PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Vermont

Windsor County, VT

Most of Windsor County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

5.2%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
9.6%
on SNAP
58K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 VT

The food-access picture

5.2% of Windsor County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
656
food-desert residents
6.1%
households, no vehicle
9.2%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Windsor County fares better than most: just 5.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 18 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,943 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 656 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 Windsor County compares nationally

Food access in Windsor County compares favorably nationally: its 5.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,805).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Windsor County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 18 census tracts in Windsor County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Windsor County, VT USDA-defined food-access tiers: 16 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 18 tracts evaluated. 16 tracts adequate (88.9%) 1 tracts limited (5.6%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (5.6%) Adequate 89% Limited 6% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Windsor County, VT
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Windsor County vs. other Vermont counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Vermont

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Windsor County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts18
Atlas Population (2010 basis)56,670
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,943
Low-Access Share5.2%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population656

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Windsor County
IndicatorValue
Population57,990
Median Household Income$77,594
Poverty Rate9.2%below the national average
SNAP Households2,437
SNAP Participation Rate9.6%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.6%
SNAP participation in Windsor County 9.6%

About 9.6% of Windsor County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 5.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,437 households here.
  • 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Windsor County

below the national share

1 of Windsor County's 18 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.6% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 2,943 residents, roughly 5.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 656 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 16 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Windsor County

Windsor County has 46 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • barnard general store, barnard
  • black river kwik stop, springfield
  • champlain farms 120, bethel
  • cumberland farms 8005, windsor
  • circle k 4707404, springfield
  • corner stop mini mart, south royalton
  • cumberland farms 8007, white riv jct
  • cumberland farms, inc 8008, woodstock
  • jiffy mart 437, perkinsville
  • jiffy mart 463, chester
  • jiffy mart 466, ascutney
  • khalsa market inc, bethel
  • mina mart, springfield
  • north springfield irving 500, north springfield
  • penguin market llc, springfield
  • rb's delicatessen, south royalton
  • sandri energy llc - dba/ chester sunoco 225 225, chester
  • wilder smartshop 975, white river junction

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • dollar general 11221, springfield
  • dollar general 12793, windsor
  • dollar general 13119, chester
  • dollar general 24101, south royalton
  • family dollar 1613, springfield
  • jake's quechee market, quechee
  • kinney drugs 152, springfield
  • south royalton market, south royalton
  • woodstock farmers market, woodstock

Farmers' Market · 5

  • hartland farmers' market, hartland
  • ludlow farmers market inc 80-0385000, ludlow
  • ludlow farmers market inc., ludlow
  • norwich farmers market, norwich
  • rochester farmers market and exchange, rochester

Supermarket · 5

  • price chopper windsor 177, windsor
  • shaw's supermarket 2527, ludlow
  • shaw's supermarket 2531, springfield
  • white river junction coop food store, white river junction
  • woodstock village market 10827, woodstock

Medium Grocery Store · 4

  • 3 corners market, hartland
  • ar thetford corp, windsor
  • singletons vt inc, proctorsville
  • village grocery, rochester

Large Grocery Store · 3

  • springfield food co-op inc, springfield
  • smitty's chester market, chester
  • upper valley co op, white riv jct

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • stern's quality produce and more llc, white river junction

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • mr gs liquidation center, windsor

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Vermont

Addison County
6.2% low-access · 8.7% SNAP
Bennington County
8.2% low-access · 15.4% SNAP
Caledonia County
5.8% low-access · 14.9% SNAP
Chittenden County
13.9% low-access · 7.8% SNAP
Essex County
28.2% low-access · 18.8% SNAP
Franklin County
9.2% low-access · 12.3% SNAP

Compare Windsor County vs Addison County → · All Vermont counties →

Food access nationally, Vermont in context

Windsor County sits inside Vermont (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Windsor County has low food access? ▼
5.2% of residents in Windsor County, VT live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Windsor County? ▼
9.6% of households in Windsor County receive SNAP, covering 2,437 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Windsor County? ▼
The poverty rate in Windsor County, VT is 9.2%, with a median household income of $77,594 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Windsor County a food desert? ▼
1 of Windsor County's 18 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Windsor County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.1% of households in Windsor County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.