PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Jersey

Sussex County, NJ

Sussex 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.

42.7%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
3.1%
on SNAP
146K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NJ

The food-access picture

42.7% of Sussex County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 41 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

19
low-access tracts
8K
food-desert residents
3.3%
households, no vehicle
5.5%
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).

Sussex County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 42.7% is well above the national share. 19 of the county's 41 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 63,767 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,979 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 Sussex County compares nationally

Sussex County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 42.7% low-access share outpaces 90% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #327 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Sussex County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 41 census tracts in Sussex 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 Sussex County, NJ USDA-defined food-access tiers: 22 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 18 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 41 tracts evaluated. 22 tracts adequate (53.7%) 18 tracts limited (43.9%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (2.4%) Adequate 54% Limited 44% Severe 2% Food-access tier distribution: Sussex County, NJ
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Sussex County vs. other New Jersey counties

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

% 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 Sussex County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts41
Atlas Population (2010 basis)149,265
Low-Access Tracts19
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population63,767
Low-Access Share42.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population7,979

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Sussex County
IndicatorValue
Population145,807
Median Household Income$116,186
Poverty Rate5.5%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,808
SNAP Participation Rate3.1%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle3.3%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Sussex County 3.1%

About 3.1% of Sussex County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 42.7% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 3.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,808 households here.
  • 3.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Sussex County

well above the national share

1 of Sussex County's 41 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 2.4% of all its tracts.

A further 18 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.

An estimated 63,767 residents, roughly 42.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 7,979 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 22 tracts (53.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Sussex County

Sussex County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 24 locations (45% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 24

  • cvs 10322, vernon
  • cvs pharmacy 2968, sparta
  • dollar general 14112, vernon
  • dollar general 12477, newton
  • dollar general 16563, wantage
  • dollar general 19687, montague
  • dollar general 7512, stanhope
  • dollar tree 4102, franklin
  • dollar tree 7913, newton
  • ideal farm and garden center 9735793893, lafayette
  • ocean state job lot 553, sparta
  • quick chek food stores 070, newton
  • quick chek food stores 17, hopatcong
  • quick chek food stores 77, franklin
  • quick chek 68, newton
  • quick chek corporation 43, sussex
  • quick chek food stores 118, lafayette
  • quick chek food stores 97, sparta
  • quickchek 170, augusta
  • quickchek 183, stanhope
  • walgreens 10439, newton
  • walgreens 15488, franklin
  • walgreens 17742, hopatcong
  • walgreens 19020, sussex

Convenience Store · 13

  • 7-eleven 11472d, sparta
  • 7-eleven store 37251a, newton
  • 7-eleven, inc. 36087h, hamburg
  • amg retail i 553, montague
  • andover krauszner, newton
  • corner deli, franklin
  • h.r.business corporation, ogdensburg
  • lake wanda store, highland lakes
  • pikan inc, stockholm
  • us gas, sussex
  • wawa store 8438, augusta
  • wawa store 8440, stanhope
  • wawa store 8444, hampton twp.

Super Store · 7

  • ronetco shop-rite of byram, stanhope
  • shop rite of franklin, franklin
  • shop rite of newton 213, newton
  • shoprite of sparta 283, sparta
  • shoprite of sussex 285, sussex
  • walmart 2090, franklin
  • walmart 2604, newton

Supermarket · 6

  • acme 1787, sussex
  • acme 2820, vernon
  • hayeks market, newton
  • stop & shop 823, sparta
  • weis markets 143, newton
  • weis markets 147, franklin

Farmers' Market · 1

  • sparta farmers market, sparta

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • sussex meat packing inc, sussex

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • e & t food market, hopatcong

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New Jersey

Atlantic County
30.1% low-access · 12.2% SNAP
Bergen County
10.3% low-access · 5.3% SNAP
Burlington County
36.3% low-access · 4.9% SNAP
Camden County
20.0% low-access · 13.3% SNAP
Cape May County
32.8% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Cumberland County
35.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP

Compare Sussex County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →

Food access nationally, New Jersey in context

Sussex County sits inside New Jersey (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Sussex County has low food access? ▼
42.7% of residents in Sussex County, NJ 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 Sussex County? ▼
3.1% of households in Sussex County receive SNAP, covering 1,808 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Sussex County? ▼
The poverty rate in Sussex County, NJ is 5.5%, with a median household income of $116,186 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Sussex County a food desert? ▼
1 of Sussex County's 41 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 Sussex County households lack a vehicle? ▼
3.3% of households in Sussex 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.