County food-access profile · Maine
Aroostook County, ME
Aroostook 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.
- 10.9%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 20.7%
- on SNAP
- 67K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.9% of Aroostook County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 8.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.4%
- 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).
Aroostook County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.9% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 24 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,800 residents who live far from a supermarket. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,490 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 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 #2,417).
Aroostook County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 24 census tracts in Aroostook County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Aroostook County vs. other Maine counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maine
- Aroostook
Aroostook County, ME
10.9 % low-access
- Androscoggin
Androscoggin County, ME
9.2 % low-access
- Cumberland
Cumberland County, ME
21 % low-access
- Franklin
Franklin County, ME
12.9 % low-access
- Hancock 4
Hancock County, ME
4 % low-access
- Kennebec 5.2
Kennebec County, ME
5.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 20.7% of Aroostook County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 20.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,192 households here.
- 8.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Aroostook County
near the national share
6 of Aroostook County's 24 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
An estimated 7,800 residents, roughly 10.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 3,490 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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.
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 retailers.
Other Counties in Maine
Compare Aroostook County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Food access nationally, Maine in context
Aroostook County sits inside Maine (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 Aroostook County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Aroostook County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Aroostook County? ▼
Is Aroostook County a food desert? ▼
What share of Aroostook 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.