Groceries and convenience · County · New York
Grocery stores in Rensselaer County, NY
The grocery stores in Rensselaer County, NY, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 61 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #648 of 2,070 scored counties
#8 of 60 scored counties in New York
- Listings
- 41
- 22 chain locations (54%)
- Official establishments
- 32
- −8.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $458.9M
- On groceries · $6,881 a household
- Spending per listing
- $11.2M
- 20% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.1
- 10% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 160,510
- −0.2% since 2020
See the grocery stores around any address in Rensselaer County
The site report maps the grocery stores on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Rensselaer County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 41 grocery stores in Rensselaer County. 22 of them (54%) are chain locations, against 37% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 6.1, 10% below the U.S. rate of 6.8.
At $6,881 per household (9% above the U.S. average), households in Rensselaer County spend about $458.9M a year on groceries. That is about $11.2M of household spending for each store on map listings, 20% above the U.S. figure of $9.3M. That spending covers all groceries, which grocery stores share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in Rensselaer County was 32 in 2023, down 8.6% from 2019. That is one for every 2,084 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S.
Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Rensselaer County declined 0.2%, against +3.1% for the U.S. The Groundwork market score for grocery stores in Rensselaer County is 61 (upper middle), #648 of 2,070 scored counties and #8 of 60 scored counties in New York.
How Rensselaer County compares
The same measures for New York and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all groceries by the grocery stores counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Rensselaer County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 6.1 | 9.9 | 6.8 |
| Spending per listing | $11.2M | $7.1M | $9.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 2,084 | 926 | 2,053 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −8.6% | −10.0% | 0.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.2% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on groceries | $6,881 | $6,985 | $6,319 |
| Median household income | $87,915 | $85,974 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 61 | 22 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 35 → 32−8.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 1,372
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $34.1M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 4122 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 49The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in Rensselaer County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Rensselaer County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 160,510−0.2% since 2020
- Households
- 66,686
- Median age
- 41.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 65%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 653 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 246
- Median household income
- $87,915+27.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $107,086
- Median home value
- $258,400
- Jobs located here
- 52,657
- Daytime population
- 135,820Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Rensselaer County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the grocery stores on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Rensselaer County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardGrocery stores across New York
Every New York market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in New York for grocery stores, numbered among those based in New York, with Rensselaer County marked.
Top counties in New York
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Saratoga County, NY | 81 | 62 | 6.1 | $12M | +2.3% | #173 of 2,070 |
| 2Ontario County, NY | 77 | 28 | 5.8 | $11.8M | +0.6% | #252 of 2,070 |
| 3Herkimer County, NY | 74 | 10 | 3.9 | $16.3M | −1.4% | #307 of 2,070 |
| 4Genesee County, NY | 70 | 8 | 3.2 | $20.1M | +0.2% | #399 of 2,070 |
| 5Schoharie County, NY | 70 | 9 | 7.0 | $9.2M | +1.4% | #422 of 2,070 |
| 6Niagara County, NY | 67 | 40 | 4.4 | $14.8M | −1.5% | #474 of 2,070 |
| 7Ulster County, NY | 62 | 43 | 5.8 | $12M | +1.1% | #611 of 2,070 |
| 8Rensselaer County, NY | 61 | 41 | 6.1 | $11.2M | −0.2% | #648 of 2,070 |
| 9Fulton County, NY | 61 | 14 | 6.1 | $10.3M | −1.6% | #654 of 2,070 |
| 10Wayne County, NY | 61 | 25 | 6.5 | $10M | +0.1% | #656 of 2,070 |
Other business types in Rensselaer County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
- Grocery and convenience stores56
- Grocery stores61
- Convenience stores52
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many grocery stores are in Rensselaer County, NY?
Rensselaer County has 41 grocery stores on map listings as of September 2026. 22 of them (54%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery stores and supermarkets. Official counts show 32 businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in 2023, down 8.6% from 2019.
How much do households in Rensselaer County, NY spend on groceries?
About $458.9M a year, or $6,881 per household. That is 9% above the U.S. average (an index of 109, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 41 grocery stores on map listings, it comes to $11.2M per store. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only grocery stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 66,686 households in Rensselaer County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Rensselaer County, NY compare with the U.S. for grocery stores?
Rensselaer County has 6.1 grocery stores per 10,000 households, 10% below the U.S. rate of 6.8. Spending per store is $11.2M, 20% above the U.S. figure of $9.3M. At the national ratio of grocery stores to household spending, Rensselaer County would have about 49, against 41 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,084 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. The official count fell 8.6% from 2019 to 2023, against 0.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Rensselaer County, NY growing?
Population estimates put Rensselaer County at 160,510 people in 2025, down 0.2% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 66,686 households. Median household income in Rensselaer County is $87,915, 9% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 27.4%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Rensselaer County scores 61 for grocery stores (upper middle), #648 of 2,070 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Rensselaer County. It maps the grocery stores on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for grocery stores · All 56 business types in Rensselaer County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Rensselaer County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Rensselaer County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.