, little falls
- work to ski inc dba diorios supermarket, old forge
Super Store · 2
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8366, herkimer
- walmart supercenter 2285, herkimer
Farmers' Market · 1
- mohawk valley farmers market, herkimer
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- community co-op store, little falls
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- juliano farms market, utica
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- kellys meat market, little falls
Small Grocery Store · 1
- meats on main, frankfort
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Herkimer County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Herkimer 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 Herkimer County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Herkimer County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Herkimer County? ▼
Is Herkimer County a food desert? ▼
What share of Herkimer 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.