County food-access profile · Massachusetts
Norfolk County, MA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Norfolk County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 35.7%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 9.4%
- on SNAP
- 730K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
35.7% of Norfolk County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 130 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 81
- low-access tracts
- 24K
- food-desert residents
- 9.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.7%
- 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).
USDA data puts Norfolk County's low-access share at 35.7%, above the national share. 81 of the county's 130 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 239,477 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 24,147 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 Norfolk County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Norfolk County's 35.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 82% of them and ranked #564 most-affected nationwide.
Norfolk County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 130 census tracts in Norfolk County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Norfolk County vs. other Massachusetts counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Massachusetts
- Norfolk
Norfolk County, MA
35.7 % low-access
- Barnstable
Barnstable County, MA
51 % low-access
- Berkshire
Berkshire County, MA
30.9 % low-access
- Bristol
Bristol County, MA
26.4 % low-access
- Dukes
Dukes County, MA
32.2 % low-access
- Essex
Essex County, MA
30.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 130 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 670,850 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 81 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 239,477 |
| Low-Access Share | 35.7%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 24,147 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 730,082 |
| Median Household Income | $130,739 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.7%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 26,578 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 9.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.2%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.5% |
About 9.4% of Norfolk County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 35.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 9.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 26,578 households here.
- 9.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Norfolk County
above the national share
5 of Norfolk County's 130 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 3.8% of all its tracts.
A further 76 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 81.
An estimated 239,477 residents, roughly 35.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 24,147 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 49 tracts (37.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Norfolk County
Norfolk County has 410 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 152 locations (37% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 152
- 200 food mart, quincy
- 4 corners citgo, dedham
- 5 corner food mart, quincy
- 5 corners convenience store, braintree
- 7 eleven 25059c, quincy
- 7 eleven 32487e, east weymouth
- 7 eleven 34499a, dedham
- 7 eleven 37465a, quincy
- 7 eleven 37466, milton
- 7-11 37482 37482a, randolph
- 7-eleven 11496a, quincy
- 7-eleven, inc. 44228, quincy
- 7-eleven 32444a, east weymouth
- 7-eleven 32451e, quincy
- 7-eleven 37411b, north weymouth
- 7-eleven 37429h, quincy
- 7-eleven 37450h, milton
- 7-eleven 37485a 385, quincy
- 7-eleven store 32433, walpole
- 7-one, randolph
- 7-eleven 32450c 32450, braintree
- 7-eleven 32485c, needham heights
- 7-eleven 34401b, franklin
- 7-eleven 37373a 37373, quincy
- 7-eleven 37380b, franklin
- 7-eleven 37386a, franklin
- 7-eleven 37449, north weymouth
- 7-eleven 37473a, weymouth
- 7-eleven 37486b, south weymouth
- 7-eleven32469c 32469c, canton
- aazz market & cafe n/a, randolph
- adams variety, quincy
- ajay's market -, norwood
- alltown market stoughton 2744, stoughton
- alltown wrentham 2706, wrentham
- alpaca millis, millis
- asian food mart, inc., holbrook
- atlanta market liquor, quincy
- bob's famous foodmart & discount liquors, stoughton
- boston convenience, east weymouth
- braintree highland market, braintree
- braintree market & deli, braintree
- braintree mart, braintree
- bread and butter 1, sharon
- bridge street food mart, north weymouth
- brother's beer & wine 1, canton
- butts n betts, randolph
- convenience plus, randolph
- cumberland farms 6770, wrentham
- canaan fuels, foxboro
- canton market, canton
- canton wash & gas, canton
- classic market, south weymouth
- colbea enterprises llc 57, canton
- colbea enterprises llc 68, randolph
- colbea enterprises llc 79, stoughton
- colbea enterprises llc 93, westwood
- convenience food mart, norwood
- convenience mart, holbrook
- convenient food mart, norwood
- corner food mart, quincy
- corner food shop, quincy
- cravings on the go 1, norwood
- cumberland farms 0131, plainville
- cumberland farms 0176, foxboro
- cumberland farms 226, sharon
- cumberland farms 3441, walpole
- cumberland farms 3455, walpole
- cumberland farms 3462, south weymouth
- cumberland farms 3499, braintree
- cumberland farms 3533, stoughton
- cumberland farms 6728, south weymouth
- cumberland farms 6740, medway
- cumberland farms 6748, stoughton
- cumberland farms 6755, bellingham
- cumberland farms 6794, quincy
- cumberland farms, inc 0110, bellingham
- cumberland farms, inc 0214, medfield
- daily mart, quincy
- dairy fine, norwood
- dala's caribbean variety store, randolph
- db mart, franklin
- dennis variety, east weymouth
- ez mart, east weymouth
- elm st mobil, braintree
- everest market, quincy
- express food mart, randolph
- ez mart, weymouth
- fast lane convenience, holbrook
- franklin mini market, franklin
- franks petroleum 1461, canton
- ganesh market llc dba/ pam's market, norwood
- ghafour fuel, norwood
- goodies mine mart, quincy
- grabngo variety mart no, randolph
- granite mart, quincy
- gulf service center dba rudy's express, dedham
- hancock market, quincy
- holbrook food mart, holbrook
- j & i variety, stoughton
- jenny's market, weymouth
- joe's kwik mart 511, franklin
- joy variety inc no, dedham
- lucky mart, norwood
- lucky shamrock, quincy
- lucky wine & liquors, quincy
- luke's convenience, braintree
- mb mini mart llc, bellingham
- maa varahi corp, south weymouth
- main st shell, medway
- medway irving, medway
- metro convenience, weymouth
- milton food mart, milton
- mini market, east weymouth
- monica's point, quincy
- mr. frank's food mart, norwood
- neighborhood variety, quincy
- neighborhood variety store, stoughton
- new wall corp, walpole
- new world, canton
- norfolk gas and market llc 243, norfolk
- norwood fuel inc, norwood
- norwood mobil, norwood
- norwood shell, norwood
- nosso sabor brazilian market, bellingham
- nouria 1185, stoughton
- nouria 18 north main street 1173, bellingham
- nouria 300 hartford avenue 1174, bellingham
- old gold convenience store, franklin
- on avon corporation, avon
- one stop market, brookline
- palmer street market, quincy
- pams market, dedham
- penguin convenience store, bellingham
- pine crest convenience, stoughton
- pj mart, wrentham
- pleasant deli market, milton
- pleasant market, east weymouth
- pleasant street general store, south weymouth
- podhale deli, stoughton
- presidential food mart, quincy
- putterham market, chestnut hill
- quincy market, quincy
- quincy mini mart, quincy
- quinyc wine and spirits no, quincy
- racing mart, wrentham
- ralphies gas & convenience, randolph
- randolph market, randolph
- randolph marketplace, randolph
- rapid refill 118, randolph
- rapid refill 123, bellingham
- richdale food shops 102, randolph
Combination Grocery/Other · 96
- cvs 1182, cohasset
- cvs 316, bellingham
- cvs 4981, plainville
- cvs pharamcy 2201, dedham
- cvs pharmacy #321 0321, canton
- cvs pharmacy 1015, wollaston
- cvs pharmacy 1071, brookline
- cvs pharmacy 1212, brookline
- cvs pharmacy 1238, medfield
- cvs pharmacy 1297, braintree
- cvs pharmacy 137, quincy
- cvs pharmacy 1873, franklin
- cvs pharmacy 2054, norwood
- cvs pharmacy 2112, dedham
- cvs pharmacy 2454, quincy
- cvs pharmacy 2600, weymouth
- cvs pharmacy 43, weymouth
- cvs pharmacy 686, braintree
- cvs pharmacy 746, randolph
- cvs pharmacy 929, franklin
- cvs pharmacy 10319, foxboro
- cvs pharmacy 11173, wrentham
- cvs pharmacy 1251, holbrook
- cvs pharmacy 1254, wellesley
- cvs pharmacy 1263, milton
- cvs pharmacy 1299, wellesley hills
- cvs pharmacy 1531, dedham
- cvs pharmacy 1852, medway
- cvs pharmacy 1853, north weymouth
- cvs pharmacy 1855, sharon
- cvs pharmacy 1862, chestnut hill
- cvs pharmacy 1868, foxboro
- cvs pharmacy 1888, westwood
- cvs pharmacy 2128, needham heights
- cvs pharmacy 2325, stoughton
- cvs pharmacy 242, holbrook
- cvs pharmacy 382, south weymouth
- cvs pharmacy 674, needham
- cvs pharmacy 8437, wellesley
- cvs pharmacy 844, walpole
- cvs pharmacy 995, millis
- dollar tree 3492, norwood
- dollartree 10648, canton
- dollartree 6380, quincy
- dollartree 8597, franklin
- dollartree 8730, sharon
- dollar general 19126, randolph
- dollar tree 3765, quincy
- dollar tree 3866, weymouth
- dollar tree 4149, north weymouth
- dollar tree 4820, randolph
- dollar tree 4901, foxboro
- dollar tree 5505, bellingham
- dollar tree 7365, walpole
- dollar tree 7635, stoughton
- dollar tree 8317, holbrook
- dollar tree 8342, franklin
- family dollar 12472, holbrook
- family dollar 3060, stoughton
- family dollar 3479, plainville
- family dollar 7061, dedham
- family dollar 7261, holbrook
- horizon vert pure llc, randolph
- ocean state job lot 207, medway
- ocean state job lot 214, foxboro
- ocean state job lot 220, norwood
- ocean state job lot 229, quincy
- ocean state job lot 236, dedham
- ocean state job lot 259, weymouth
- ocean state job lot 262, avon
- pj mart 2, franklin
- sahab boutique and market, quincy
- top asian grocery ii llc, quincy
- truong sanh market 1, randolph
- volante farms, needham
- walgreens 01852, needham
- walgreens 02759, quincy
- walgreens 03062, canton
- walgreens 03564, brookline
- walgreens 04118, cohasset
- walgreens 05586, holbrook
- walgreens 05755, stoughton
- walgreens 06470, weymouth
- walgreens 06939, medway
- walgreens 09405, south weymouth
- walgreens 10268, bellingham
- walgreens 10638, foxboro
- walgreens 10685, norfolk
- walgreens 13005, franklin
- walgreens 17228, braintree
- walgreens 18231, norwood
- walgreens 18361, quincy
- walgreens 19915, plainville
- walgreens 4403, quincy
- walgreens 4535, randolph
- walgreens 4729, norwood
Bakery Specialty · 2
- la baguette north bakery, norwood
- new england central bakery, norwood
Showing 250 of 410 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Massachusetts
Compare Norfolk County vs Barnstable County → · All Massachusetts counties →
Food access nationally, Massachusetts in context
Norfolk County sits inside Massachusetts (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 Norfolk County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Norfolk County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Norfolk County? ▼
Is Norfolk County a food desert? ▼
What share of Norfolk 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.