Signature · 63 SNAP-authorized stores
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 access plate
County Cheshire County, NH
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 19.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -2.8 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 19% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Coos County ( -2.4 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Cheshire County ranks #1,739 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #5 of 10 counties in NH (19.3% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,739
- national by low-access %
- #5
- in NH
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 63 SNAP-authorized stores .
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 #1,739).
Cheshire County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
16 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Cheshire County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (10 rural, 6 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 6 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Cheshire County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in New Hampshire, not a full county-board reprint
- Rockingham
Rockingham 43%
43 % low-access
- Strafford
Strafford 24.2%
24.2 % 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
- Carroll 1.5
Carroll 1.5%
1.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 16 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 77,117 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 14,871 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,264 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 77,297 |
| Median Household Income | $83,329 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,943 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.3%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.7%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.9% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
16 towns share the 63 authorized stores; Keene holds 30% of them. 9 of the 16 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Jaffrey, North Walpole, Fitzwilliam, Alstead, Dublin, Marlborough and 3 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Keene | 19 | 6 |
| Rindge | 7 | 3 |
| Swanzey | 6 | 2 |
| Walpole | 5 | 1 |
| Hinsdale | 4 | 1 |
| Jaffrey | 4 | none |
| Winchester | 4 | 1 |
| North Walpole | 3 | none |
| Troy | 3 | 1 |
| Fitzwilliam | 2 | none |
Top 10 of 16 towns by store count.
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 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 Cheshire County vs Belknap County → · All New Hampshire counties →
Nationwide peers for Cheshire County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Cheshire 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 (19.3% here).
- Clearfield County, PA · 19.3% low-access
- Montour County, PA · 19.3% low-access
- Clark County, IN · 19.3% low-access
- Canyon County, ID · 19.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NH (6.3% here).
- Barnes County, ND · 6.3% SNAP
- Maury County, TN · 6.3% SNAP
- DeKalb County, IN · 6.3% SNAP
- Piatt County, IL · 6.3% 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%). Cheshire County, at 19.3%, runs 8.2 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 Cheshire County, NH are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 33005. 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.