Signature · 9.8% SNAP (20th pct in NY)
Ulster County, NY
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Ulster 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).
- 23.4%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 9.8%
- on SNAP
- 183K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ulster County, NY
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 23.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 9.8% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.3% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 11% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Rensselaer County (+ 0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Ulster County ranks #1,413 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #16 of 60 counties in NY (23.4% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #1,413
- national by low-access %
- #16
- in NY
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- 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: 9.8% SNAP (20th pct in NY) (-2.3 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Ulster County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ulster County's 23.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,413 most-affected nationwide.
Ulster County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
47 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Ulster County has 22 urban and 25 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.
Ulster County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in New York, not a full county-board reprint
- Putnam
Putnam 53.6%
53.6 % low-access
- Chemung
Chemung 24.9%
24.9 % low-access
- Saratoga
Saratoga 24.4%
24.4 % low-access
- Rensselaer
Rensselaer 23.6%
23.6 % low-access
- Ulster
Ulster 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Wyoming
Wyoming 21.7%
21.7 % low-access
- Kings 0
Kings 0%
0 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 47 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 182,493 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 42,616 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.4%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,199 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 182,601 |
| Median Household Income | $86,271 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,262 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.0% |
Thick SNAP store book in Ulster County
Ulster County has 136 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 63 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 63
- 131 main mart inc, new paltz
- 443 broadway mart corp, ulster park
- a & s food mart inc, ellenville
- ardonia general store, clintondale
- accord food mart inc., accord
- anajpati asian grocery store, kingston
- ayaaz petroleum inc, saugerties
- big belly deli, saugerties
- citgo, rosendale
- cedar street deli & grocery, kingston
- cheekam mart inc - mobil station, kingston
- chester food mart inc 1, kingston
- cumberland farms, inc 1574, woodstock
- ellenville food mart inc 1, ellenville
- ens petroleum inc, kingston
- hk food mart inc, kingston
- ha mart inc/quik food, lake katrine
- krs petrol inc 2, shokan
- lucas mart inc, kingston
- mahima corporation t/a mobil gas station, ellenville
- marlboro market inc, marlboro
- mobil gas station, highland
- my family market grocery & deli llc, ellenville
- n & n mobil mart, saugerties
- ny grocery deli, kingston
- navjot mart inc, kingston
- new valley enterprise inc, walker valley
- phoenicia country store 21, phoenicia
- rk food mart corp, kingston
- rondout market inc, kingston
- rosendale food mart inc, stone ridge
- stewart's shop #228, kingston
- stewart's shop 141, kingston
- stewart's shop 213, kingston
- stewart's shop 235, saugerties
- stewarts shop 156, port ewen
- stewarts shop 245, kerhonkson
- stewarts shop 328, kingston
- sunoco, kingston
- speedway 7722, saugerties
- speedway 7723, kingston
- speedway 7788, highland
- speedway 7874, kingston
- speedway 7875, kingston
- speedway 7879, highland
- speedy mart, saugerties
- stewart's shops 309, new paltz
- stewart's shops 471, highland
- stewarts shop 165, hurley
- stewarts shop 177, rosendale
- stewarts shop 248, ellenville
- stewarts shop 251, wallkill
- stewarts shop 273, saugerties
- stewarts shop 286, lake katrine
- stewarts shop 299, milton
- stewarts shop 301, kingston
- stewarts shop 358, kingston
- stewarts shop 393, modena
- sunfrost farms, woodstock
- valero mart inc, kingston
- village grocery and refillery, kingston
- watertown food mart inc, ellenville
- yazi petro line inc, kerhonkson
Combination Grocery/Other · 34
- cvs 428, kingston
- cvs pharmacy 323, saugerties
- cvs pharmacy 7629, marlboro
- cvs pharmacy 3102, woodstock
- cvs pharmacy 8945, kingston
- dollar general 14176, lake katrine
- dollar tree 2105, kingston
- dollar general 12050, port ewen
- dollar general 12597, rosendale
- dollar general 13782, modena
- dollar general 14385, kerhonkson
- dollar general 14739, kingston
- dollar general 17103, plattekill
- dollar general 17514, shokan
- dollar general 17899, highland
- dollar general 20389, esopus
- dollar general 22620, milton
- dollar general 5736, marlboro
- dollar general 6514, saugerties
- dollar general 7698, kingston
- dollar general 9531, ellenville
- family dollar 13347, ellenville
- family dollar 3341, saugerties
- quick check corp 126, wallkill
- quick chek corp 125, lake katrine
- quick chek corporation 134, saugerties
- quick chek corporation 138, kingston
- quickchek corporation 7, kingston
- walgreens 02077, kingston
- walgreens 04037, highland
- walgreens 06650, kingston
- walgreens 17317, new paltz
- walgreens 17489, saugerties
- walgreens 19061, stone ridge
Super Store · 14
- adams fairacre farms 2, lake katrine
- alfin 3853 food corp/emmanuel's marketplace, stone ridge
- boiceville supermarket, boiceville
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8340, kingston
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8341, highland
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8346, modena
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8348, kingston
- hannaford supermarket 8444, west hurley
- new paltz health & nutrition, new paltz
- sam's club 6201, kingston
- sunflower market, woodstock
- target 1318, kingston
- walmart supercenter 2504, kingston
- walmart supercenter 4570, napanoch
Farmers' Market · 8
- ellenville market on market, ellenville
- ellenville market on market, ellenville
- kingston farmers market foundation inc., kingston
- new paltz open air market, new paltz
- phoenicia farmers market, phoenicia
- rosendale farmers market, inc. nafmnp, rosendale
- saugerties farmers market, saugerties
- woodstock farm festival, woodstock
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 73006, kingston
- allisa 1155 food corp/mytown marketplace, rosendale
- mother earth's storehouse, kingston
- price chopper saugerties 193, saugerties
- shoprite 241, kingston
- shoprite 280, new paltz
- tops markets 530, ellenville
- tops markets 532, new paltz
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- 595 kingston meat market corp, kingston
- accord market, accord
- my market, new paltz
- tremper hill farms, mount tremper
- woodstock meat market inc, woodstock
Large Grocery Store · 2
- high falls food co-op inc, high falls
- peter's market 2460, napanoch
Small Grocery Store · 2
- el mercadito grocery store, kingston
- phoenix deli & grocery 2, kingston
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 Ulster County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Nationwide peers for Ulster County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Ulster County (9.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside New York.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NY (23.4% here).
- Monroe County, PA · 23.4% low-access
- Monroe County, PA · 23.4% low-access
- Tioga County, PA · 23.4% low-access
- Tioga County, PA · 23.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NY (9.8% here).
- Butler County, OH · 9.8% SNAP
- Butler County, OH · 9.8% SNAP
- Webster County, MO · 9.8% SNAP
- Webster County, MO · 9.8% 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
Ulster 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 Ulster County, NY are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 36111. 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.