County food-access profile · New Jersey
Ocean County, NJ
Ocean 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.
- 43.6%
- low-access pop.
- 25
- food-desert tracts
- 6.4%
- on SNAP
- 654K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
43.6% of Ocean County residents live in a low-access area, and 25 of its 125 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 87
- low-access tracts
- 51K
- food-desert residents
- 6.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.5%
- 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).
Ocean County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 43.6% is well above the national share. 87 of the county's 125 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 251,643 people. 25 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 51,113 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 Ocean County compares nationally
Ocean County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 43.6% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #306 most-affected nationwide.
Ocean County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 125 census tracts in Ocean County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Ocean County vs. other New Jersey counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Jersey
- Ocean
Ocean County, NJ
43.6 % 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 | 125 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 576,567 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 87 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 25 |
| Low-Access Population | 251,643 |
| Low-Access Share | 43.6%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 51,113 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 654,362 |
| Median Household Income | $89,863 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 15,692 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.4%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 6.4% of Ocean County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 43.6% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 15,692 households here.
- 6.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 25 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 Ocean County
well above the national share
25 of Ocean County's 125 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 20.0% of all its tracts.
A further 62 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 87.
An estimated 251,643 residents, roughly 43.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 51,113 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 38 tracts (30.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Ocean County
Ocean County has 294 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 12 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 105 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 105
- 7 eleven 2411 26514f, beach haven
- 7 eleven 2411 34685b, lakewood
- 7 eleven 2411-23655, seaside heights
- 7 eleven 11024b, pine beach
- 7-eleven store inc 11041e, toms river
- 7-eleven 11015-a, brick
- 7-eleven 40099j, jackson
- 7-eleven inc f, toms river
- 7-eleven inc f 11027g, brick
- 7-eleven store #16164d, lanoka harbor
- 7-eleven store 11028 11028f, brick
- 7-eleven store 17871e, brick
- 7-eleven store 23436f, point pleasant beach
- 7-eleven, inc. 26992j, seaside park
- 7-eleven 25201c, toms river
- 7-eleven store #11046a 11046a, point pleasant boro
- 7-eleven store #40099a, jackson
- 7-eleven store 27497c, point pleasant beach
- 7-eleven store 36055c, little egg harbor twp
- 7-eleven store 38441a, bayville
- 7-eleven store 41819a, jackson
- babe's corner store, seaside heights
- cedar bridge mini market, lakewood
- country farm/girdhar inc, toms river
- chick chock, jackson
- country farm, whiting
- country farms, toms river
- country farms, brick
- country food market, bayville
- el cerrito, beachwood
- home town food store, cream ridge
- hometown food mart, toms river
- in n out deli, seaside heights
- jackson conveniance store, jackson
- krauszer's food store, jackson
- krauszer's food store, toms river
- krauszers, brick
- krauszers food store, toms river
- lakewood exxon 39906, lakewood
- leisure village exxon, lakewood
- lucky convienience store, brick
- mckinley convenience store, manahawkin
- mid-shore meats, toms river
- mini mart, little egg harbor twp
- natural foods general store, toms river
- nature's nutrition, brick
- news plus, toms river
- nidhi llc, parkertown
- ocean gate market, ocean gate
- pangaea naturals health food market, manahawkin
- quick foods spices of jamaica, toms river
- quick stop convenient food mart, barnegat
- quick stop food market, jackson
- right stop, tuckerton
- robin's convenience store & deli, lakewood
- royal farms 330, brick
- sierra poblana mini market llc, point pleasant beach
- singin oil yes, toms river
- singin quick mart, lakewood
- speedway 3457, toms river
- speedy mart, lakewood
- stop n shop, lakewood
- three brothers grocery, little egg harbor twp
- tiger tail llc, lakewood
- wawa 309, jackson
- wawa 321, toms river
- wawa 371, little egg harbor twp
- wawa 429, toms river
- wawa 441, barnegat
- wawa 497, tuckerton
- wawa 700, ship bottom
- wawa 733, brick
- wawa 744, manahawkin
- wawa 763, toms river
- wawa 794, lanoka harbor
- wawa 798, new egypt
- wawa 923, brick
- wawa 927, toms river
- wawa 931, bayville
- wawa 933, jackson
- wawa 935, manahawkin
- wawa 937, toms river
- wawa 939, toms river
- wawa 948, whiting
- wawa 949, lavallette
- wawa 953, toms river
- wawa 958, forked river
- wawa 977, long beach township
- wawa 978, little egg harbor twp
- wawa 979, new egypt
- wawa 994, manahawkin
- wawa 995, toms river
- wawa 0988, forked river
- wawa 0997, brick
- wawa 8307, toms river
- wawa 8309, barnegat
- wawa 8319, lakewood
- wawa 8328, jackson
- wawa 8371, toms river
- wawa 8372, brick
- wawa store 8463, brick
- wawa store 8494, lakehurst
- wawa store 8495, jackson
- welsh farms, point pleasant boro
- welsh farms, forked river
Combination Grocery/Other · 89
- aisle 9, jackson
- bayville quality meats, bayville
- cvs 10458, beachwood
- cvs 1782, jackson
- cvs 2284, brick
- cvs 5675, barnegat
- cvs 8939, lakewood
- cvs pharmacy 5831, seaside heights
- cvs pharmacy 10608, toms river
- cvs pharmacy 2130, lakewood
- cvs pharmacy 2301, new egypt
- cvs pharmacy 2369, jackson
- cvs pharmacy 2464, brick
- cvs pharmacy 2723, whiting
- cvs pharmacy 2837, toms river
- cvs pharmacy 356, toms river
- cvs pharmacy 6947, ship bottom
- cvs pharmacy 815, point pleasant beach
- cvs pharmacy inc 2970, lanoka harbor
- cvs pharmacy inc 3972, whiting
- cvs pharmacy inc 7190, waretown
- dollar general 17983, bayville
- dollar tree 1720, point pleasant boro
- dollartree 6307, toms river
- dollartree 8178, bayville
- dollartree 8531, whiting
- dollartree 8916, jackson
- dollar general 11841, lakehurst
- dollar general 11850, brick
- dollar general 11896, whiting
- dollar general 11916, lakewood
- dollar general 12340, toms river
- dollar general 12373, bayville
- dollar general 17237, ocean twp
- dollar general 17381, tuckerton
- dollar general 19550, forked river
- dollar general 20397, manchester township
- dollar general 20416, manchester
- dollar general 21408, toms river
- dollar general 21544, barnegat
- dollar general 21944, whiting
- dollar general 31122, beachwood
- dollar general 8229, jackson
- dollar general 8543, point pleasant beach
- dollar general store 18420, jackson
- dollar tree 0491, toms river
- dollar tree 1468, toms river
- dollar tree 1635, brick
- dollar tree 1636, lanoka harbor
- dollar tree 1666, manahawkin
- dollar tree 3222, lakewood
- dollar tree 4468, manchester
- dollar tree 5073, jackson
- dollar tree 5162, toms river
- dollar tree 6370, little egg harbor twp
- dollar tree 6675, point pleasant boro
- dollar tree 7193, toms river
- dollar tree 7412, bamegat
- dollar tree 7593, toms river
- dollar tree 8323, brick
- dollar tree 8904, barnegat
- family dollar 8504, little egg harbor twp
- family dollar store 4975, forked river
- ocean state job lot 561, barnegat
- quick chek food stores 113, point pleasant boro
- quick chek 102, manchester
- quick chek 135, bayville
- quick chek 136, jackson
- quick chek 152, lakewood
- quick chek 154, jackson
- quickchek 160, brick
- quickchek corporation 150, beachwood
- quickchek corporation 155, toms river
- ty fresh african market and multi services, brick
- walgreens 4919, toms river
- walgreens 01315, toms river
- walgreens 03908, jackson
- walgreens 04885, brick
- walgreens 06321, toms river
- walgreens 07921, brick
- walgreens 09503, barnegat
- walgreens 09626, bayville
- walgreens 09989, little egg harbor twp
- walgreens 10214, point pleasant boro
- walgreens 10695, toms river
- walgreens 13754, point pleasant boro
- walgreens 15649, whiting
- walgreens 17688, manahawkin
- yener turkish food market, toms river
Super Store · 17
- b js wholesale club 100, toms river
- b js wholesale club 192, manahawkin
- bingo wholesale 2, lakewood
- costco wholesale 0739, brick
- costco wholesale 1025, stafford township
- evergreen kosher, lakewood
- gg lakewood llc/gourmet glatt lakewood, lakewood
- gourmet glatt south, lakewood
- kosher village llc, lakewood
- kosher west, lakewood
- lidl 1176, lacey
- lidl 1425, brick
- livotis old world market, brick
- murphy's mkt of lbt/murphy grant, beach haven
- npgs, jackson
- npgs ii inc., lakewood
- npgs- south lake, lakewood
Medium Grocery Store · 15
- 91 exit farmer market llc, brick
- bob's meat market, lakewood
- el rinconcito de juquila tu tienda latina, brick
- green valley farmers market llc, toms river
- guadalupana grocery store, toms river
- la palma grocery, toms river
- la palma grocery lll llc, forked river
- lakewoods gingerbread house, lakewood
- luigis deli & meat market, toms river
- manko, manchester
- mi morenita express grocery, manahawkin
- mi tienda lupita inc, lakewood
- mi-tienda fresh maket 2010 llc, jackson
- tulcingo deli, lakewood
- tulcingo deli and grocery corp, lakewood
Small Grocery Store · 10
- el mexicano grocery and deli, jackson
- ipalapa deli and grocery, jackson
- jaimez grocery llc, brick
- kolos international food, lakewood
- la rinconada deli grocery, toms river
- little divisoria & little kusina, toms river
- minit stop deli market & meats, jackson
- paloma grocery, brick
- sweet green food market, brick
- the glory grocery deli llc, lakewood
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 4
- frutas y verduras la setenta llc, lakewood
- frutas y verduras nick's market llc, lakewood
- kc marketplace, whiting
- nick's produce, toms river
Large Grocery Store · 4
- brothers grocery & deli llc, lakewood
- el oaxaqueno market, lakewood
- el mercado, lakewood
- super stop supermarket, lakewood
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- epsteins meat, lakewood
- satmar meat, toms river
Bakery Specialty · 1
- lakewood matzoh bakery, lakewood
Farmers' Market · 1
- hallock u-pick farm llc, new egypt
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- tomchei shabbos d'lakewood, lakewood
Military Commissary · 1
- lakehurst naes commissary 2322, lakehurst
Showing 250 of 294 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Jersey
Compare Ocean County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →
Food access nationally, New Jersey in context
Ocean 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 Ocean County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ocean County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Ocean County? ▼
Is Ocean County a food desert? ▼
What share of Ocean 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.