PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maryland

Dorchester County, MD

Dorchester 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.

13.9%
low-access pop.
5
food-desert tracts
21.0%
on SNAP
33K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 MD

The food-access picture

13.9% of Dorchester County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
11.6%
households, no vehicle
17.1%
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).

Dorchester County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.9% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,519 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,627 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 Dorchester County compares nationally

Dorchester County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.9% low-access share that beats 29% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,211).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Dorchester County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Dorchester 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 Dorchester County, MD USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 5 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 5 tracts severe / food desert (55.6%) Adequate 44% Limited 0% Severe 56% Food-access tier distribution: Dorchester County, MD
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Dorchester County vs. other Maryland counties

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

% 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 Dorchester County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)32,618
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)5
Low-Access Population4,519
Low-Access Share13.9%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,627

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Dorchester County
IndicatorValue
Population32,754
Median Household Income$61,839
Poverty Rate17.1%above the national average
SNAP Households2,849
SNAP Participation Rate21.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.6%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Dorchester County 21.0%

About 21.0% of Dorchester County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 21.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,849 households here.
  • 11.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 5 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 Dorchester County

near the national share

5 of Dorchester County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 55.6% of all its tracts.

An estimated 4,519 residents, roughly 13.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,627 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Dorchester County

Dorchester County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • bayly beverage, cambridge
  • cambridge mart inc, cambridge
  • eagle fuel shop 1, cambridge
  • elijah's general store, toddville
  • happy market, cambridge
  • hayward mart, cambridge
  • hoopers island general store, church creek
  • hurlock goose creek #10 10, hurlock
  • ocean mart, cambridge
  • royal farms 131, cambridge
  • stop shop, hurlock
  • sailwinds station, cambridge
  • short stop, cambridge
  • snows turn goose creek 21, cambridge
  • springdale food mart, east new market
  • vienna mart, vienna
  • wawa 563, cambridge

Combination Grocery/Other · 10

  • dollar general 20474, east new market
  • dollar general 23658, hurlock
  • dollar general 23758, cambridge
  • dollar tree 456, cambridge
  • family dollar 8010, hurlock
  • family dollar 8293, cambridge
  • jm clayton seafood, cambridge
  • simmons center market, cambridge
  • total fine foods outlet store, cambridge
  • walgreens 10905, cambridge

Seafood Specialty · 3

  • choptank river crab & oyster, cambridge
  • kool ice and seafood, cambridge
  • lindy's seafood, woolford

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • food rite, hurlock
  • genesis food market, cambridge

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • mercado latino 2, cambridge
  • tienda mexicana velasquez llc, cambridge

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 71101, cambridge
  • food lion 1158, cambridge

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 2272, cambridge

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Maryland

Allegany County
30.4% low-access · 21.0% SNAP
Anne Arundel County
33.7% low-access · 6.5% SNAP
Baltimore city
4.5% low-access · 23.2% SNAP
Baltimore County
21.8% low-access · 11.3% SNAP
Calvert County
38.6% low-access · 5.1% SNAP
Caroline County
9.2% low-access · 17.6% SNAP

Compare Dorchester County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →

Food access nationally, Maryland in context

Dorchester County sits inside Maryland (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 Dorchester County has low food access? ▼
13.9% of residents in Dorchester County, MD 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 Dorchester County? ▼
21.0% of households in Dorchester County receive SNAP, covering 2,849 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Dorchester County? ▼
The poverty rate in Dorchester County, MD is 17.1%, with a median household income of $61,839 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Dorchester County a food desert? ▼
5 of Dorchester County's 9 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 Dorchester County households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.6% of households in Dorchester 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.