County food-access profile · New York
Oswego County, NY
Most of Oswego County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 7.9%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 16.0%
- on SNAP
- 118K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.9% of Oswego County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 8.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 16.3%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Oswego County fares better than most: just 7.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 5 of the county's 29 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 9,631 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,016 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 Oswego County compares nationally
Food access in Oswego County compares favorably nationally: its 7.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 15% of them (rank #2,656).
Oswego County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 29 census tracts in Oswego County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Oswego County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Oswego 7.9
Oswego County, NY
7.9 % 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 | 29 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 122,109 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 9,631 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,016 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 117,953 |
| Median Household Income | $69,183 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,542 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.4%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.1% |
About 16.0% of Oswego County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,542 households here.
- 8.4% 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 Oswego County
below the national share
2 of Oswego County's 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.9% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 9,631 residents, roughly 7.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,016 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 24 tracts (82.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Oswego County
Oswego County has 106 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 50 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 50
- 104 xpress mart inc, oswego
- 7-eleven 40190h, oswego
- altmar union station, altmar
- byrne dairy central square 153, central square
- byrne dairy fulton 50, fulton
- byrne dairy fulton rte 3 142, fulton
- byrne dairy hastings 68, central square
- byrne dairy oswego 10, oswego
- byrne dairy phoenix 74, phoenix
- byrne dairy pulaski rt 81 43, pulaski
- c&j's grocery & deli, pennellville
- circle k 4707608, williamstown
- circle k 4707626, phoenix
- cliff's local market 504, fulton
- cliff's local market 506, oswego
- convenience express 61, central square
- convenience express 62, central square
- convenience express 63, central square
- convenience express 64, parish
- fastrac eg llc 500201, oswego
- fastrac eg llc 500204, central square
- fastrac eg llc 500206, pulaski
- fastrac eg llc 500209, phoenix
- fastrac eg llc 500212, fulton
- fastrac eg llc 500219, mexico
- fulton cigar & vape, inc, fulton
- hastings petro inc - dba/ speedy's 103 103, hastings
- jamieson corner convience store, williamstown
- kwik fill 400, mexico
- nk gas and foodmart inc - red's scriba market, oswego
- nice n easy 2743836, constantia
- nice n easy 428, richland
- oswego mini mart inc., oswego
- parish mini mart, parish
- pit stop convenience stores 17, fulton
- pit stop convenience stores 19, oswego
- pit stop convenience stores 8, oswego
- r & r 1 stop, pulaski
- refuel n/a, fulton
- rise & shine, oswego
- ruma mart, oswego
- stewarts shop 388, oswego
- sammy's 2, llc, fulton
- sandy creek store, sandy creek
- speedy's 101, parish
- stewart's shops 463, oswego
- stewarts shop 413, minetto
- sunshine mini mart, pulaski
- tasty food valero gas, mexico
- the colossal dipper & market, fulton
Combination Grocery/Other · 30
- buttercup cheese - the next generation, inc., central square
- colosse cheese store, pulaski
- dollar general 14586, parish
- dollar general 10640, sandy creek
- dollar general 11152, hannibal
- dollar general 16000, oswego
- dollar general 21343, fulton
- dollar general 21401, altmar
- dollar general 21707, mexico
- dollar general 23128, hastings
- dollar general 25581, central square
- dollar general 30060, phoenix
- dollar general 6029, constantia
- dollar general 6437, mexico
- dollar general 8443, pulaski
- dollar general 8596, fulton
- dollar general store 16187, oswego
- dollar tree 1879, oswego
- dollar tree 2794, central square
- dollar tree 7981, fulton
- dollar tree 9582, pulaski
- family dollar 12507, williamstown
- family dollar store 2730, fulton
- family dollar store 3617, pulaski
- family dollar store 4036, phoenix
- kinney drugs, mexico
- kinney drugs 24, pulaski
- kinney drugs 53, oswego
- kinney drugs 90, fulton
- walgreens 17566, oswego
Supermarket · 13
- aldi 65021, oswego
- aldi 65025, pulaski
- aldi 65018, fulton
- buckingham brothers llc - buckingham market, constantia
- ontario orchards of oswego, inc12, oswego
- paul's big m, oswego
- price chopper fulton 214, fulton
- price chopper oswego 226, oswego
- save a lot 45143, fulton
- tops markets 585, pulaski
- tops markets 594, mexico
- tops markets 595, sandy creek
- tops markets 599, hannibal
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- garafolo imp, oswego
- mustard seed franchising corporation, oswego
- red onion general store, central square
- scriba meats, inc, oswego
Super Store · 4
- walmart 1926, oswego
- walmart supercenter 2911, central square
- walmart supercenter 3332, fulton
- wayne drug of pulaski, inc dba wayne drug oswego,, oswego
Farmers' Market · 2
- fulton farmer's market, fulton
- oswego farmer's market, oswego
Large Grocery Store · 1
- boscos market, oswego
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the sausage shack, minetto
Small Grocery Store · 1
- mapleview market 1, mexico
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Oswego County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Oswego 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 Oswego County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Oswego County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Oswego County? ▼
Is Oswego County a food desert? ▼
What share of Oswego 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.