County food-access profile · New York

Rockland County, NY

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Rockland County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

27.6%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
11.9%
on SNAP
342K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NY

The food-access picture

27.6% of Rockland County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 65 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

40
low-access tracts
14K
food-desert residents
9.8%
households, no vehicle
16.2%
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).

USDA data puts Rockland County's low-access share at 27.6%, above the national share. 40 of the county's 65 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 86,177 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 13,584 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 Rockland County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Rockland County's 27.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 65% of them and ranked #1,111 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Rockland County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 65 census tracts in Rockland County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Rockland County, NY USDA-defined food-access tiers: 25 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 35 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 65 tracts evaluated. 25 tracts adequate (38.5%) 35 tracts limited (53.8%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (7.7%) Adequate 38% Limited 54% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Rockland County, NY
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Rockland County vs. other New York counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Rockland County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts65
Atlas Population (2010 basis)311,687
Low-Access Tracts40
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population86,177
Low-Access Share27.6%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population13,584

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Rockland County
IndicatorValue
Population341,883
Median Household Income$109,959
Poverty Rate16.2%above the national average
SNAP Households12,398
SNAP Participation Rate11.9%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.8%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Rockland County 11.9%

About 11.9% of Rockland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 27.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 12,398 households here.
  • 9.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Rockland County

above the national share

5 of Rockland County's 65 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.

A further 35 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 40.

An estimated 86,177 residents, roughly 27.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 13,584 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 25 tracts (38.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Rockland County

Rockland County has 156 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 39 locations (25% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 39

  • 202 minimart & deli, garnerville
  • 2192 white plains inc - 7 eleven 34447a 34447a, new city
  • 7 eleven store #19389d, monsey
  • 7 eleven store #42137a, haverstraw
  • 7 eleven store 11462g, pearl river
  • 7-eleven 21450d, suffern
  • airmont gulf, suffern
  • ana deli & grocery, spring valley
  • andys quick stop 1, spring valley
  • beny deli & grocery corp, spring valley
  • bright farmers market inc., pearl river
  • cmart, nyack
  • complete health food store inc., spring valley
  • congers bp inc 8978306, congers
  • congers little food market, congers
  • guzzles store inc, spring valley
  • hawthorne gas & mart inc, stony point
  • hlyyya corporation, spring valley
  • ivy stationers, pomona
  • jr lucas deli & market, suffern
  • lupita productos mexicanos, haverstraw
  • m & n 809 enterprise inc, haverstraw
  • meyer's market, haverstraw
  • mina mart inc, garnerville
  • mobile mart, garnerville
  • new city bagels and deli corp, new city
  • north rockland gourmet deli inc, west haverstraw
  • nyack quick mart, nyack
  • open everyday, spring valley
  • quick & quality deli, blauvelt
  • ratio health usa inc, monsey
  • supreme health food center, monsey
  • sajoma market inc, haverstraw
  • speedway 7628, west haverstraw
  • stonys food n news, stony point
  • super 7 express inc, sloatsburg
  • taveras grocery inc., haverstraw
  • victor's market, middletown
  • virginia mini market inc, spring valley

Combination Grocery/Other · 31

  • a matter of health, nanuet
  • cvs 1087, stony point
  • cvs 2312, garnerville
  • cvs 641, orangeburg
  • cvs pharmacy 346, suffern
  • cvs pharmacy 631, pearl river
  • cvs pharmacy 1030, new city
  • cvs pharmacy 10854, monsey
  • cvs pharmacy cvs10610, valley cottage
  • cvs/pharmacy 10210, nanuet
  • dollar tree 3699, nanuet
  • dollartree 11045, nanuet
  • dollartree 2573, stony point
  • dollar general 13334, west haverstraw
  • dollar general 31150, pearl river
  • dollar tree 3228, valley cottage
  • dollar tree 4843, pomona
  • family dollar store 2246, spring valley
  • kol tuve products, inc, spring valley
  • nanak subzi market inc, nanuet
  • ocean state job lot 509, new york
  • ocean state job lot 513, nanuet
  • quickchek 195, nanuet
  • sanders bakery of monsey inc, monsey
  • sprout health, airmont
  • walgreens 04029, suffern
  • walgreens 10446, stony point
  • walgreens 13468, new city
  • walgreens 13611, nyack
  • walgreens 13726, spring valley
  • walgreens 16064, tappan

Super Store · 26

  • all fresh produce, inc, monsey
  • bj's wholesale club 77, west nyack
  • bingo wholesale 3, spring valley
  • costco wholesale 0305, nanuet
  • decicco marketplace, new city
  • evergreen kosher, monsey
  • evergreen uptown, pomona
  • food fair supermarket, spring valley
  • garden fresh market, spring valley
  • hatzlacha grocery corp, spring valley
  • hive discount, airomont
  • huerto del eden ii, spring valley
  • m&s kolel grocery inc, spring valley
  • madanim supermarket inc, spring valley
  • monsey glatt kosher, monsey
  • nyack fresh market 2575, nyack
  • rockland kosher supermarket, monsey
  • shoprite #219, pearl river
  • shoprite of stony point 268, stony point
  • shoprite west nyack 288, west nyack
  • shoprite of garnerville 292, garnerville
  • shoprite of new city 222, new city
  • target 1083, west nyack
  • target 1808, spring valley
  • tifaret discount inc, monsey
  • walmart 2905, suffern

Small Grocery Store · 15

  • ayeyie african & caribbean market, west haverstraw
  • caribbean island grocery inc, haverstraw
  • carne fresca llc, spring valley
  • carniceria rosita inc, spring valley
  • f & f deli grocery corp, spring valley
  • good friend meat market store, haverstraw
  • hungry hollow co-op, chestnut ridge
  • los primos grocery store 2 corp, haverstraw
  • maharaja nanuet farmers market, nanuet
  • new murray's deli, nyack
  • r & a grocery of haverstraw, inc, haverstraw
  • russkaya troyka, spring valley
  • suffern supermarket groceries & fresh meat, suffern
  • super shop no, garnerville
  • the corner 4 corporation, haverstraw

Medium Grocery Store · 14

  • airmont farm, suffern
  • al supermart corp 1, haverstraw
  • butcher boys, spring valley
  • congregation kochev yitzchok d'bobov, monsey
  • d & d gourmet inc, nanuet
  • el quetzal produce & meat market inc, spring valley
  • emes food mart inc, airmont
  • europa deli 2 llc, spring valley
  • indian curry n spices, congers
  • los primos grocery & deli, haverstraw
  • lulucoco inc, spring valley
  • mecca halal meat and grocery inc, spring valley
  • rd grocery, inc., haverstraw
  • sitar indian grocery inc, orangeburg

Supermarket · 11

  • aldi 73011, nanuet
  • aldi 73066, stony point
  • haverstraw meat corp/ideal food basket, haverstraw
  • jena foods,llc, spring valley
  • monsey newday llc., airmont
  • new square supermarket, spring valley
  • stop & shop 2545, orangeburg
  • stop & shop 2571, nanuet
  • stop & shop 596, new city
  • valley cottage food inc/foodtown, valley cottage
  • wesley kosher inc, monsey

Large Grocery Store · 8

  • de best market corp, monsey
  • huerto del eden supermarket inc, spring valley
  • j & j farm corp, spring valley
  • los primos supermarket, west haverstraw
  • new mottys supermarket, monsey
  • pak khan halal meat inc, spring valley
  • pineapple supermarket llc, spring valley
  • placita de dios grocery inc, suffern

Seafood Specialty · 6

  • famous fish of monsey, monsey
  • kohn's fresh fish, inc, monsey
  • neimans fish, spring valley
  • new square fish market inc., spring valley
  • sea fresh fish center dba fins fish market, spring valley
  • upscale fish 1, spring valley

Bakery Specialty · 2

  • glauber's bakery inc, spring valley
  • tam eden bakery inc, spring valley

Farmers' Market · 2

  • nyack farmers market, nyack
  • rockland farm alliance, inc, new city

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • oneg butcher inc, spring valley
  • satmar meat of monsey, monsey

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New York

Compare Rockland County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →

Food access nationally, New York in context

Rockland 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 Rockland County has low food access?
27.6% of residents in Rockland County, NY live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Rockland County?
11.9% of households in Rockland County receive SNAP, covering 12,398 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Rockland County?
The poverty rate in Rockland County, NY is 16.2%, with a median household income of $109,959 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Rockland County a food desert?
5 of Rockland County's 65 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Rockland County households lack a vehicle?
9.8% of households in Rockland County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.