PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Hampshire

Cheshire County, NH

Cheshire 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.

19.3%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
6.3%
on SNAP
77K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NH

The food-access picture

19.3% of Cheshire County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.7%
households, no vehicle
8.7%
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).

Cheshire County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.3% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 14,871 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,264 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 Cheshire County compares nationally

Cheshire County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.3% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,746).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Cheshire County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Cheshire 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 Cheshire County, NH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (62.5%) 3 tracts limited (18.8%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (18.8%) Adequate 63% Limited 19% Severe 19% Food-access tier distribution: Cheshire County, NH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Cheshire 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 Cheshire County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)77,117
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population14,871
Low-Access Share19.3%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,264

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Cheshire County
IndicatorValue
Population77,297
Median Household Income$83,329
Poverty Rate8.7%below the national average
SNAP Households1,943
SNAP Participation Rate6.3%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.9%
SNAP participation in Cheshire County 6.3%

About 6.3% of Cheshire County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 19.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 6.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,943 households here.
  • 4.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Cheshire County

near the national share

3 of Cheshire County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.8% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 14,871 residents, roughly 19.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,264 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Cheshire County

Cheshire County has 63 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 30 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 30

  • 7-eleven #32504 b 32504 b, keene
  • alltown jaffrey 318, jaffrey
  • alltown winchester 2767, winchester
  • beaver street market, keene
  • cumberland farms 5425, keene
  • carr's store 677, dublin
  • circle k 4707257, keene
  • dinkbee's, keene
  • elm street market, keene
  • global montello group chesterfield 643, west chesterfield
  • home town irving, rindge
  • honey farms 3828, rindge
  • jakes5star convenience, keene
  • jiffy mart 459, north walpole
  • kanku corporation, north walpole
  • main street marketplace, hinsdale
  • main street mini mart, winchester
  • marlborough country convenience, marlborough
  • minute mart, troy
  • mr mikes 317, stoddard
  • mr. mike's fitzwilliam 321, fitzwilliam
  • north of the border food mart, rindge
  • racing mart, jaffrey
  • rk bottoms up convenience llc, fitzwilliam
  • sullivan country store, sullivan
  • t-bird mini mart hinsdale 671, hinsdale
  • t-bird mini mart swanzey 675, swanzey
  • t-bird mini mart swanzey 676, swanzey
  • west of the border, inc., rindge
  • west swanzey meats, swanzey

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs pharmacy 640, keene
  • dollar general 13698, jaffrey
  • dollar general 17668, troy
  • dollar general 13534, swanzey
  • dollar general 21301, walpole
  • dollar tree 2027, keene
  • family dollar 8262, winchester
  • family dollar 8638, walpole
  • mr. g's liquidation center, llc #50, north walpole
  • ocean state job lot 402, walpole
  • walgreens 03154, keene
  • walgreens 11985, walpole

Super Store · 9

  • hannaford food & drug 8163, keene
  • hannaford food & drug 8180, rindge
  • market basket 47, rindge
  • market basket 64, swanzey
  • monadnock food co-op, keene
  • target 2120, keene
  • walmart 1907, hinsdale
  • walmart 2057, rindge
  • walmart 3549, keene

Farmers' Market · 3

  • farmers market of keene, keene
  • hinsdale farmer's market, hinsdale
  • team jaffrey's farmers' market, jaffrey

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • alstead general store, alstead
  • keene international market, keene
  • mr. g's liquidation center 10, keene

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 96, keene
  • price chopper keene 208, keene
  • shaw's supermarket 3533, walpole

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • swanzey supermarket, swanzey
  • troy deli & marketplace, troy

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • kulicks supermarket, winchester

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in New Hampshire

Belknap County
11.4% low-access · 6.9% SNAP
Carroll County
1.5% low-access · 5.0% 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 Cheshire County vs Belknap County → · All New Hampshire counties →

Food access nationally, New Hampshire in context

Cheshire 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 Cheshire County has low food access? ▼
19.3% of residents in Cheshire 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 Cheshire County? ▼
6.3% of households in Cheshire County receive SNAP, covering 1,943 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Cheshire County? ▼
The poverty rate in Cheshire County, NH is 8.7%, with a median household income of $83,329 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Cheshire County a food desert? ▼
3 of Cheshire County's 16 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 Cheshire County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.7% of households in Cheshire 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.