County food-access profile · New Hampshire
Merrimack County, NH
Merrimack 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.
- 16.2%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 7.0%
- on SNAP
- 156K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.2% of Merrimack County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 36 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 4.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.6%
- 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).
Merrimack County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.2% per the USDA Atlas. 9 of the county's 36 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 23,653 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,527 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 Merrimack County compares nationally
Merrimack County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.2% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,016).
Merrimack County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 36 census tracts in Merrimack County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Merrimack County vs. other New Hampshire counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in New Hampshire
- Merrimack
Merrimack County, NH
16.2 % low-access
- Belknap
Belknap County, NH
11.4 % low-access
- Carroll 1.5
Carroll County, NH
1.5 % low-access
- Cheshire
Cheshire County, NH
19.3 % low-access
- Coos
Coos County, NH
16.9 % low-access
- Grafton
Grafton County, NH
10.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 36 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 146,445 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 23,653 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,527 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 155,967 |
| Median Household Income | $97,004 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.6%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,269 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.0%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.2%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.0% |
About 7.0% of Merrimack County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,269 households here.
- 4.2% 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 Merrimack County
near the national share
3 of Merrimack County's 36 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.
An estimated 23,653 residents, roughly 16.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,527 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 27 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Merrimack County
Merrimack County has 105 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 51 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 51
- 7-eleven 37383h, penacook
- 7-eleven 33002, concord
- bell brothers, pittsfield
- circle k 4707270, franklin
- circle k 4707201, concord
- concord mart, concord
- cumberland farms 5502, concord
- cumberland farms 5515, concord
- cumberland farms 5546, franklin
- cumberland farms 5547, boscawen
- circle k 4707202, concord
- circle k 4707207, hooksett
- circle k 4707214, bow junction
- circle k 4707215, concord
- circle k 4707239, warner
- circle k 4707247, andover
- circle k 4707258, hooksett
- circle k 4707260, allenstown
- circle k 4707262, hooksett
- colbea enterprises llc 307, hooksett
- concord xtra mart 10015, concord
- cumberland farms 5439, epsom
- cumberland farms 5552, concord
- danbury country store, danbury
- franklin fast food mart, franklin
- fuelix, franklin
- granite state naturals, concord
- kearsarge cooperative grocer, new london
- loudon mart llc, loudon
- maddy's african market, concord
- mr. mike's contoocook 2765, contoocook
- new world gas n/a, hooksett
- nouria 1326 hooksett road 1116, hooksett
- nouria 1560 hooksett road 1168, hooksett
- nouria 24 loudon rd 1109, concord
- nouria 3 allenstown road 1166, allenstown
- nouria 333 loudon road 1110, concord
- park n go market 1, northfield
- pittsfield's main st. variety llc, pittsfield
- quick mart, concord
- rusty lantern market 0904, loudon
- rapid refill 135, chichester
- rapid refill 136, loudon
- robert's market, franklin
- route 106 shell, concord
- south main quick stop, concord
- south street mart, concord
- speedway 1956, chichester
- speedway 1961, concord
- speedway 1965, concord
- tetal food mart, franklin
Combination Grocery/Other · 20
- cvs pharmacy 442, hooksett
- cvs pharmacy 7122, concord
- cvs pharmacy 7391, franklin
- cvs pharmacy inc 841, concord
- dollar general 18748, loudon
- dollar tree 1581, hooksett
- danis supermarkets, pittsfield
- dollar general 14162, epsom
- dollar general 14750, concord
- dollar general 17389, henniker
- dollar general 17579, boscawen
- dollar tree 4663, concord
- dollar tree 7991, hooksett
- family dollar 1881, allenstown
- family dollar 2878, franklin
- family dollar 8969, pittsfield
- ocean state job lot 408, hooksett
- ocean state job lot 409, concord
- walgreens 09970, hooksett
- walgreens 11376, concord
Super Store · 14
- concord food co-op, concord
- hannaford food & drug 8329, concord
- hannaford supermarket 8246, new london
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8318, franklin
- market basket 34, concord
- market basket 35, concord
- market basket 55, warner
- market basket 66, hooksett
- market basket 92, concord
- sam's club 6386, concord
- target 1227, concord
- target 1520, hooksett
- walmart supercenter 2055, concord
- walmart supercenter 1698, hooksett
Farmers' Market · 6
- canterbury community farmers market, canterbury
- contoocook farmers market, contoocook
- franklin farmers' market, franklin
- merrimack cty conserv dist 3 -danbury farmers mark, danbury
- merrimack cty conserv dist-concord farmers market, concord
- organization for refugee and immigrant success, concord
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 73090, concord
- colonial village, contoocook
- harvester market, henniker
- shaw's supermarket 4486, hooksett
- shaw's supermarket 811, concord
- sully's superette 10809, allenstown
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- johnson golden harvest llc, hooksett
- katmandu bazaar llc, concord
- new african asian grocery llc, concord
- sweet beet market, bradford
- tokoos internation market, concord
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- lavalley farms llc, hooksett
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- bullseye custom meats, llc, loudon
Small Grocery Store · 1
- south asian grocery store llc, concord
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in New Hampshire
Compare Merrimack County vs Belknap County → · All New Hampshire counties →
Food access nationally, New Hampshire in context
Merrimack County sits inside New Hampshire (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Merrimack County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Merrimack County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Merrimack County? ▼
Is Merrimack County a food desert? ▼
What share of Merrimack County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.