Signature · 9.2% low-access (19th pct)
Franklin County, VT
Franklin County lands in the lower national band on low-access (9.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 9.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.3%
- on SNAP
- 51K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Franklin County, VT
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 9.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -12.9 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Windham County (+ 0.0 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Franklin County lands in the lower national band (9.2%, #2,546 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,546
- national by low-access %
- #7
- in VT
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 898
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 9.2% low-access (19th pct) (-12.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Franklin County compares nationally
Franklin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.2% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,546).
Franklin County's lower-band USDA tier split
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Franklin County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (7 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Franklin County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Vermont, not a full county-board reprint
- Essex
Essex 28.2%
28.2 % low-access
- Orleans 10.1
Orleans 10.1%
10.1 % low-access
- Orange 9.8
Orange 9.8%
9.8 % low-access
- Franklin 9.2
Franklin 9.2%
9.2 % low-access
- Windham 9.2
Windham 9.2%
9.2 % low-access
- Bennington 8.2
Bennington 8.2%
8.2 % low-access
- Lamoille 0.9
Lamoille 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 47,746 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,399 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 898 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 50,638 |
| Median Household Income | $81,313 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,456 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Franklin County
Franklin County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
14 towns share the 52 authorized stores; Saint Albans holds 33% of them. 6 of the 14 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Bakersfield, Sheldon Springs, East Berkshire, Fairfield, Franklin, Montgomery.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Albans | 17 | 4 |
| Enosburg Falls | 8 | 1 |
| Swanton | 6 | 1 |
| Richford | 5 | 1 |
| Fairfax | 3 | 1 |
| Bakersfield | 2 | none |
| Highgate Center | 2 | 1 |
| Sheldon Springs | 2 | none |
| St Albans | 2 | 1 |
| East Berkshire | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 14 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 25
- champlain farms 180, enosburg falls
- champlain farms 330, swanton
- champlain farms 332, swanton
- fairfield market, fairfield
- franklin general store, franklin
- from scratch, saint albans
- grand avenue quick stop, swanton
- jolley 503, sheldon springs
- jolley 509, richford
- jolley 510, montgomery
- jolley 511, swanton
- jolley 512, east berkshire
- jolley 514, highgate center
- jolley 527, enosburg falls
- jolley 541, bakersfield
- jolley 550, saint albans
- jolley 557, saint albans
- jolley 562, saint albans
- rail city market, saint albans
- rps enterprises inc - nan's mobil, fairfax
- sheldon mini mart inc, sheldon springs
- south main quick stop, richford
- south main grocery, saint albans
- wetherby's quik stop,inc, richford
- west enosburg country store llc, enosburg falls
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 12112, richford
- dollar general 12566, enosburg falls
- dollar general 15722, swanton
- dollar general 17982, fairfax
- dollar tree 7410, saint albans
- family dollar 5879, saint albans
- family dollar 6008, enosburg falls
- kinney drugs 18, saint albans
- ocean state job lot 429, saint albans
- walgreens 19346, enosburg falls
- walgreens 19795, saint albans
Farmers' Market · 4
- lucas james williams memorial fruits and vegetable, bakersfield
- northwest farmers market, saint albans
- northwest farmers market inc, st albans
- st.albans bay farmers market, saint albans
Super Store · 4
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8355, st albans
- hannaford supermarket 8308, enosburg falls
- hannaford supermarket 8408, swanton
- walmart 2332, saint albans
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- bobs meat mkt, saint albans
- desorcie's, highgate center
- sylvesters market, montgomery center
Supermarket · 3
- food city, saint albans
- georgia market, fairfax
- market 32 by price chopper 127, saint albans
Large Grocery Store · 1
- main street market, richford
Small Grocery Store · 1
- wood meadow market, enosburg falls
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Vermont
One of 13 counties in Vermont, 6 are shown here.
Compare Franklin County vs Addison County → · All Vermont counties →
Counties near Franklin County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Franklin County, both outside Vermont so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside VT (9.2% here).
- Goochland County, VA · 9.2% low-access
- Orleans County, NY · 9.2% low-access
- Isabella County, MI · 9.2% low-access
- Caroline County, MD · 9.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside VT (12.3% here).
- Campbell County, VA · 12.3% SNAP
- Upshur County, TX · 12.3% SNAP
- Kittitas County, WA · 12.3% SNAP
- Pierce County, WA · 12.3% 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.
Vermont among New England states
Vermont ranks 5th of 5 New England states by population-weighted low-access (11.2%). Franklin County, at 9.2%, runs 2.0 pts below the Vermont 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, VT are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 50011. 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.