Signature · 68 SNAP-authorized stores
Franklin County, MA
Franklin 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.
- 19.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 17.0%
- on SNAP
- 71K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Franklin County, MA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-MODERATE 19.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -3.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.0% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hampden County (+ 4.7 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Franklin County ranks #1,757 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #12 of 14 counties in MA (19.1% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,757
- national by low-access %
- #12
- in MA
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- 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: 68 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Franklin County compares nationally
Franklin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.1% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,757).
Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
18 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Franklin County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (10 rural, 8 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 8 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Franklin County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Massachusetts, not a full county-board reprint
- Barnstable
Barnstable 51%
51 % low-access
- Bristol
Bristol 26.4%
26.4 % low-access
- Middlesex
Middlesex 24.6%
24.6 % low-access
- Hampden
Hampden 23.8%
23.8 % low-access
- Franklin 19.1
Franklin 19.1%
19.1 % low-access
- Nantucket 13.6
Nantucket 13.6%
13.6 % low-access
- Suffolk 1
Suffolk 1%
1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 71,372 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 13,615 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,812 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 70,944 |
| Median Household Income | $74,907 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,377 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Franklin County
Franklin County has 68 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 37 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
17 towns share the 68 authorized stores; Greenfield holds 40% of them. 10 of the 17 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Charlemont, Bernardston, Erving, Ashfield, Deerfield, Leverett and 4 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Greenfield | 27 | 5 |
| Orange | 8 | 1 |
| Turners Falls | 7 | 1 |
| Shelburne Falls | 4 | 2 |
| South Deerfield | 4 | 1 |
| Charlemont | 3 | none |
| Colrain | 3 | 1 |
| Bernardston | 2 | none |
| Erving | 2 | none |
| Ashfield | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 17 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 37
- 4 family gas station, charlemont
- 4707509.0 7509, south deerfield
- averys general store, charlemont
- buckland neighbors, shelburne falls
- cumberland farms 6664, orange
- cumberland farms 6694, greenfield
- cumberland farms 6702, turners falls
- carroll's market, millers falls
- catamount country store, colrain
- circle k 4707508, whately
- circle k 4707510, greenfield
- cumberland farms, inc 6763, south deerfield
- deerfield convenience store, deerfield
- green mart convenience, greenfield
- honey farms 3826, orange
- international supermarket, greenfield
- j's corner, greenfield
- jc's market, greenfield
- lipton market #608 greenfield 608, greenfield
- main street f.l. roberts 04054, greenfield
- marshalls, bernardston
- new ink well, greenfield
- neighbors, ashfield
- neighbors, south deerfield
- nouria 242 mohawk trail 1030, greenfield
- om country farm inc, greenfield
- planet gas station, greenfield
- stop & save, orange
- sandri 172, orange
- sandri stop smart 120, greenfield
- smoke heaven, greenfield
- speedway 2463, greenfield
- turners falls f.l. roberts 04064, turners falls
- village cooperative corporation, leverett
- weatherheads convenience store, erving
- wendell country store, wendell
- yatco food mart, orange
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 1094, greenfield
- dollar general 14956, greenfield
- dollar general 19120, greenfield
- dollar general 20134, bernardston
- dollar tree 4973, greenfield
- family dollar 2026, turners falls
- green fields market, greenfield
- walgreens 07704, greenfield
- walgreens 17488, turners falls
Small Grocery Store · 5
- avenue a market, turners falls
- catamount country store 0, colrain
- cold river package & market, charlemont
- flis market, erving
- northfield food mart, northfield
Farmers' Market · 4
- great falls farmers market, turners falls
- greenfield farmers' market llc, greenfield
- orange farmer's market, orange
- shelburne falls farmers market, shelburne falls
Super Store · 4
- bj's wholesale club 307, greenfield
- big y world class market 63, greenfield
- fosters super market inc, greenfield
- walmart 2329, orange
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- mccusker's market, shelburne falls
- millstone farm market, sunderland
- pine hill orchards market, colrain
Supermarket · 3
- aldi 73087, greenfield
- food city, turners falls
- stop & shop 45, greenfield
Large Grocery Store · 2
- atlas farm store, south deerfield
- keystone market, shelburne falls
Food Buying Co-op · 1
- north quabbin community co-op, orange
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Massachusetts
One of 13 counties in Massachusetts, 6 are shown here.
Compare Franklin County vs Barnstable County → · All Massachusetts counties →
Nationwide peers for Franklin County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Franklin County, both outside Massachusetts so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MA (19.1% here).
- Garfield County, OK · 19.1% low-access
- Tehama County, CA · 19.1% low-access
- Butte County, CA · 19.1% low-access
- Lake County, SD · 19.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MA (17.0% here).
- Lafourche Parish, LA · 17.0% SNAP
- Dent County, MO · 17.0% SNAP
- Stephenson County, IL · 17.0% SNAP
- Bernalillo County, NM · 17.0% 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.
Massachusetts among New England states
Massachusetts ranks 1st of 5 New England states by population-weighted low-access (27.8%). Franklin County, at 19.1%, runs 8.7 pts below the Massachusetts 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 Franklin County, MA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 25011. 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.