Signature · 58 SNAP-authorized stores
Belknap County, NH
Belknap County lands in the lower national band on low-access (11.4%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 11.4%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.9%
- on SNAP
- 65K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Belknap County, NH
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 11.4% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -10.7 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 7% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Grafton County ( -0.9 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Belknap County lands in the lower national band (11.4%, #2,379 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,379
- national by low-access %
- #8
- in NH
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 58 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Belknap County compares nationally
Belknap County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.4% low-access share that beats 24% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,379).
Belknap County's lower-band USDA tier split
15 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Belknap County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (11 rural, 4 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 4 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Belknap County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in New Hampshire, not a full county-board reprint
- Rockingham
Rockingham 43%
43 % low-access
- Cheshire
Cheshire 19.3%
19.3 % low-access
- Coos 16.9
Coos 16.9%
16.9 % low-access
- Merrimack 16.2
Merrimack 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- Belknap 11.4
Belknap 11.4%
11.4 % low-access
- Grafton 10.5
Grafton 10.5%
10.5 % low-access
- Carroll 1.5
Carroll 1.5%
1.5 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 60,088 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,821 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.4%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,355 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 64,659 |
| Median Household Income | $92,783 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,812 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Belknap County
Belknap County has 58 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 27 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
12 towns share the 58 authorized stores; Laconia holds 28% of them. 5 of the 12 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: New Hampton, Barnstead, Gilmanton, Gilmanton Iron Works, Sanbornton.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Laconia | 16 | 2 |
| Tilton | 13 | 3 |
| Belmont | 7 | 1 |
| Gilford | 7 | 3 |
| Meredith | 6 | 1 |
| Alton | 2 | 1 |
| New Hampton | 2 | none |
| Barnstead | 1 | none |
| Center Harbor | 1 | 1 |
| Gilmanton | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 12 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 27
- big apple 1047, tilton
- big apple 1080, gilford
- cumberland farms 5536, meredith
- cumberland farms 5542, tilton
- cumberland farms 5543, laconia
- case n keg laconia, laconia
- church st laconia spa, laconia
- circle k 4707203, belmont
- circle k 4707208, new hampton
- circle k 4707211, laconia
- circle k 4707224, tilton
- circle k 4707242, belmont
- circle k 4707243, meredith
- colbea enterprises llc 302, tilton
- cumberland farms 5440, laconia
- energy north 2222, new hampton
- energy north 2228, gilford
- flowers bakery outlet 993, belmont
- iron works market, gilmanton iron works
- laconia express and deli, laconia
- on the budget corporation, laconia
- penguin fuels, belmont
- sanbornton market llc, sanbornton
- shop express laconia, laconia
- tilton food mart, tilton
- titon shop express, tilton
- welcome trading llc, belmont
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- cvs pharmacy 863, gilford
- cvs pharmacy 8931, laconia
- dollar tree 2406, tilton
- dollar general 13234, tilton
- dollar general 16444, barnstead
- dollar general 17058, alton
- dollar general 17430, belmont
- dollar tree 4176, gilford
- dollar tree 5936, laconia
- dollar tree 5936, laconia
- family dollar 8837, meredith
- laconia oasis gas + go, laconia
- ocean state job lot 413, meredith
- walgreens 10409, laconia
- walgreens 10887, tilton
Super Store · 8
- bj's wholesale club 309, tilton
- e m heath, center harbor
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8247, alton
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8253, meredith
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8402, gilford
- market basket 59, tilton
- walmart supercenter 2369, tilton
- walmart supercenter 2639, gilford
Farmers' Market · 4
- gilmanton's own market, gilmanton
- meredith community market, meredith
- the market at weirs, laconia
- tilton farmers market, tilton
Supermarket · 3
- shaw's supermarket 1402, gilford
- shaw's supermarket 2190, belmont
- vista foods - laconia 10803, laconia
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- sunflower natural foods, laconia
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in New Hampshire
One of 9 counties in New Hampshire, 6 are shown here.
Compare Belknap County vs Carroll County → · All New Hampshire counties →
Counties near Belknap County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Belknap County, both outside New Hampshire so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NH (11.4% here).
- Delaware County, NY · 11.4% low-access
- Pearl River County, MS · 11.4% low-access
- Breckinridge County, KY · 11.4% low-access
- Chester County, TN · 11.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NH (6.9% here).
- Warren County, MO · 6.9% SNAP
- Winona County, MN · 6.9% SNAP
- Wood County, OH · 6.9% SNAP
- Jackson County, KS · 6.9% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
New Hampshire among New England states
New Hampshire ranks 2nd of 5 New England states by population-weighted low-access (27.5%). Belknap County, at 11.4%, runs 16.1 pts below the New Hampshire rate.
- Massachusetts 27.8%
- New Hampshire 27.5%
- Rhode Island 23.6%
- Maine 13.4%
- Vermont 11.2%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Belknap County, NH are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 33001. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.