PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · New Hampshire

Coos County, NH

Coos 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.

16.9%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
12.6%
on SNAP
31K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 NH

The food-access picture

16.9% of Coos County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
9.0%
households, no vehicle
13.2%
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).

Coos County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.9% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,597 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,712 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 Coos County compares nationally

Coos County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.9% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,955).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Coos County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Coos 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 Coos County, NH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 73% Limited 0% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Coos County, NH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Coos 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 Coos County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)33,055
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population5,597
Low-Access Share16.9%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,712

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Coos County
IndicatorValue
Population31,271
Median Household Income$57,677
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households1,770
SNAP Participation Rate12.6%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.0%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population6.9%
SNAP participation in Coos County 12.6%

About 12.6% of Coos County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 12.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,770 households here.
  • 9.0% 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 Coos County

near the national share

3 of Coos County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

An estimated 5,597 residents, roughly 16.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,712 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Coos County

Coos County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • berlin mills variety, berlin
  • big apple 1019, berlin
  • big apple 1108, colebrook
  • big apple 1109, lancaster
  • bobs variety, berlin
  • cumberland farms 5416, whitefield
  • cumberland farms 5418, gorham
  • circle k 4707222, berlin
  • circle k 4707229, berlin
  • circle k 7217, gorham
  • jiffy mart 438, lancaster
  • jiffy mart 440, whitefield
  • milan luncheonette & variety, milan
  • mishika 395 inc, dalton
  • north end market, lancaster

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar general 13570, whitefield
  • dollar general 14094, groveton
  • dollar general 21687, lancaster
  • dollar general 22432, gorham
  • dollar general 30630, berlin
  • dollar tree 4101, gorham
  • family dollar 4398, berlin
  • family dollar 7481, colebrook
  • family dollar store 3815, lancaster
  • ocean state job lot 405, northumberland
  • rudy's market, berlin
  • walgreens 17167, lancaster
  • walgreens 19398, colebrook

Farmers' Market · 3

  • gorham farmers' market, gorham
  • granite guild farmers market and art walk, groveton
  • lancaster farmers market, lancaster

Supermarket · 3

  • berlin marketplace 10807, berlin
  • shaw's supermarket 2532, lancaster
  • whitefield market & deli, whitefield

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • north country shop & save, groveton
  • solomons store, west stewartstown

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • lambert's produce land, colebrook
  • taproot marketplace, lancaster

Super Store · 2

  • iga laperles, colebrook
  • walmart 2634, gorham

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
Cheshire County
19.3% low-access · 6.3% 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 Coos County vs Belknap County → · All New Hampshire counties →

Food access nationally, New Hampshire in context

Coos 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 Coos County has low food access? ▼
16.9% of residents in Coos 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 Coos County? ▼
12.6% of households in Coos County receive SNAP, covering 1,770 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Coos County? ▼
The poverty rate in Coos County, NH is 13.2%, with a median household income of $57,677 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Coos County a food desert? ▼
3 of Coos County's 11 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 Coos County households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.0% of households in Coos 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.