County food-access profile · New York
Madison County, NY
Madison 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.
- 16.8%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 11.6%
- on SNAP
- 67K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.8% of Madison County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.0%
- 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).
Madison County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.8% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 12,326 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,248 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 Madison County compares nationally
Madison County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.8% low-access share that beats 37% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,967).
Madison County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 16 census tracts in Madison County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Madison County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Madison
Madison County, NY
16.8 % 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 | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 73,442 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,326 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.8%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,248 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,328 |
| Median Household Income | $75,499 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,056 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.6%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.9% |
About 11.6% of Madison County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,056 households here.
- 6.0% 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 Madison County
near the national share
2 of Madison County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 12,326 residents, roughly 16.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,248 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Madison County
Madison County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 33 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 33
- a - n - w ez mart, madison
- a-n-w ez mart 2, eaton
- byrne dairy 123 oneida rt 5 123, oneida
- byrne dairy cazenovia 162, cazenovia
- byrne dairy hamilton 158, hamilton
- byrne dairy hamilton 51, hamilton
- byrne dairy morrisville 156, morrisville
- byrne dairy oneida 19, oneida
- canastota main street market, canastota
- delta convenience corporation, oneida
- fastrac eg llc 500270, canastota
- inn and out deli and shop corp, canastota
- j&j mini mart, kirkville
- k.d.s. auction & king freeze supermarket, oneida
- maple leaf market 42, chittenango
- mirabito 110 - cazenovia, cazenovia
- parry's incorporated, hamilton
- playon 14, oneida
- predmore's general store llc, georgetown
- red apple food mart 360, canastota
- red apple food mart 361, oneida
- red's chittenango market, chittenango
- savon 11, oneida
- savon 32, canastota
- savon 34, canastota
- savon 35, oneida
- savon 37, oneida
- savon 41, chittenango
- speedway 9927, hamilton
- speedway 9949, morrisville
- star organic market corporation, oneida
- stewart's shops 274, chittenango
- stewart's shops 475, hamilton
Combination Grocery/Other · 18
- dollar general 10521, chittenango
- dollar general 15844, morrisville
- dollar general 20391, munnsville
- dollar general 21799, madison
- dollar general 23298, canastota
- dollar general 23829, chittenango
- dollar general 6958, hamilton
- dollar general 8656, canastota
- dollar general 9723, oneida
- dollar tree 1402, oneida
- dollar tree 6703, madison
- dollar tree 7372, cazenovia
- king freeze discount supermarket 2, oneida
- kinney drugs 46, chittenango
- kinney drugs 67, cazenovia
- kinney drugs 68, hamilton
- walgreens 17301, cazenovia
- walgreens 19977, oneida
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 65034, canastota
- aldi 65063, cazenovia
- price chopper 225, hamilton
- price chopper oneida 213, oneida
- tops markets 359, chittenango
- tops markets 360, canastota
- tops markets 367, cazenovia
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- buell fuels brookfield country store, brookfield
- deruyter big m, de ruyter
- troyer's country store, canastota
Farmers' Market · 1
- chittenango tuesdays in the park, chittenango
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- nowers country meats, hamilton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- quick serve market, chittenango
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2444, oneida
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Madison County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Madison 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 Madison County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Madison County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Madison County? ▼
Is Madison County a food desert? ▼
What share of Madison 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.