County food-access profile · New Jersey
Morris County, NJ
Morris County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 40.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 3.7%
- on SNAP
- 515K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
40.3% of Morris County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 59
- low-access tracts
- 18K
- food-desert residents
- 5.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 4.9%
- 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).
Morris County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 40.3% is well above the national share. 59 of the county's 100 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 198,598 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 Morris County compares nationally
Morris County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.3% low-access share outpaces 88% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #390 most-affected nationwide.
Morris County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 100 census tracts in Morris County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Morris County vs. other New Jersey counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Jersey
- Morris
Morris County, NJ
40.3 % low-access
- Atlantic
Atlantic County, NJ
30.1 % low-access
- Bergen 10.3
Bergen County, NJ
10.3 % low-access
- Burlington
Burlington County, NJ
36.3 % low-access
- Camden
Camden County, NJ
20 % low-access
- Cape May
Cape May County, NJ
32.8 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 100 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 492,276 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 59 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 198,598 |
| Low-Access Share | 40.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 18,135 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 514,528 |
| Median Household Income | $137,326 |
| Poverty Rate | 4.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,093 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 3.7% of Morris County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 40.3% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 3.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,093 households here.
- 5.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $137,326 with a 4.9% 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 Morris County
well above the national share
A further 59 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 59.
An estimated 198,598 residents, roughly 40.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 18,135 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 41 tracts (41.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Morris County
Morris County has 195 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 64 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 64
- cvs 2987, lincoln park
- cvs pharmacy 1279, chatham
- cvs pharmacy 2092, budd lake
- cvs pharmacy 6060, chester
- cvs pharmacy 6075, flanders
- cvs pharmacy 965, florham park
- cvs pharmacy 10001, morristown
- cvs pharmacy 10237, rockaway
- cvs pharmacy 10381, parsippany
- cvs pharmacy 11204, mendham
- cvs pharmacy 1780, ledgewood
- cvs pharmacy 203, chatham
- cvs pharmacy 2416, denville
- cvs pharmacy 2949, east hanover
- cvs pharmacy 4771, oak ridge
- cvs pharmacy 6067, whippany
- cvs pharmacy 6872, randolph
- cvs pharmacy cvs11009, butler
- dollartree 10257, morris plains
- dollartree 8789, riverdale
- dollartree 8969, parsippany
- dollar general 11961, rockaway
- dollar tree 3120, rockaway
- dollar tree 3190, dover
- dollar tree 3908, flanders
- dollar tree 3932, east hanover
- dollar tree 5509, budd lake
- dollar tree 7471, mount arlington
- dollar tree 7738, denville
- dollar tree 8394, succasunna
- dollar tree 9593, wharton
- extra supermarket, dover
- kam man food, east hanover
- quick chek food stores 008, parsippany
- quick chek food stores 050, madison
- quick chek food stores 24, morris plains
- quick chek 100, lake hopatcong
- quick chek 146, whippany
- quick chek 156, mount arlington
- quick chek 159, butler
- quick chek 165, cedar knolls
- quick chek 74, whippany
- quick chek corporation 057, pompton plains
- quick chek food stores 099, rockaway
- quick chek food stores 40, chester
- quickchek 162, butler
- quickchek 190, denville
- quickchek 192, whippany
- quickchek 54, flanders
- uncle giuseppes morris plains inc, morris plains
- walgreens 09335, rockaway
- walgreens 09934, ledgewood
- walgreens 10379, dover
- walgreens 10438, morristown
- walgreens 11358, denville
- walgreens 12563, florham park
- walgreens 12823, stirling
- walgreens 13466, parsippany
- walgreens 13610, madison
- walgreens 13721, boonton
- walgreens 15000, lincoln park
- walgreens 19207, kinnelon
- walgreens 19410, chester
- walgreens 19878, wharton
Convenience Store · 46
- 7- eleven store 15168e, morris plains
- 7-eleven 11464b, budd lake
- 7-eleven inc f 11441a, pine brook
- 7-eleven inc f 11465b, flanders
- 7-eleven store #37280b, randolph
- 7-eleven 34260c, lake hiawatha
- 7-eleven 41575a, morris plains
- 7-eleven store #11458f, landing
- 7-eleven store #29431a, east hanover
- 7-eleven store #38115a 38115a, florham park
- 7-eleven store #39300c, cedar knolls
- 7-eleven store #41723a, morristown
- 7-eleven store 2412 36470a, denville
- anas grocery shop llc 9739919226, morristown
- country farm, randolph
- country farm, boonton
- cournty farm, flanders
- deli & grocery, morristown
- denville mart - bp, denville
- dover plaza market, dover
- genes iii, lake hiawatha
- gg&k of new jersey, inc, parsippany
- india nepal taste, east hanover
- j.s. convenience corp, morris plains
- krauszers, parsippany
- krauzer foods, lake hiawatha
- la familia super market, morristown
- manna supermarket llc, flanders
- metro mart, mount arlington
- mi pais restaurant grocery, lake hiawatha
- minute mart, budd lake
- quick stop, netcong
- r & r food store inc, dover
- rock mart, kenvil
- shree guru speedwell, morris plains
- speedway 3465, succasunna
- wawa 8429, jefferson
- wawa food market 8302, parsippany
- wawa store 8385, pine brook
- wawa store 8410, east hanover
- wawa store 8434, randolph twp.
- wawa store 8446, mount olive
- wawa store 8457, butler
- wawa store 8488, mountain lakes
- wharton deli and mini market, wharton
- wolfson general market, lincoln park
Super Store · 34
- b js wholesale club 48, ledgewood
- b js wholesale club 94, riverdale
- bj's wholesale club 249, whippany
- bpe subzi manzi cash and carry, parsippany
- costco wholesale 0244, east hanover
- costco wholesale 0315, wharton
- delight big bazaar 1, parsippany
- lidl 1454, morristown
- nature's food markets, hackettstown
- shop rite 212, flanders
- shop rite of lincoln park, lincoln park
- shop rite of netcong 201, netcong
- shop rite of succasunna 281, succasunna
- sunrise shoprite of parsippany, parsippany
- shop rite of chatham 284, chatham
- shop rite of chester 273, chester
- shop rite of rockaway 287, dover
- shop-rite of greater morristown 245, cedar knolls
- shoprite of stirling 443, stirling
- shoprite of wharton, wharton
- super foodtown of lake hiawatha 380, lake hiawatha
- target store 1491, east hanover
- target store 1864, rockaway
- target stores 2247, riverdale
- target t3290, parsippany
- walmart 3291, flanders
- walmart 3443, riverdale
- walmart 3598, cedar knolls
- walmart 5077, boonton
- walmart 5178, rockaway
- walmart supercenter 3912, ledgewood
- whole foods market 10157, madison
- whole foods market 10501, parsippany
- whole foods market 10519, morristown
Supermarket · 25
- acme 2927, randolph
- aldi 77073 77073, rockaway
- acme 1077, denville
- acme 1099, oak ridge
- acme 1582, boonton
- green's natural foods, chester
- kings 3612, boonton
- kings 3615, chatham
- kings 3618, florham prk
- kings 3630, mendham
- kings 3634, morristown
- latino american supermarket, dover
- ledgewood farm, ledgewood
- morris farmers market, morristown
- patel brothers, parsippany
- stop & shop 893, morris plains
- sussex meat packing, wharton
- stop & shop 2805, madison
- stop & shop 2815, pompton plains
- stop & shop 2818, butler
- trader joe's 604, florham park
- trader joe's 617, denville
- wegmans 128, parsippany
- weis markets 136, randolph
- weis markets 234, flanders
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- almadina supermarket, rockaway
- castellanos grocery, morristown
- frutimex produce inc, dover
- kabul food market, lake hiawatha
- khan market, flanders
- latin american supermarket, morristown
- pema market place, dover
- pema meat market, dover
Small Grocery Store · 8
- carniceria la unica, morristown
- el amigo supermarket, dover
- la mexicana supermarket, butler
- la mexicanita grocery store 2, parsippany
- latin american supermarket 2 2, dover
- latins grocery shop llc 9739984064, morristown
- puebla mex ii llc, butler
- valencia deli inc, dover
Large Grocery Store · 7
- circle farm corp, pompton plains
- fresh food supermarket inc #1, parsippany
- halal market inc, parsippany
- l c supermarket inc, morristown
- rockaway farmers market 0, rockaway
- sultan food bazaar, parsippany
- verdi fresh farm market, budd lake
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- east hanover 9094, east hanover
- seugling meat, pequannock
Military Commissary · 1
- picatinney arsenal 2104, dover
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Jersey
Compare Morris County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →
Food access nationally, New Jersey in context
Morris County sits inside New Jersey (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 Morris County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Morris County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Morris County? ▼
Is Morris County a food desert? ▼
What share of Morris 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.