County food-access profile · New York
Queens County, NY
Most of Queens 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).
- 0.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 15.9%
- on SNAP
- 2.3M
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
0.6% of Queens County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 37.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.9%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Queens County fares better than most: just 0.6% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 8 of the county's 656 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 12,723 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Queens County compares nationally
Food access in Queens County compares favorably nationally: its 0.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 3% of them (rank #3,047).
Queens County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 656 census tracts in Queens County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Queens County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Queens 0.6
Queens County, NY
0.6 % 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 | 656 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 2,230,722 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,723 |
| Low-Access Share | 0.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,663 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,323,052 |
| Median Household Income | $86,136 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 133,891 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 37.4%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 15.9% of Queens County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 0.6% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 133,891 households here.
- 37.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $86,136 with a 12.9% 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 Queens County
below the national share
A further 8 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 12,723 residents, roughly 0.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,663 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 648 tracts (98.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Queens County
Queens County has 1,856 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 223 locations (12% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 223
- 118-07 alexander deli grocery corp, jamaica
- 37 lime tree corp, jackson heights
- 68 ave baby grocery inc, fresh meadows
- 68 sutphin deli and grill inc, jamaica
- 7955 ae company inc, flushing
- 86-02 meat & produce inc - key food, jackson heights
- anthony scicchitano italian pork, ozone park
- african caribbean central market, far rockaway
- akropolis meat market, queens
- al tawakkul halal meat inc, jackson heights
- al-haqq pharmacy, ozone park
- all madina halal meat corp, flushing
- allah tawakal meat shop inc, bellerose
- almedina live poultry corp, jamaica
- anapa international inc., rego park
- balady yemen halal meat market corp, south ozone park
- bayside milk farm, bayside
- beachside pharmacy, rockaway park
- bhuyia family inc, jamaica
- bo luo mi inc., flushing
- broadway ginseng inc, elmhurst
- broadway grocery store inc., elmhurst
- casa rivera grocery ltd, elmhurst
- cvs 2442, far rockaway
- cvs 2718, jamaica
- cvs 542, bayside
- cvs pharmacy 144, queens village
- cvs pharmacy 2027, bellerose
- cvs pharmacy 2041, ozone park
- cvs pharmacy 2057, forest hills
- cvs pharmacy 2062, kew gardens
- cvs pharmacy 2095, fresh meadows
- cvs pharmacy 2719, ozone park
- cvs pharmacy 491, jackson heights
- cvs pharmacy 499, forest hills
- cvs pharmacy 5159, whitestone
- cvs pharmacy 560, douglaston
- cvs pharmacy 5773, maspeth
- cvs pharmacy 6030, howard beach
- cvs pharmacy inc 7881, forest hills
- cvs pharmacy 1058, sunnyside
- cvs pharmacy 11038, whitestone
- cvs pharmacy 11060, long island
- cvs pharmacy 1107, glendale
- cvs pharmacy 1113, jackson heights
- cvs pharmacy 2975, middle village
- cvs pharmacy 3138, cambria heights
- cvs pharmacy 3146, astoria
- cvs pharmacy 3621, st albans
- cvs pharmacy 549, ridgewood
- cvs pharmacy 5830, forest hlls
- cvs pharmacy 7576, astoria
- cvs/pharmacy 1906, bayside
- cvs/pharmacy 2720, rockaway beach
- cai po grocery, flushing
- chi african food market llc, saint albans
- cloud grocery inc, flushing
- connected chef - queensbridge, queens
- cpw pharmacy, south ozone park
- dollar general 19222, glendale
- dollar general 19225, jamaica
- dollar general 19231, queens
- dollar general 19233, queens village
- dollar general 19234, ridgewood
- dollartree 9514, jamaica
- duane reade 14256, douglaston
- duane reade 14268, bayside
- duane reade 14325, astoria
- dasae corp, forest hills
- david's lot inc dba belle harbor foods, rockaway park
- davids kosher meat store inc, rego park
- dc flushing market corp, flushing
- de ren tang 0, flushing
- dimarco's butcher shoppe llc, glendale
- djelilov corp., ridgewood
- dollar general 19203, astoria
- dollar general 19219, college point
- dollar general 19221, far rockaway
- dollar general 19232, queens
- dollar tree 3789, woodside
- dollar tree 3795, college point
- dollar tree 4787, sunnyside
- dollar tree 4928, howard beach
- dollar tree 4930, queens village
- dollar tree 4938, astoria
- dollar tree 5118, jamaica
- dollar tree 5172, south richmond hill
- dollar tree 5232, astoria st
- dollar tree 5312, middle village
- dollar tree 5428, richmond hill
- dollar tree 5468, ozone park
- dollar tree 5477, woodside
- dollar tree 5582, rosedale
- dollar tree 5616, queens village
- dollar tree 5747, flushing
- dollar tree 5924, jamaica
- dollar tree 6089, queens
- dollar tree 6464, richmond hill
- dollar tree 7326, jamaica
- dollar tree 7424, astoria
- dollar tree 7523, ozone park
- duane reade 14423, astoria
- duane reade 14438, flushing
- e&s custom kosher meat market inc, forest hills
- el chai corp/nagilah market, forest hills
- eastern seafood trading inc., flushing
- el gaucho meat, jackson heights
- el veci deli grocery corp, corona
- family dollar 11381, rockaway park
- family dollar 11640, jamaica
- family dollar 11821, laurelton
- family dollar 12296, howard beach
- family dollar 4255, flushing
- family dollar 7070, hollis
- family dollar store 10358, rockaway beach
- family dollar store 11071, jamaica
- family dollar store 9193, jamaica
- family dollar store 9389, saint albans
- far rockaway drugs inc, far rockaway
- flushing 1 poultry market corp, flushing
- flushing halal meat market inc, flushing
- forest hills fishery, forest hills
- fuxing mini market inc, flushing
- ginseng empire inc, flushing
- ginseng palace trading inc., elmhurst
- great neck healthy food inc, flushing
- green meat market, flushing
- greenbay marketplace inc. 0, astoria
- happy fruits & veg of ny, inc, flushing
- healthbay natural foods inc., howard beach
- hallal food emporium inc, astoria
- healthmax pharmacy, woodhaven
- home chef catering, 7187495745, laurelton
- hq hongyun trading inc., little neck
- ibrahim poultry llc, ozone park
- jamaica fish market inc, richmond hill
- jewel bagels, flushing
- jewel of flushing rx inc, fresh meadows
- jin zheng fa inc, flushing
- jj&max inc, jamaica
- joy market, flushing
- king david bakery, flushing
- lhm market inc, richmond hill
- la javiela meat corp, astoria
- lele highclass healthy products usa inc, flushing
- m & d 21 food corp, long island city
- m & w deli inc, ridgewood
- mango rico ny corp, elmhurst
- mediterranean foods iii inc., astoria
- meimei 168 food inc, flushing
- mi pueblito, corona
- moonlight food corp, jackson heights
- muncan food corporation, astoria
- nba glatt market, inc, fresh meadows
- new asian food 168, flushing
- new way convenience corp, jamaica
- new york food and herbs, flushing
- new york ginseng city inc, flushing
- ny lucky express llc, flushing
- portugese live poultry market inc, east elmhurst
- pappu da dhaba, jamaica
- prime halal meat market, astoria
- punjabi bazar inc, richmond hill
- ridgewood european pork store llc, ridgewood
- rite aid 17681, sunnyside
- rx-spress pharmacy, south richmond hill
- saint albans deli corp, saint albans
- shree siddhivinayka, flushing
- singh's fish, meat & grocery, south ozone park
- singhs fresh farm 01, richmond hill
- suryaside seed & oil inc, woodside
- sutphin halal fresh meats & fish corp, jamaica
- t&t fish market and grocery, south ozone park
- tariq hand slaughterd meat & market, flushing
- titan foods inc, astoria
- top new town 99cent inc, flushing
- vmaa inc., sunnyside
- vege east inc., flushing
- veggie mama, queens
- walgreen 07294, corona
- walgreens 04565, jamaica
- walgreens 05051, laurelton
- walgreens 01487, forest hills
- walgreens 01616, elmhurst
- walgreens 04058, east elmhurst
- walgreens 04319, elmhurst
- walgreens 04445, s ozone park
- walgreens 04688, whitestone
- walgreens 07367, college point
- walgreens 07831, new hyde park
- walgreens 07930, rockaway park
- walgreens 09869, middle village
- walgreens 10604, ridgewood
- walgreens 10608, ozone park
- walgreens 11126, flushing
- walgreens 14187, woodside
- walgreens 14206, rockaway park
- walgreens 14271, woodhaven
- walgreens 14314, ridgewood
- walgreens 14390, long island city
- walgreens 14449, jackson heights
- walgreens 14477, rego park
- walgreens 17517, east elmhurst
- walgreens 17613, jamaica
- walgreens 17680, howard beach
- walgreens 17979, howard beach
- walgreens 19035, jamaica
- walgreens 19224, glen oaks
- walgreens 19282, forest hills
- walgreens 19425, whitestone
- walgreens 19453, fresh meadows
- walgreens 19586, oakland gardens
- walgreens 19794, astoria
- walgreens 2055, queens village
- walgreens 21349, long island city
- wild ginseng birdnest inc., flushing
- xiao mao market 136-16, flushing
- xinjiang food inc, flushing
- ys wholesale trading inc, flushing
- ying fu market, flushing
- zaman gourmet deli, jackson heights
- zhenzhen business city inc, flushing
- zhong mei (usa) trading inc, flushing
Convenience Store · 16
- 1 astoria foods inc., astoria
- 1 gourmet deli 65, woodside
- 100-17 beach channel dr corp, rockaway park
- 101 j&a deli grocery corp., ozone park
- 101 lucky deli inc 1, ozone park
- 101 smoozy's gril & deli corp, ozone park
- 102 deli & grocery corp, richmond hill
- 1034 wyckoff deli corp, ridgewood
- 104 deli 1 corp, ozone park
- 106 deli inc., ozone park
- 106 quick stop convenience store corp, east elmhurst
- 108 street deli & grocery, inc, corona
- 108th discount 2 corp, corona
- 109 ave deli & grill corp., jamaica
- 11-03 deli & grocery corp, long island city
- 111 corona candy store inc, corona
Bakery Specialty · 11
- avraham's bakery, flushing
- le bon pate bakery, inc., queens village
- levy's bakery 26 corp, rego park
- nueva nitin bakery inc, elmhurst
- queens kosher pita, flushing
- rokhat bakery, inc, rego park
- sweet lil sweets, ozone park
- sweet occasions express inc., corona
- sweet occassions inc, corona
- tulcingo bakery dba d & e mexican food corp, elmhurst
- vallecito bakery corp, elmhurst
Showing 250 of 1,856 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Queens County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Queens 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 Queens County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Queens County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Queens County? ▼
Is Queens County a food desert? ▼
What share of Queens 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.