Signature · 20.7% SNAP (100th pct in ME)
Aroostook County, ME
Aroostook County stands out on SNAP (20.7%, +8.6 pts vs U.S.) with 10.9% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 10.9%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 20.7%
- on SNAP
- 67K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Aroostook County, ME
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 10.9% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -11.2 pts vs US
- LILA-CLUSTER 6 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 20.7% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 25% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Washington County (+ 0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Aroostook County lands in the lower national band (10.9%, #2,411 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,411
- national by low-access %
- #8
- in ME
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 20.7% SNAP (100th pct in ME) (+8.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Aroostook County compares nationally
Aroostook County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.9% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,411).
Aroostook County's lower-band USDA tier split
24 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 6 LILA.
Aroostook County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (23 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Aroostook County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Maine, not a full county-board reprint
- Cumberland
Cumberland 21%
21 % low-access
- Waldo
Waldo 11.3%
11.3 % low-access
- Washington
Washington 11.1%
11.1 % low-access
- Aroostook
Aroostook 10.9%
10.9 % low-access
- Sagadahoc
Sagadahoc 10.7%
10.7 % low-access
- Somerset
Somerset 9.3%
9.3 % low-access
- Lincoln 2.6
Lincoln 2.6%
2.6 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 24 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 71,870 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,800 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,490 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,058 |
| Median Household Income | $56,700 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.4%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,192 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 20.7%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Aroostook County
Aroostook County has 82 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 32 locations (39% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
25 towns share the 82 authorized stores; Caribou holds 16% of them. 10 of the 25 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Ashland, Hodgdon, Caswell, Easton, Linneus, Mapleton and 4 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Caribou | 13 | 3 |
| Houlton | 12 | 4 |
| Presque Isle | 11 | 3 |
| Fort Kent | 6 | 2 |
| Van Buren | 5 | 1 |
| Ashland | 4 | none |
| Madawaska | 4 | 1 |
| Fort Fairfield | 3 | 1 |
| Mars Hill | 3 | 1 |
| Hodgdon | 2 | none |
Top 10 of 25 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 32
- ashland 1 stop, ashland
- bob's servicenter, madawaska
- bradley's citgo & c-store, presque isle
- bulrush farm mercantile, houlton
- bulrush farm mercantile, houlton
- circle k 7117, presque isle
- circle k 7119, caribou
- caribou freshies 1804, caribou
- circle k 4707001, sherman
- circle k 4707006, houlton
- circle k 4707044, houlton
- circle k 4707048, oakfield
- circle k 4707051, fort kent
- circle k 4707052, caribou
- circle k 4707059, presque isle
- circle k 7114, houlton
- country farms market easton, easton
- dodo's market no, caribou
- first choice market & deli, caribou
- fort fairfield freshies 1811, fort fairfield
- gas n go foods inc, fort kent
- gateway trading post inc, ashland
- joes country store, saint francis
- martins general store, sinclair
- mapleton one stop, mapleton
- mars hill freshies 1812, mars hill
- mike's quik stop & deli, caribou
- ouellette's trading post, van buren
- parent's country store, inc, caswell
- presque isle freshies 1807, presque isle
- roy's variety llc., saint agatha
- seiders variety llc, hodgdon
Combination Grocery/Other · 22
- ashland food mart, ashland
- dollar general 19524, limestone
- dollar general 19525, washburn
- dollar general 19140, caribou
- dollar general 21104, van buren
- dollar general 30730, fort fairfield
- dollar tree 5058, caribou
- dollar tree 5102, presque isle
- dollar tree 6243, houlton
- family dollar 11906, caribou
- family dollar 5758, van buren
- family dollar 5821, fort kent
- family dollar 6806, madawaska
- family dollar 6858, houlton
- family dollar 7467, mars hill
- family dollar 7625, ashland
- graves' shop n' save #8137, presque isle
- keegan variety store & deli llc, van buren
- walgreens 17152, presque isle
- walgreens 18248, caribou
- walgreens 19241, fort kent
- walgreens 19304, madawaska
Super Store · 9
- andy's houlton foodliner, houlton
- county yankee, houlton
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8438, caribou
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8439, houlton
- hannaford supermarket 8453, fort kent
- hannaford supermarket 8454, madawaska
- sleeper's, caribou
- walmart 1974, houlton
- walmart supercenter 1924, presque isle
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- beals country store oakfield, oakfield
- country farms market llc, washburn
- eagle lake grocery, eagle lake
- mike's family market, limestone
- sherman thriftway, sherman
Supermarket · 5
- hillside iga, fort fairfield
- mars hill iga, mars hill
- northern grocers,inc/presque isle save-a-lot 45051, presque isle
- save a lot, caribou
- star city iga, presque isle
Large Grocery Store · 4
- jerry's iga, island falls
- johns shurfine food store, fort kent
- jim's corner grocery, frenchville
- saucier's, van buren
Farmers' Market · 3
- houlton community market, houlton
- presque isle farmers market 1, presque isle
- sunnyside farmdrop, linneus
Small Grocery Store · 2
- beals country store, monticello
- t and s variety, hodgdon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Maine
One of 15 counties in Maine, 6 are shown here.
Compare Aroostook County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Counties near Aroostook County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Aroostook County (20.7%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Maine.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside ME (10.9% here).
- Allamakee County, IA · 10.9% low-access
- Fulton County, IN · 10.9% low-access
- Person County, NC · 10.9% low-access
- Anderson County, TN · 10.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ME (20.7% here).
- Brooks County, GA · 20.7% SNAP
- Adams County, OH · 20.7% SNAP
- Bibb County, AL · 20.7% SNAP
- Orangeburg County, SC · 20.7% 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.
Maine among New England states
Maine ranks 4th of 5 New England states by population-weighted low-access (13.4%). Aroostook County, at 10.9%, runs 2.5 pts below the Maine rate.
- Massachusetts 27.8%
- New Hampshire 27.5%
- Rhode Island 23.6%
- Maine 13.4%
- Vermont 11.2%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Aroostook County, ME are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 23003. 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.