Groceries and convenience · County · New York
Grocery stores in Ulster County, NY
How Ulster County, NY compares with other counties and the U.S. for grocery stores: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 62 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #611 of 2,070 scored counties
#7 of 60 scored counties in New York
- Listings
- 43
- 17 chain locations (40%)
- Official establishments
- 42
- −8.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $514.6M
- On groceries · $6,928 a household
- Spending per listing
- $12M
- 29% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 5.8
- 15% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 183,330
- +1.1% since 2020
See the grocery stores around any address in Ulster 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 Ulster 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 43 grocery stores in Ulster County. Of those, 17 are chain locations, or 40%, against 37% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 5.8, 15% below the U.S. rate of 6.8.
Households in Ulster County spend about $514.6M a year on groceries, or $6,928 per household, 10% above the U.S. average. That is about $12M of household spending for each store on map listings, 29% 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 Ulster County was 42 in 2023, down 8.7% from 2019. That is one for every 1,769 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S.
Population estimates put the population change in Ulster County from 2020 to 2025 at +1.1%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Ulster County scores 62 (upper middle) on the Groundwork market score for grocery stores, ranking #611 of 2,070 scored counties and #7 of 60 scored counties in New York.
How Ulster 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 | Ulster County | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 5.8 | 9.9 | 6.8 |
| Spending per listing | $12M | $7.1M | $9.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 1,769 | 926 | 2,053 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −8.7% | −10.0% | 0.0% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.1% | −0.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on groceries | $6,928 | $6,985 | $6,319 |
| Median household income | $86,271 | $85,974 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 62 | 22 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 46 → 42−8.7% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 2,119
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $64.4M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 4317 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 55The 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 Ulster 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 Ulster County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 183,330+1.1% since 2020
- Households
- 74,278
- Median age
- 45.2
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 70%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.7
- Land area
- 1,124 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 162
- Median household income
- $86,271+34.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $117,353
- Median home value
- $352,500
- Jobs located here
- 57,240
- Daytime population
- 161,256Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Ulster 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 Ulster 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 Ulster 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 Ulster County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
- Grocery and convenience stores57
- Grocery stores62
- Convenience stores62
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 Ulster County, NY?
Ulster County has 43 grocery stores on map listings as of September 2026. 17 of them (40%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery stores and supermarkets. Official counts show 42 businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in 2023, down 8.7% from 2019.
How much do households in Ulster County, NY spend on groceries?
About $514.6M a year, or $6,928 per household. That is 10% above the U.S. average (an index of 110, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 43 grocery stores on map listings, it comes to $12M per store. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only grocery stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 74,278 households in Ulster County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Ulster County, NY compare with the U.S. for grocery stores?
Ulster County has 5.8 grocery stores per 10,000 households, 15% below the U.S. rate of 6.8. Spending per store is $12M, 29% above the U.S. figure of $9.3M. At the national ratio of grocery stores to household spending, Ulster County would have about 55, against 43 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,769 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. The official count fell 8.7% from 2019 to 2023, against 0.0% for the U.S.
How fast is Ulster County, NY growing?
Population estimates put Ulster County at 183,330 people in 2025, up 1.1% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 74,278 households. Median household income in Ulster County is $86,271, 7% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 34.2%, 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. Ulster County scores 62 for grocery stores (upper middle), #611 of 2,070 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Ulster 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 Ulster County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Ulster 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 Ulster 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.