Signature · 40.2% low-access (87th pct)
Somerset County, NJ
Somerset County sits in the upper national band on low-access (40.2%, +18.1 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 40.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 3.7%
- on SNAP
- 350K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Somerset County, NJ
LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-SEVERE 40.2% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +18.1 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 3.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 1% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Morris County (+ 0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Somerset County sits in the upper national band (40.2%, #391 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #391
- national by low-access %
- #5
- in NJ
- 40
- low-access tracts
- 10K
- 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: 40.2% low-access (87th pct) (+18.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Somerset County compares nationally
Somerset County sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 40.2% low-access share outpaces 87% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #392 most-affected nationwide.
Somerset County's elevated USDA tier split
68 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Somerset County has 62 urban and 6 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.
Somerset County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in New Jersey, not a full county-board reprint
- Ocean
Ocean 43.6%
43.6 % low-access
- Sussex
Sussex 42.7%
42.7 % low-access
- Gloucester
Gloucester 41.3%
41.3 % low-access
- Morris
Morris 40.3%
40.3 % low-access
- Somerset
Somerset 40.2%
40.2 % low-access
- Hudson 0.7
Hudson 0.7%
0.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 68 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 323,444 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 40 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 130,062 |
| Low-Access Share | 40.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 10,364 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 349,846 |
| Median Household Income | $140,374 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.4%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,857 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 3.7%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Somerset County
Somerset County has 134 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 47 locations (35% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 47
- archar seafood, somerset
- cvs 464, north plainfield
- cvs 4685, bernardsville
- cvs pharmacy 6063, bedminster
- cvs pharmacy 936, franklin park
- cvs pharmacy 10853, belle mead
- cvs pharmacy 2203, hillsborough
- cvs pharmacy 2762, somerset
- cvs pharmacy 2854, bridgewater
- cvs pharmacy 3031, bridgewater
- dollartree 9136, north plainfield
- dollar general 21798, bound brook
- dollar tree 3469, somerset
- dollar tree 5259, raritan
- dollar tree 6193, hillsborough
- dollar tree 7674, somerset
- dollar tree 9685, green brook
- eunice food market, somerset
- family dollar 11367, bound brook
- family dollar 2386, somerset
- family dollar 8772, somerset
- isfant african market, somerset
- landmark pharmacy., north plainfield
- ocean state job lot 556, franklin park
- phil-am (raritan) grocery & general merchandise 1, raritan
- quick chek food stores 009, raritan
- quick chek food stores 106, manville
- quick chek food stores 129, somerville
- quick chek food stores 76, bound brook
- quick chek food stores 85, bridgewater
- quick chek corp 35, hillsborough
- quick chek corporation 144, south bound brook
- quick chek corporation 172, north plainfield
- quick chek food stores 12, bedminister
- quickchek 171, raritan
- quickchek 185, somerset
- quickchek 186, somerville
- shaan halal meat market inc, franklin
- walgreens 07347, somerville
- walgreens 06090, franklin park
- walgreens 06957, bound brook
- walgreens 06983, somerset
- walgreens 12564, hillsborough
- walgreens 13706, warren
- walgreens 19628, basking ridge
- walgreens 19953, bernardsville
- walgreens 19955, basking ridge
Convenience Store · 34
- 7 eleven 2412 37938a, somerset
- 7-eleven store 11446g, somerville
- 7-eleven store 41272t, north plainfield
- 7-eleven store #35007b, bridgewater
- 7-eleven store #38428a 38428a, raritan
- 7-eleven store 11449c, hillsborough
- 7-eleven store 18141e 18141e, north plainfield
- 7-eleven store 34925d, basking ridge
- best little market, manville
- bhole sai two llc, manville
- d & d mini market #1, raritan
- dollar zone of manville 6, manville
- express food mart, somerset
- express mart, branchburg
- ez chek market, somerville
- freshmart, north plainfield
- freshmart, somerset
- global express mart, north plainfield
- gregorio's meat market, bound brook
- judy's grocery, bound brook
- krauszer's 1, somerset
- quick mart, somerset
- royal farms 299, manville
- royal mini mart, south bound brook
- somerset food mart, somerset
- spanish american grocery, somerville
- speedway 3467, bound brook
- stop n go, manville
- wawa 306, skillman
- wawa 916, neshanic station
- watchung mart, watchung
- wawa 8341, bridgewater
- wawa 8376, somerset
- wawa store 8397, north plainfield
Super Store · 19
- asian food center of rt 22, north plainfield
- apna bazar farmer market 4, franklin park
- b js wholesale club 73, watchung
- costco wholesale 0322, bridgewater
- costco wholesale 1166, north plainfield
- jay siddheshwari food corp 4, hillsborough
- kasia market montgomery, belle mead
- los amigos fine fare supermarket, north plainfield
- shop rite of somerset 451, somerset
- shop rite of watchung 472, watchung
- shoprite of bernardsville 453, bernardsville
- shoprite of hillsborough 447, hillsborough
- super tropical food market, somerset
- twin city of bridgewater llc, bridgewater
- target 1155, watchung
- target store 1224, bridgewater
- walmart 5111, watchung
- walmart supercenter 2651, manville
- whole food market - bridgewater 10639, bound brook
Supermarket · 19
- a & e supermarket, llc., somerset
- aldi 60185, watchung
- acme 2675, warren
- almonte & rodriguez supermarket inc./fine fare, somerset
- bound brook shoprite 466, bound brook
- branchburg shoprite 470, branchburg
- green's natural foods, basking ridge
- kings 3611, bedminster
- montgomery shop rite 617, skillman
- stop & shop 809, somerset
- stop & shop 877, basking ridge
- somerville shop rite 468, somerville
- star bazaar, somerset
- stop & shop 802, franklin park
- stop & shop 804, watchung
- the fresh market 181, bedminster
- trader joe's 614, bridgewater
- wegmans 96, bridgewater
- weis markets 230, hillsborough
Medium Grocery Store · 7
- brothers halal meat and grocery, somerset
- crystal market, bound brook
- imperial supermarket 2, somerset
- latino mini market, bound brook
- nyamekye african market 1, somerset
- shaan halal meat & grill llc, somerset
- world supermarket 2, north plainfield
Small Grocery Store · 4
- gregorios mini market, somerset
- la tiendita mini market llc, somerset
- mecca halal meat and grocery, somerset
- zm grocery, bound brook
Farmers' Market · 2
- montgomery friends of open space farmers' market, skillman
- somerset county regional farmers market, somerville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- world supermarket 3, bound brook
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- honest live poultry, llc, somerset
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in New Jersey
One of 20 counties in New Jersey, 6 are shown here.
Compare Somerset County vs Atlantic County → · All New Jersey counties →
Counties near Somerset County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Somerset County, both outside New Jersey so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside NJ (40.2% here).
- Tippecanoe County, IN · 40.2% low-access
- Tippecanoe County, IN · 40.2% low-access
- Lyon County, MN · 40.1% low-access
- Wagoner County, OK · 40.4% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside NJ (3.7% here).
- Carver County, MN · 3.7% SNAP
- Carver County, MN · 3.7% SNAP
- Boone County, IN · 3.7% SNAP
- Boone County, IN · 3.7% 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.
Somerset County inside a higher low-access state context
Somerset County sits inside New Jersey (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 Somerset County, NJ are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 34035. 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.