County food-access profile · Massachusetts
Barnstable County, MA
Barnstable County sits among the counties with the widest food-access gaps the USDA tracks, most residents here live well outside a comfortable walk or drive to a supermarket. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 51.0%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 9.4%
- on SNAP
- 232K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
51.0% of Barnstable County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 40
- low-access tracts
- 20K
- food-desert residents
- 5.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.7%
- 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).
Barnstable County carries one of the more serious food-access burdens the USDA Atlas tracks: its low-access share of 51.0% is well above the national share. 40 of the county's 56 census tracts fall into that category, areas where residents live far from a supermarket, covering about 110,199 people. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 19,747 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 Barnstable County compares nationally
Barnstable County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 51.0% low-access share outpaces 94% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #193 most-affected nationwide.
Barnstable County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 56 census tracts in Barnstable County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Barnstable County vs. other Massachusetts counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Massachusetts
- Barnstable
Barnstable County, MA
51 % low-access
- Berkshire
Berkshire County, MA
30.9 % low-access
- Bristol
Bristol County, MA
26.4 % low-access
- Dukes
Dukes County, MA
32.2 % low-access
- Essex
Essex County, MA
30.1 % low-access
- Franklin 19.1
Franklin County, MA
19.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 56 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 215,888 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 40 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 110,199 |
| Low-Access Share | 51.0%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 19,747 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 231,668 |
| Median Household Income | $95,241 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.7%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,959 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.3% |
About 9.4% of Barnstable County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 51.0% of residents are low-access, well above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,959 households here.
- 5.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Barnstable County
well above the national share
8 of Barnstable County's 56 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.
A further 32 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 40.
An estimated 110,199 residents, roughly 51.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 19,747 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 16 tracts (28.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Barnstable County
Barnstable County has 197 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 95 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 95
- 7-eleven 34408c, osterville
- 7-eleven 37381h, eastham
- 7-eleven 37426h, west dennis
- 7-eleven 37489h, bourne
- 7-eleven 24450g 24450, falmouth
- 711 food mart, harwich
- a to z convenience, south yarmouth
- am/pm convenience, hyannis
- bourne bridge mobil, buzzards bay
- brewster farms country market, brewster
- brother's food mart, west yarmouth
- buckys convenience store, south yarmouth
- cumberland farms 2295, hyannis
- cumberland farms 2302, buzzards bay
- cumberland farms 2315, south dennis
- cape cod farms, west yarmouth
- cape cod farms, west yarmouth
- cape cod farms, west yarmouth
- cape food mart, hyannis
- cape side convenience, buzzards bay
- centerville food mart, centerville
- centerville food shop, centerville
- colbea enterprises llc 92, south yarmouth
- corner food mart, hyannis
- country farms individual, pocasset
- cumberland farms 2232, provincetown
- cumberland farms 2268, west yarmouth
- cumberland farms 2307, wellfleet
- cumberland farms 2326, hyannis
- cumberland farms 6731, eastham
- cumberland farms 6756, chatham
- cumberland farms inc 6752, e falmouth
- cumberland farms, inc 2298, monument beach
- cumberland farms, inc 2305, harwich port
- cumberland farms, inc 2322, brewster
- cumberland farms, inc 2333, east falmouth
- cumberland farms, inc 2346, east falmouth
- cumberland farms, inc 2348, hyannis
- cumberland farms, inc 2352, orleans
- express mart, sandwich
- falmouth convenience store, falmouth
- falmouth fopod mart 1, east falmouth
- finleys, west dennis
- forestdale mobil inc, forestdale
- garrett's family market 121, mashpee
- harwich public market, harwich
- highland farm, provincetown
- hyannis convenience, hyannis
- intermart, falmouth
- lucky mart, dennis port
- mpg 133, falmouth
- mpg 144, centerville
- mashpee country store 1, mashpee
- mashpee mart, mashpee
- mashpee minimart, mashpee
- mashpee shell, mashpee
- mini food mart, hyannis
- north falmouth superette, north falmouth
- nouria 1046, sagamore beach
- ocean street market, hyannis
- osterville general, osterville
- paradise liquors, west dennis
- quick stop convenience store, marstons mills
- rapid refill 108, falmouth
- richdale food shops 129, east falmouth
- route 6a convenience store, east sandwich
- sandwich mart & spirits, sandwich
- sam's food store 1124, buzzards bay
- sandwich food mart, sandwich
- sandwich food store 389, sandwich
- sea street food mart, hyannis
- seasons corner market 88, south dennis
- shell food mart, buzzards bay
- speedway 2427, sandwich
- speedway 2429, hyannis
- speedway 2438, west yarmouth
- speedway 2439, hyannis
- speedway 2441, orleans
- speedway 2442, hyannis
- speedway 2443, east falmouth
- speedway 2444, sandwich
- speedway 2445, south yarmouth
- speedway 2446, osterville
- speedway 2447, buzzards bay
- the barn, mashpee
- townhouse news, south yarmouth
- united gas 1, hyannis
- village green general store, north eastham
- village pantry, north falmouth
- well done intl groceries & gifts, chatham
- west main gas, hyannis
- wild harbor general store, north falmouth
- willow tree market, hyannis
- yarmouth food mart, south yarmouth
- yarmouth mini mart, south yarmouth
Combination Grocery/Other · 45
- cvs 1870, east falmouth
- cvs pharmacy 1859, east harwich
- cvs pharmacy 2200, marstons mills
- cvs pharmacy 2322, hyannis
- cvs pharmacy 636, sandwich
- cvs pharmacy 735, south yarmouth
- cvs pharmacy 860, harwich port
- cvs pharmacy 1021, south dennis
- cvs pharmacy 10852, hyannis
- cvs pharmacy 11131, provincetown
- cvs pharmacy 1253, mashpee
- cvs pharmacy 1576, buzzards bay
- cvs pharmacy 1850, sandwich
- cvs pharmacy 1857, orleans
- cvs pharmacy 1869, hyannis
- cvs pharmacy 1878, chatham
- cvs pharmacy 4313, west yarmouth
- cvs pharmacy 594, falmouth
- cvs pharmacy 719, orleans
- cvs pharmacy 944, south yarmouth
- chatham village market, chatham
- dollartree 4528, hyannis
- dollar general 17767, west yarmouth
- dollar general 20918, hyannis
- dollar tree 4227, south yarmouth
- dollar tree 4318, dennis port
- dollar tree 4754, falmouth
- dollar tree 7724, west yarmouth
- dollar tree 7978, sandwich
- dollar tree 8416, south dennis
- friends' marketplace, orleans
- ocean state job lot 204, hyannis
- ocean state job lot 205, e falmouth
- ocean state job lot 206, south yarmouth
- ocean state job lot 213, bourne
- ocean state job lot 231, dennis port
- ocean state job lot 232, chatham
- pji caribbean store, south yarmouth
- walgreens 10460, south yarmouth
- walgreens 13135, mashpee
- walgreens 17545, hyannis
- walgreens 19592, falmouth
- walgreens 19659, orleans
- walgreens 19695, yarmouth port
- west falmouth market, falmouth
Supermarket · 23
- aldi 73166, falmouth
- dennis public market, dennis
- roche bros supermarkets inc 117, mashpee
- shaw's supermarket 1598, hyannis
- shaw's supermarket 3692, south yarmouth
- shaw's supermarket 603, east falmouth
- shaw's supermarket 4595, hyannis
- shaw's supermarket 4596, harwich port
- shaw's supermarket 690, orleans
- stop & shop 12, sandwich
- stop & shop 22, south yarmouth
- stop & shop 2403, provincetown
- stop & shop 2422, south yarmouth
- stop & shop 406, hyannis
- stop & shop 407, sandwich
- stop & shop 425, falmouth
- stop & shop 461, south dennis
- stop & shop 475, harwich
- stop & shop 64, orleans
- stop & shop 66, marstons mills
- stop & shop 87, mashpee
- trader joe's 514, hyannis
- wellfleet marketpalce inc., wellfleet
Super Store · 9
- bj's wholesale club 321, hyannis
- gols supermarket, hyannis
- market basket 69, bourne
- petersons market, yarmouth port
- ring bros marketplace, south dennis
- target store 3324, hyannis
- windfall market, falmouth
- walmart 3561, teaticket
- whole foods market 10801, hyannis
Farmers' Market · 8
- falmouth farmers' market inc., falmouth
- harwich farmer's market, orleans
- mashpee farmers market 1, mashpee
- orleans farmers market, orleans
- provincetown farmers' market, provincetown
- the 204 market, harwich
- truro farmers' market, truro
- wellfleet farmers market, inc., wellfleet
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- bolt grocery llc, hyannis
- cape cod caribbean cafe, hyannis
- family foods, east falmouth
- food port international market, hyannis
- orleans whole food store, orleans
- the food market international inc., hyannis
Small Grocery Store · 6
- aj mart, hyannis
- cape mart inc.,, hyannis
- eastham superette, eastham
- ferretti's market, brewster
- international mini mart, west dennis
- latinos mini market, hyannis
Large Grocery Store · 2
- lamberts rainbow fruit, centerville
- pocasset country market, pocasset
Seafood Specialty · 2
- andrea's west yarmouth fish and lobster, west yarmouth
- mac's provincetown 4, provincetown
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- cape and island produce, hyannis
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Massachusetts
Compare Barnstable County vs Berkshire County → · All Massachusetts counties →
Food access nationally, Massachusetts in context
Barnstable County sits inside Massachusetts (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 Barnstable County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Barnstable County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Barnstable County? ▼
Is Barnstable County a food desert? ▼
What share of Barnstable 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.