County food-access profile · New York
Steuben County, NY
Steuben County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 14.1%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 12.1%
- on SNAP
- 93K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.1% of Steuben County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 10.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.8%
- 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).
Steuben County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.1% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 30 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 14,001 residents who live far from a supermarket. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,356 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 Steuben County compares nationally
Steuben County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.1% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,191).
Steuben County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 30 census tracts in Steuben County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Steuben County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Steuben
Steuben County, NY
14.1 % 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 | 30 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 98,990 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,001 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,356 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 92,588 |
| Median Household Income | $65,887 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,761 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 10.1%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 12.1% of Steuben County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,761 households here.
- 10.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 4 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 Steuben County
near the national share
4 of Steuben County's 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.3% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 14,001 residents, roughly 14.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,356 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 24 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Steuben County
Steuben County has 94 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 48 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 48
- 7 eleven 35084h, wayland
- 7 eleven 35092h, addison
- 7 eleven 35096j, hornell
- 7 eleven 35099j, hornell
- 7 eleven 35111j, arkport
- 7 eleven 35123j, painted post
- 7-eleven, inc. 35078j, corning
- a & a food mart, painted post
- aj's corner convenience, hornell
- byrne dairy denison parkway 152, corning
- byrne dairy south corning 70, corning
- citgo/nkb mart, bath
- campbell mini mart, inc., campbell
- corner market, bath
- crosby's 40057, prattsburgh
- crosby's 40066, avoca
- dandy mini mart 35, painted post
- dandy mini mart 52, corning
- dandy mini mart 58, campbell
- dandy mini mart 84, corning
- dharmanandan llc, hornell
- fastrac eg llc 500289, corning
- hamilton food mart inc, painted post
- hatfields, bath
- jenkins farm market and deli, arkport
- kwick fill 403, lindley
- kwik fill 043, bath
- kwik fill 142, hornell
- kwik fill 146, s bath
- kwik fill 34, bath
- kwik fill 379, hornell
- kwik fill 402, painted post
- kwik fill 405, addison
- kwik fill 406, canisteo
- love's travel stop 772, bath
- m.d. horton inc, savona
- maple city gas and food mart, hornell
- maruti food mart inc, savona
- new gagan inc dba harash stop & shop, bath
- one stop mini mart, bath
- p & c store corp/quick shoppe 105, hammondsport
- pilot travel center 322, bath
- stop-n-shop, hornell
- speedway 9932, painted post
- subgardi's w&w, addison
- triple k beverage, bath
- troups creek general store llc, troupsburg
- wayland express 2, wayland
Combination Grocery/Other · 25
- cvs pharmacy 5074, wayland
- dollar general 18917, jasper
- dollar general 10186, hornell
- dollar general 14692, prattsburgh
- dollar general 15759, savona
- dollar general 17267, avoca
- dollar general 19743, cohocton
- dollar general 20710, corning
- dollar general 22186, campbell
- dollar general 22635, bath
- dollar general 30526, corning
- dollar general 6795, painted post
- dollar general 7420, bath
- dollar general 7505, bath
- dollar general 8149, hornell
- dollar general 8446, canisteo
- dollar general 9419, addison
- dollar general 9732, wayland
- dollar tree 2588, painted post
- dollar tree 453, hornell
- dollar tree 6285, bath
- family dollar 4631, corning
- family dollar store 3202, bath
- walgreens 11716, bath
- walgreens 19760, hornell
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 65020, hornell
- aldi 65060, painted post
- bath save a lot 24890, bath
- canisteo shurfine, canisteo
- hornell save a lot 24960, hornell
- tops markets 539, bath
- tops markets 540, corning
- wegmans 17, hornell
- wegmans 51, corning
Large Grocery Store · 3
- canisteo shurfine, llc, arkport
- mart won inc - hammondsport grocery, hammondsport
- prattsburgh marketplace, prattsburgh
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- cameron market, llc, cameron mills
- food outlet store, bath
- king's market place, savona
Super Store · 3
- wayland food mart, wayland
- walmart 2326, hornell
- walmart supercenter 2992, painted post
Farmers' Market · 1
- corning farmers market, corning
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- daves produce, bath
Small Grocery Store · 1
- stearns poultry farm store, hornell
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Steuben County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Steuben 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 Steuben County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Steuben County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Steuben County? ▼
Is Steuben County a food desert? ▼
What share of Steuben 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.