PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Jersey

Hunterdon County, NJ

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Hunterdon 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).

20.4%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
3.6%
on SNAP
130K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NJ

The food-access picture

20.4% of Hunterdon County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

9
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
3.3%
households, no vehicle
4.0%
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 Hunterdon County's low-access share at 20.4%, above the national share. 9 of the county's 26 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 26,211 people. 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 Hunterdon County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hunterdon County's 20.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,657 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hunterdon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 26 census tracts in Hunterdon 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 Hunterdon County, NJ USDA-defined food-access tiers: 17 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 9 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 26 tracts evaluated. 17 tracts adequate (65.4%) 9 tracts limited (34.6%) Adequate 65% Limited 35% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Hunterdon County, NJ
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hunterdon County vs. other New Jersey counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Jersey

% 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 Hunterdon County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts26
Atlas Population (2010 basis)128,349
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population26,211
Low-Access Share20.4%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,379

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hunterdon County
IndicatorValue
Population130,160
Median Household Income$141,715
Poverty Rate4.0%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,825
SNAP Participation Rate3.6%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.0%
SNAP participation in Hunterdon County 3.6%

About 3.6% of Hunterdon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 3.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,825 households here.
  • 3.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $141,715 with a 4.0% 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 Hunterdon County

above the national share

A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 26,211 residents, roughly 20.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,379 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 17 tracts (65.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hunterdon County

Hunterdon County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 16 locations (31% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 16

  • basil bandwagon natural market, flemington
  • cvs pharmacy 2576, flemington
  • cvs pharmacy 6344, flemington
  • cvs pharmacy 6760, flemington
  • cvs pharmacy 6873, lambertville
  • dollar general 22756, lambertville
  • dollar tree 3718, flemington
  • la pulperia mini market, flemington
  • lapps fresh meats llc, flemington
  • ocean state job lot 551, clinton
  • quick chek food stores 63, ringoes
  • quick chek food stores 61, fairview
  • quickchek 194, hampton
  • walgreens 09933, flemington
  • walgreens 11425, readington
  • walgreens 19633, califon

Convenience Store · 15

  • 7-eleven store #41946a, flemington
  • 7-eleven store 213 39499b, flemington
  • 7-eleven store 44766a, clinton
  • higgins news agency, flemington
  • khates general store, frenchtown
  • krauszers, flemington
  • krauszers food stores, clinton
  • milford market, milford
  • pilot travel center 190, hampton
  • pilot travel center 280, bloomsbury
  • speedway 3469, flemington
  • spruce run exxon, hampton
  • ta bloomsbury 048, bloomsbury
  • us fuel & food, flemington
  • wawa 991, flemington

Super Store · 8

  • b js wholesale club 308, flemington
  • bishops thriftway, whitehouse station
  • costco 1236, flemington
  • shop rite of hunterdon county inc, flemington
  • shoprite of clinton 477, clinton
  • target store t2914, flemington
  • walmart 2582, clinton
  • walmart supercenter 2294, flemington

Small Grocery Store · 5

  • al-noor halal meat & grocery, flemington
  • latino mini market 11, flemington
  • mexicana travel and grocery 2, lambertville
  • steves food store, flemington
  • tienda el paisa, flemington

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 60113, flemington
  • aqui market of califon llc, califon
  • frenchtown market, frenchtown
  • kings 3640, whitehouse station
  • stop & shop 866, flemington

Farmers' Market · 1

  • frenchtown farmers market, frenchtown

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • basil bandwagon natural market, lambertville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • basil bandwagon natural market, clinton

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New Jersey

Atlantic County
30.1% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Bergen County
10.3% low-access · 5.3% SNAP
Burlington County
36.3% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Camden County
20.0% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Cape May County
32.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Cumberland County
35.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP

Compare Hunterdon County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →

Food access nationally, New Jersey in context

Hunterdon County sits inside New Jersey (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 Hunterdon County has low food access? ▼
20.4% of residents in Hunterdon County, NJ 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 Hunterdon County? ▼
3.6% of households in Hunterdon County receive SNAP, covering 1,825 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hunterdon County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hunterdon County, NJ is 4.0%, with a median household income of $141,715 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hunterdon County a food desert? ▼
0 of Hunterdon County's 26 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Hunterdon County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.3% of households in Hunterdon 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.