PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Hampshire

Belknap County, NH

Belknap County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

11.4%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
6.9%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NH

The food-access picture

11.4% of Belknap County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
4.0%
households, no vehicle
8.5%
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).

Belknap County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 15 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,821 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,355 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 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 #2,385).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Belknap County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 15 census tracts in Belknap County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Belknap County, NH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 15 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (80.0%) 2 tracts limited (13.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (6.7%) Adequate 80% Limited 13% Severe 7% Food-access tier distribution: Belknap County, NH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Belknap County vs. other New Hampshire counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Hampshire

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Belknap County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts15
Atlas Population (2010 basis)60,088
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,821
Low-Access Share11.4%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,355

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Belknap County
IndicatorValue
Population64,659
Median Household Income$92,783
Poverty Rate8.5%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,812
SNAP Participation Rate6.9%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.0%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.8%
SNAP participation in Belknap County 6.9%

About 6.9% of Belknap County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 11.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,812 households here.
  • 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Belknap County

near the national share

1 of Belknap County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.7% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 6,821 residents, roughly 11.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,355 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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.

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 retailers.

Other Counties in New Hampshire

Carroll County
1.5% low-access · 5.0% SNAP
Cheshire County
19.3% low-access · 6.3% SNAP
Coos County
16.9% low-access · 12.6% SNAP
Grafton County
10.5% low-access · 6.4% SNAP
Hillsborough County
32.3% low-access · 6.6% SNAP
Merrimack County
16.2% low-access · 7.0% SNAP

Compare Belknap County vs Carroll County → · All New Hampshire counties →

Food access nationally, New Hampshire in context

Belknap County sits inside New Hampshire (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Belknap County has low food access? ▼
11.4% of residents in Belknap County, NH live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Belknap County? ▼
6.9% of households in Belknap County receive SNAP, covering 1,812 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Belknap County? ▼
The poverty rate in Belknap County, NH is 8.5%, with a median household income of $92,783 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Belknap County a food desert? ▼
1 of Belknap County's 15 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Belknap County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.0% of households in Belknap County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.