Signature · 8.9% SNAP (13th pct in NY)
Tompkins County, NY
Tompkins 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.
- 15.2%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 8.9%
- on SNAP
- 105K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Tompkins County, NY
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 15.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.9% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 14.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 22% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Jefferson County (+ 0.0 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Tompkins County ranks #2,112 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #30 of 60 counties in NY (15.2% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #2,112
- national by low-access %
- #30
- in NY
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 8.9% SNAP (13th pct in NY) (-3.2 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Tompkins County compares nationally
Tompkins County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.2% low-access share that beats 33% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,113).
Tompkins County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
23 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Tompkins County has 13 urban and 10 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Tompkins County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in New York, not a full county-board reprint
- Putnam
Putnam 53.6%
53.6 % low-access
- Broome 16.4
Broome 16.4%
16.4 % low-access
- Tompkins 15.2
Tompkins 15.2%
15.2 % low-access
- Jefferson 15.2
Jefferson 15.2%
15.2 % low-access
- Chautauqua 14.4
Chautauqua 14.4%
14.4 % low-access
- Steuben 14.1
Steuben 14.1%
14.1 % low-access
- Kings 0
Kings 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 23 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 101,564 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,392 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,534 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 104,537 |
| Median Household Income | $74,024 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.4%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,869 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 14.1%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 14.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Tompkins County
Tompkins County has 76 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 36 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 36
- 7 eleven store #40191 40191, ithaca
- 7 eleven store 35255a, ithaca
- brooktondale market llc, brooktondale
- byrne dairy ithaca rt13 131, ithaca
- byrne dairy trumansburg 67, trumansburg
- danby food and drink, llc, ithaca
- dandy mini mart 33, slaterville
- dandy mini mart 47, freeville
- dandy mini mart 77, ithaca
- dandy mini mart 82, ithaca
- empire commons market corp, ithaca
- fastrac eg llc 500256, ithaca
- fateh singh inc - smiley's food mart, newfield
- g plus inc, lansing
- grab n go mini mart, ithaca
- green castle collegetown corp, ithaca
- ithaca mini mart, ithaca
- jason's grocery and deli, ithaca
- mirabito # 58 - jacksonville ny, trumansburg
- mirabito #45 ithaca- rte 13, ithaca
- mirabito - 114 freeville, freeville
- mirabito 113 - dryden, dryden
- mirabito 115 - lansing, lansing
- mirabito 57 - freeville 2, ithaca
- mirabito 87, ithaca
- newfield convenience llc, newfield
- quik shoppe 111, ithaca
- shortstop deli, ithaca
- saboor petroleum inc, ithaca
- speedway 7787, ithaca
- speedway 9933, ithaca
- speedway 9939, groton
- speedway 9951, dryden
- sukhmani singh inc, ithaca
- trumansburg main street market, trumansburg
- yazzy's market inc, ithaca
Combination Grocery/Other · 20
- cvs pharmacy 502, ithaca
- dollar general 14064, dryden
- dollar general 17711, ithaca
- dollar tree 959, ithaca
- dollar general 21094, freeville
- dollar general 22567, groton
- dollar general 22623, locke
- dollar general 23670, lansing
- dollar general store 16838, lansing
- dollar tree 8262, ithaca
- eddydale farm market, ithaca
- family dollar 9439, groton
- kinney drugs 100, ithaca
- kinney drugs 71, trumansburg
- kinney drugs 80, ithaca
- kinney drugs 82, dryden
- lee's ithaca tofu, ithaca
- walgreens 19370, ithaca
- walgreens 19684, ithaca
- win li oriental supermarket, ithaca
Super Store · 6
- bj's wholesale club 352, ithaca
- greenstar cooperative market, ithaca
- p&c fresh market 107, ithaca
- shur-save food store, trumansburg
- target 1508, ithaca
- walmart 5240, ithaca
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 65011, ithaca
- aldi 65057, ithaca
- clark's food mart llc, dryden
- trader joe's ithaca 568, ithaca
- tops markets 522, ithaca
- wegmans 71, ithaca
Farmers' Market · 3
- freeville farmers market, freeville
- ithaca farmers market, ithaca
- trumansburg farmers market, trumansburg
Large Grocery Store · 3
- greenstar cooperative market inc - dewitt mall, ithaca
- greenstar cooperative market inc., ithaca
- pine ridge grocery 2, dryden
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- ren's mart inc - ren's mart asian groceries, ithaca
Small Grocery Store · 1
- anabel's grocery, ithaca
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in New York
One of 61 counties in New York, 6 are shown here.
Compare Tompkins County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Nationwide peers for Tompkins County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Tompkins County (8.9%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside New York.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NY (15.2% here).
- Passaic County, NJ · 15.2% low-access
- Passaic County, NJ · 15.2% low-access
- Harrison County, OH · 15.2% low-access
- Harrison County, OH · 15.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NY (8.9% here).
- Macon County, NC · 8.9% SNAP
- Macon County, NC · 8.9% SNAP
- Ashland County, OH · 8.9% SNAP
- Ashland County, OH · 8.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, New York in context
Tompkins County sits inside New York (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Tompkins County, NY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 36109. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.