Signature · 74 SNAP-authorized stores
Cecil County, MD
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Cecil 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).
- 24.7%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 13.4%
- on SNAP
- 105K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Cecil County, MD
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 13.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.9% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 26% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Prince George's County ( -0.7 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Cecil County ranks #1,307 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #11 of 24 counties in MD (24.7% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #1,307
- national by low-access %
- #11
- in MD
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 74 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Cecil County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Cecil County's 24.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,307 most-affected nationwide.
Cecil County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
19 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
Cecil County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (12 rural, 7 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 7 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Cecil County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Maryland, not a full county-board reprint
- Calvert
Calvert 38.6%
38.6 % low-access
- Frederick
Frederick 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Cecil
Cecil 24.7%
24.7 % low-access
- Prince George…
Prince George… 24%
24 % low-access
- Queen Anne's
Queen Anne's 23.5%
23.5 % low-access
- Howard
Howard 22.6%
22.6 % low-access
- Kent 1.7
Kent 1.7%
1.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 19 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 101,108 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 24,952 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,613 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 104,960 |
| Median Household Income | $92,007 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,452 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
Thick SNAP store book in Cecil County
Cecil County has 74 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 39 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
11 towns share the 74 authorized stores; Elkton holds 49% of them. 7 of the 11 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Port Deposit, Cecilton, Conowingo, Chesapeake City, Colora, Earleville and 1 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Elkton | 36 | 9 |
| North East | 14 | 2 |
| Perryville | 7 | 1 |
| Rising Sun | 6 | 1 |
| Port Deposit | 3 | none |
| Cecilton | 2 | none |
| Conowingo | 2 | none |
| Chesapeake City | 1 | none |
| Colora | 1 | none |
| Earleville | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 11 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 39
- 7-eleven inc f 32341c, elkton
- 7-eleven, inc. 19253j, perryville
- appleton bp, elkton
- beach grill plus, earleville
- benjamins store, rising sun
- calvert country store lc, north east
- carroll mart, elkton
- craigtown food market, port deposit
- fletchwood deli, elkton
- highs of baltimore, llc 16, elkton
- highs of baltimore, llc 47, north east
- highs of baltimore, llc 64, elkton
- highs of baltimore, llc 75, north east
- lion xpress, port deposit
- pilot travel center 290, perryville
- pilot travel center 784, north east
- pilot travel center 875, elkton
- pleasanthill store, elkton
- plum creek market, north east
- rising sun petro, rising sun
- royal farms 101, elkton
- royal farms 136, cecilton
- royal farms 267, perryville
- royal farms 27, perryville
- royal farms 84, elkton
- royal farms 87, conowingo
- royal farms 94, port deposit
- royal farms 96, north east
- sheetz 779, elkton
- shore stop 264, elkton
- stop & go, north east
- ta elkton 019, elkton
- tobacco and convenience, eklton
- un poco de mexico, elkton
- wawa 585, north east
- wawa 0547, elkton
- wawa 8512, elkton
- wawa store 8545, perryville
- xtreme gas, elkton
Combination Grocery/Other · 20
- cvs pharmacy cvs11063, elkton
- dollar general 13785, cecilton
- dollar general 14009, rising sun
- dollar general 18319, north east
- dollar general 2017, north east
- dollar tree 3453, elkton
- dollar general 13896, conowingo
- dollar general 15286, chesapeake city
- dollar general 20261, elkton
- dollar general 20720, elkton
- dollar general 21451, elkton
- dollar general 23869, colora
- dollar general 468, elkton
- dollar tree 2405, north east
- dollar tree 6775, rising sun
- duane reade 11037, north east
- family dollar 12178, elkton
- ocean state job lot 653, elkton
- walgreens 10977, elkton
- walgreens 11054, perryville
Supermarket · 8
- acme 2862, elkton
- aldi 63002, elkton
- food lion 1363, north east
- food lion 1558, elkton
- food lion 2630, perryville
- grocery outlet of elkton, elkton
- martins food market 6425, rising sun
- redners warehouse market 59, elkton
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- cairo inc 0, elkton
- tienda espinoza 1, elkton
Super Store · 2
- walmart supercenter 1860, elkton
- walmart supercenter 5450, north east
Large Grocery Store · 1
- good's farm market, elkton
Seafood Specialty · 1
- b & b seafood, elkton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- rockspring deli, rising sun
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Maryland
One of 23 counties in Maryland, 6 are shown here.
Compare Cecil County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →
Nationwide peers for Cecil County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Cecil County, both outside Maryland so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside MD (24.7% here).
- Douglas County, MN · 24.7% low-access
- Pike County, MO · 24.7% low-access
- Hardee County, FL · 24.7% low-access
- San Bernardino County, CA · 24.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MD (13.4% here).
- Ohio County, KY · 13.4% SNAP
- Madison County, KY · 13.4% SNAP
- Pearl River County, MS · 13.4% SNAP
- Madison County, MO · 13.4% 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.
Maryland among South Atlantic states
Maryland ranks 6th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (22.7%). Cecil County, at 24.7%, runs 2.0 pts above the Maryland rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
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 Cecil County, MD are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 24015. 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.