Signature · 12 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)

Hampshire County, MA

Hampshire County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 12 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 46.5% low-access.

46.5%
low-access pop.
12
food-desert tracts
12.5%
on SNAP
162K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MA

USDA FARA access plate

County Hampshire County, MA

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-SEVERE 46.5% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +24.4 pts vs US
  • LILA-CLUSTER 12 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-TYPICAL 12.5% SNAP
  • VEH-TYPICAL 7.4% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Barnstable County (+ 4.5 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Hampshire County sits in the upper national band (46.5%, #251 of 3,079) with 12 LILA tracts.

#251
national by low-access %
#2
in MA
21
low-access tracts
20K
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 12 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .

How Hampshire County compares nationally

Hampshire County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 46.5% low-access share outpaces 92% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #255 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hampshire County's elevated USDA tier split

36 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 12 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Hampshire County, MA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 15 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 9 limited, 12 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 36 tracts evaluated. 15 tracts adequate (41.7%) 9 tracts limited (25.0%) 12 tracts severe / food desert (33.3%) Adequate 42% Limited 25% Severe 33% Food-access tier distribution: Hampshire County, MA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Hampshire County has 26 urban and 10 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Hampshire County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Massachusetts, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Hampshire County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts36
Atlas Population (2010 basis)158,080
Low-Access Tracts21
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)12
Low-Access Population73,487
Low-Access Share46.5%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population19,753

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hampshire County
IndicatorValue
Population162,028
Median Household Income$87,001
Poverty Rate11.3%below the national average
SNAP Households7,776
SNAP Participation Rate12.5%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.4%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population14.3%

Thick SNAP store book in Hampshire County

Hampshire County has 114 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 46 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 46

  • 7-eleven 15405b, south hadley
  • 7-eleven 22397h, easthampton
  • aster & pine market, amherst
  • b & d variety, huntington
  • bp, ware
  • big y express 112, south hadley
  • big y express 92, hadley
  • brookside mart inc, ware
  • bruso liquor mart, ware
  • cumberland farms 0129, florence
  • cumberland farms 0145, northampton
  • cumberland farms 6617, amherst
  • cumberland farms 6704, amherst
  • cumberland farms 6718, south hadley
  • convenience plus 3711, northampton
  • corners grocery and cafe, worthington
  • cumberland farms 0186, hadley
  • cumberland farms 6698, granby
  • cumberland farms 6714, williamsburg
  • cumberland farms 6749, ware
  • cumberland farms 6764, easthampton
  • cumberland farms, inc 0198, southampton
  • cushman market and cafe llc, amherst
  • d.e.p. ram corporation, belchertown
  • diamond food store, belchertown
  • hartfield market/naxog inc, hatfield
  • hatfield center store, hatfield
  • king st convenience & smoke, northampton
  • mobil 1215, hadley
  • mobil south hadley 1, south hadley
  • mocks convenience, northampton
  • pride 603, hadley
  • pride 605, easthampton
  • pride 607, belchertown
  • pride 611, northampton
  • pride 612, hadley
  • pump in market, northampton
  • sisters convenience store and deli, west hatfield
  • speedway 2419, amherst
  • stop and go, south hadley
  • stop n save, southampton
  • sunoco gas station, leeds
  • union mart, easthampton
  • vjs convenience no, south hadley
  • ware package store, ware
  • zee mart, northampton

Combination Grocery/Other · 24

  • big e's foodland inc, easthampton
  • cvs 1095, amherst
  • cvs pharmacy 1111, ware
  • cvs pharmacy 1230, belchertown
  • cvs pharmacy 1893, northampton
  • cvs pharmacy 2025, easthampton
  • cvs pharmacy 818, amherst
  • cvs pharmacy 447, northampton
  • cvs pharmacy 704, northampton
  • cvs pharmacy 7111, granby
  • corsello butcheria, easthampton
  • dollar general 19923, south hadley
  • dollartree 9148, northampton
  • delaney's market, south hadley
  • dollar general 20007, granby
  • dollar general 22130, ware
  • dollar tree 1052, hadley
  • dollar tree 2050, ware
  • family dollar 9219, easthampton
  • family dollar 9262, belchertown
  • trans world food market, hadley
  • walgreens 10058, southampton
  • walgreens 10128, ware
  • walgreens 11998, northampton

Super Store · 13

  • atkins fruit bowl inc, amherst
  • big y supermarkets 07, northampton
  • big y supermarkets 11, southampton
  • big y supermarkets 21, ware
  • big y supermarkets 46, amherst
  • big y supermarkets 50, south hadley
  • river valley co-op, easthampton
  • river valley market, northampton
  • target 1839, hadley
  • walmart 2683, hadley
  • walmart 2901, northampton
  • walmart supercenter 2386, ware
  • whole foods market 10012, hadley

Small Grocery Store · 7

  • birds store, florence
  • cooper's dairyland of northampton, inc., florence
  • hilltown mobile market, worthington
  • neighbor food dairy mart, amherst
  • old creamery co-op, cummington
  • oliver's farmstand, goshen
  • state street fruit store, northampton

Supermarket · 6

  • aldi 73023, hadley
  • aldi 73026, northampton
  • stop & shop 435, belchertown
  • stop & shop 787, northampton
  • stop & shop 95, hadley
  • trader joe's 512, hadley

Farmers' Market · 5

  • belchertown farmers and artisans market 46-5562936, belchertown
  • easthampton farmers, easthampton
  • farmers' market south hadley, south hadley
  • northampton farmers market, northampton
  • northhampton tuesday farmers market, northampton

Medium Grocery Store · 5

  • laflamme's garden center, inc, granby
  • mill valley milk store, hadley
  • moltenbreys market, huntington
  • mom's house chinese food market, amherst
  • shree manki inc.dba checkers general store and de, belchertown

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • deals & steals, northampton
  • pure food market, inc., southampton
  • williamsburg market inc, williamsburg

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2

  • farmers world-ware, ware
  • wanczyk produce, hadley

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • hatfield beef co, hatfield
  • sutter meats, northampton

Delivery Route · 1

  • amherst mobile market inc, amherst

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 Hampshire County vs Barnstable County → · All Massachusetts counties →

Counties near Hampshire County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hampshire 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 (46.5% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside MA (12.5% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Hampshire County inside a higher low-access state context

Hampshire County sits inside Massachusetts (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

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 Hampshire County, MA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 25015. 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.