County food-access profile · New York
Wayne County, NY
Most of Wayne 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).
- 6.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 11.4%
- on SNAP
- 91K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
6.1% of Wayne County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 7.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.4%
- 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, Wayne County fares better than most: just 6.1% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 4 of the county's 22 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 5,738 people who live far from a supermarket, and 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,821 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 Wayne County compares nationally
Food access in Wayne County compares favorably nationally: its 6.1% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 12% of them (rank #2,760).
Wayne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 22 census tracts in Wayne County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Wayne County vs. other New York counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New York
- Wayne 6.1
Wayne County, NY
6.1 % 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 | 22 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 93,772 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,738 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,821 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 90,929 |
| Median Household Income | $74,506 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,368 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
About 11.4% of Wayne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 6.1% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,368 households here.
- 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Wayne County
below the national share
3 of Wayne County's 22 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 13.6% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 5,738 residents, roughly 6.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,821 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (81.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Wayne County
Wayne County has 76 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 34 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 34
- aways market inc, macedon
- byrne dairy east newark 130, newark
- byrne dairy palmyra 144, palmyra
- byrne dairy walworth 157, walworth
- corner market, macedon
- crosby's 40069, newark
- fastrac eg llc 500202, clyde
- fastrac eg llc 500203, wolcott
- fastrac eg llc 500211, ontario
- kwik fill 053, walworth
- kwik fill 054, ontario
- kwik fill 338, marion
- kwik fill 044, lyons
- kwik fill 346, wolcott
- lyons mart inc, lyons
- newark deli, newark
- pit stop convenience stores 12, red creek
- pit stop convenience stores 15, ontario
- pit stop convenience stores 3, sodus point
- pit stop convenience stores 6, wolcott
- pit stop convenience stores 7, newark
- pit stop convenience stores north rose 5, north rose
- pit stop convenience stores ontario 14, ontario center
- reid stores, llc, crosby's 40065, palmyra
- roses quick stop llc, savannah
- speedway 7731, ontario
- speedway 9917, palmyra
- speedway 9958, marion
- speedway 9959, macedon
- speedway 9962, williamson
- speedway llc 45139, newark
- speedy's 108, macedon
- state fair petro inc., sodus
- wny palmyra inc, palmyra
Combination Grocery/Other · 25
- cvs pharmacy 1286, macedon
- cvs pharmacy 5078, sodus
- dollar general 14440, marion
- dollar general 18565, walworth
- dollar general 10071, sodus
- dollar general 11148, clyde
- dollar general 15522, ontario
- dollar general 22258, north rose
- dollar general 23061, red creek
- dollar general 24328, lyons
- dollar general 6125, wolcott
- dollar general 8440, palmyra
- dollar general 8643, newark
- dollar general 9109, williamson
- dollar tree 1069, ontario
- dollar tree 1410, newark
- dollar tree 3749, macedon
- family dollar 2321, wolcott
- family dollar 2559, sodus
- kinney drugs 66, lyons
- walgreens 09939, newark
- walgreens 18076, williamson
- walgreens 19548, ontario
- walgreens 19736, wolcott
- walgreens 19919, palmyra
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 65007, lyons
- aldi 65045, ontario
- breens save-a-lot 24143, newark
- patons market place, sodus
- save a lot, wolcott
- save-a-lot 24987, ontario
- tops markets 413, ontario
- tops markets 428, walworth
- wegmans 6, newark
Farmers' Market · 2
- lyons farmers market, lyons
- sodus farmers market, sodus
Small Grocery Store · 2
- hernandez mexican store inc yes, sodus
- hillside market, red creek
Super Store · 2
- walmart 1813, newark
- walmart supercenter 3842, macedon
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- joe's meat market, ontario
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- dutchland foods llc, marion
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New York
Compare Wayne County vs Albany County → · All New York counties →
Food access nationally, New York in context
Wayne 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 Wayne County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Wayne County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Wayne County? ▼
Is Wayne County a food desert? ▼
What share of Wayne 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.