Signature · 15.8% SNAP (80th pct in NY)
Jefferson County, NY
Jefferson County stands out on SNAP (15.8%, +3.7 pts vs U.S.) with 15.2% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 15.2%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 15.8%
- on SNAP
- 115K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Jefferson County, NY
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 15.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.8% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 9.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 20% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Tompkins County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Jefferson County ranks #2,105 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #29 of 60 counties in NY (15.2% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #2,105
- national by low-access %
- #29
- in NY
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 15.8% SNAP (80th pct in NY) (+3.7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Jefferson County compares nationally
Jefferson County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.2% low-access share that beats 33% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,113).
Jefferson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
25 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Jefferson County has 10 urban and 15 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Jefferson County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in New York, not a full county-board reprint
- Putnam
Putnam 53.6%
53.6 % low-access
- Broome 16.4
Broome 16.4%
16.4 % low-access
- Jefferson 15.2
Jefferson 15.2%
15.2 % low-access
- Tompkins 15.2
Tompkins 15.2%
15.2 % low-access
- Chautauqua 14.4
Chautauqua 14.4%
14.4 % low-access
- Steuben 14.1
Steuben 14.1%
14.1 % low-access
- Kings 0
Kings 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 25 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 116,229 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 17,712 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,820 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 115,040 |
| Median Household Income | $66,301 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.7%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,529 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.7%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.2% |
Thick SNAP store book in Jefferson County
Jefferson County has 113 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 48 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 48
- 115 carthage inc, carthage
- 7-eleven 40210h, watertown
- 7-eleven 40486, watertown
- 7-eleven 40488, adams center
- 7-eleven 40490, chaumont
- 7-eleven 40492, watertown
- 7-eleven 40496, watertown
- 7-eleven 40498, evans mills
- 7-eleven 40501, sackets harbor
- 7-eleven 40503, watertown
- adams center market, adams center
- adirondack foothills, natural bridge
- aujla corner convenience no, watertown
- byrne dairy coffeen st. 60, watertown
- circle k 4707627, watertown
- circle k 4707629, carthage
- fastrac eg llc 500222, watertown
- fastrac eg llc 500224, watertown
- franklin st investments inc-franklin st dairy&mkt, watertown
- freeway grocery llc, adams
- gagan inc, watertown
- gsg mini marts inc - sunoco, watertown
- joe's kwik mart 491, watertown
- love's travel stop 870, watertown
- martin's country store (philadelphia), philadelphia
- mirabito adams 136, adams
- mirabito watertown 137, watertown
- parkway express canton, canton
- stewart's shop #344, brownville
- stewart's shop 438, carthage
- stewart's shop 436, watertown
- stewart's shops 113, watertown
- stewart's shops 582, clayton
- stewarts shop 399, adams
- stewarts shop 428, black river
- stewarts shop 429, philadelphia
- stewarts shop 433, watertown
- stewarts shop 437, carthage
- stewarts shop 441, watertown
- stewarts shop 442, evans mills
- sunoco gas station, watertown
- tasty deli & convenience incorporated, sackets harbor
- thermart llc - woodland market, theresa
- valero mill street, watertown
- watertown expressway corp., watertown
- watertown valero, watertown
- whitecaps market, redwood
- wny theresa inc, theresa
Combination Grocery/Other · 35
- adams cheese shop, adams
- dollar tree 1406, watertown
- dollartree 9020, watertown
- dollar general 11222, chaumont
- dollar general 12614, watertown
- dollar general 16606, theresa
- dollar general 19585, cape vincent
- dollar general 19591, alexandria bay
- dollar general 22520, dexter
- dollar general 22995, carthage
- dollar general 23538, ellisburg
- dollar general 30022, carthage
- dollar general 30023, henderson
- dollar general 6375, adams
- dollar general 6904, black river
- dollar general 8676, watertown
- dollar general 8700, carthage
- dollar general 9086, philadelphia
- dollar general 9496, watertown
- dollar general store 17286, sackets harbor
- dollar tree 3635, evans mills
- family dollar 8227, alexandria bay
- family dollar store 2327, west carthage
- family dollar store 3876, watertown
- family dollar store 4065, watertown
- family dollar store 7323, clayton
- kinney drugs, clayton
- kinney drugs 06, carthage
- kinney drugs 13, watertown
- kinney drugs 15, watertown
- kinney drugs 30, watertown
- kinney drugs 4, adams
- kinney drugs 42, alexandria bay
- ss grocery store inc, alexandria bay
- walgreens 10219, watertown
Supermarket · 10
- aldi 65014, watertown
- aldi 65027, carthage
- aldi 65028, evans mills
- grand union 19492, watertown
- price chopper 102, watertown
- piggly wiggly 19493, watertown
- price chopper 024, w carthage
- price chopper 241, alexandria bay
- tops markets 596, adams
- watertown save-a-lot 45064, watertown
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- aubrey's inn & shopping center, cape vincent
- alteris italian american market, watertown
- carthage market corp, carthage
- dexter market, dexter
- sharp's bulk foods, belleville
- the cheese store of northern ny, watertown
Super Store · 6
- clayton shurfine, clayton
- hannaford supermarket 8175, watertown
- sam's club 6539, watertown
- target 2253, watertown
- walmart 1871, watertown
- walmart supercenter 5497, evans mills
Small Grocery Store · 5
- asian market, llc, watertown
- general store of watertown inc, watertown
- hunner's market, clayton
- stony creek country store, carthage
- the mustard seed natural foods, watertown
Farmers' Market · 1
- watertown farm & craft market, watertown
Large Grocery Store · 1
- chaumont market, chaumont
Military Commissary · 1
- fort drum commissary 2115, fort drum
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in New York
One of 61 counties in New York, 6 are shown here.
Compare Jefferson County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Nationwide peers for Jefferson County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Jefferson County (15.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside New York.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NY (15.2% here).
- Passaic County, NJ · 15.2% low-access
- Passaic County, NJ · 15.2% low-access
- Harrison County, OH · 15.2% low-access
- Harrison County, OH · 15.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NY (15.8% here).
- Duplin County, NC · 15.8% SNAP
- Duplin County, NC · 15.8% SNAP
- Hughes County, OK · 15.8% SNAP
- Hughes County, OK · 15.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, New York in context
Jefferson County sits inside New York (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Jefferson County, NY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 36045. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.