County food-access profile · New York
Washington County, NY
Most of Washington County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 7.5%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.1%
- on SNAP
- 61K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
7.5% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 8.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.7%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Washington County fares better than most: just 7.5% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 17 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 4,712 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,495 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 Washington County compares nationally
Food access in Washington County compares favorably nationally: its 7.5% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,679).
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 census tracts in Washington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Washington County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Washington 7.5
Washington County, NY
7.5 % 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 | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 63,216 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,712 |
| Low-Access Share | 7.5%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,495 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 60,522 |
| Median Household Income | $73,495 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,955 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.1%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.2%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.6% |
About 12.1% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 7.5% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,955 households here.
- 8.2% 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 Washington County
below the national share
1 of Washington County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.9% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 4,712 residents, roughly 7.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,495 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 15 tracts (88.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Washington County
Washington County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (43% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 23
- cumberland farms 1512, fort edwards
- cumberland farms 1530, hudson falls
- cumberland farms 1535, hudson falls
- cumberland farms 1556, fort ann
- cumberland farms 1575, hudson falls
- cumberland farms 1603, whitehall
- cumberland farms 1609, cambridge
- cumberland farms 1614, granville
- cumberland farms, inc 1715, greenwich
- jay visat 155-157 inc, whitehall
- jay visat one stop shop corp, granville
- orange grocery, hudson falls
- stewart's shop 142, granville
- stewart's shop 211, whitehall
- stewart's shop 215, fort edward
- stewart's shop 259, hudson falls
- stewarts shop 123, fort edward
- stewarts shop 150, greenwich
- stewarts shop 424, argyle
- stewarts shop 448, hartford
- speedway 7854, fort edward
- stewarts shop 157, salem
- stewarts shop 170, cambridge
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- cvs pharmacy 5166, whitehall
- cvs pharmacy 2685, hudson falls
- cvs pharmacy 5348, greenwich
- dollar general 18239, salem
- dollar tree 3482, hudson falls
- dollar general 10882, cambridge
- dollar general 10980, whitehall
- dollar general 16176, greenwich
- dollar general 16472, argyle
- dollar general 20719, fort edward
- dollar general 21449, hartford
- dollar general 21459, granville
- dollar general 6184, granville
- dollar general 9556, hudson falls
- dollar general store 17062, fort ann
- family dollar 2777, granville
- family dollar store 2263, hudson falls
- walgreens 17717, granville
- walgreens 18207, cambridge
Supermarket · 4
- cambridge iga, cambridge
- cambridge iga, cambridge
- market 32 fort edward 249, fort edward
- price chopper 157, granville
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- cambridge food coop, cambridge
- yushak's store inc., shushan
Super Store · 2
- hannaford food&drug 8333, greenwich
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8395, hudson falls
Farmers' Market · 1
- noor organic farm llc, whitehall
Large Grocery Store · 1
- green mountain food services llc - marketplace, whitehall
Small Grocery Store · 1
- argyle cheese farmer, hudson falls
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Washington County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Washington 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 Washington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Washington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Washington 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.