PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maine

Franklin County, ME

Franklin 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.

12.9%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
15.4%
on SNAP
30K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ME

The food-access picture

12.9% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
9.2%
households, no vehicle
12.2%
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).

Franklin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.9% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,957 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Franklin County compares nationally

Franklin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.9% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,281).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Franklin 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 Franklin County, ME USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (88.9%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) Adequate 89% Limited 11% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Franklin County, ME
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Franklin County vs. other Maine counties

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

% 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 Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)30,768
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population3,957
Low-Access Share12.9%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,705

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Franklin County
IndicatorValue
Population30,413
Median Household Income$58,675
Poverty Rate12.2%below the national average
SNAP Households1,949
SNAP Participation Rate15.4%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.2%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.1%
SNAP participation in Franklin County 15.4%

About 15.4% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,949 households here.
  • 9.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $58,675 with a 12.2% poverty rate.

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 Franklin County

near the national share

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

An estimated 3,957 residents, roughly 12.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,705 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Franklin County

Franklin County has 37 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • arkay pizza & variety store inc, farmington
  • anni's llc, kingfield
  • big apple 1011, farmington
  • big apple 1029, farmington
  • big apple 1068, wilton
  • chesterville corner variety, chesterville
  • circle k 4707005, farmington
  • circle k 4707025, farmington
  • flowers bakery outlet 988, e wilton
  • pines market, eustis
  • riverside kwik stop, jay
  • sandy river farm supply, new sharon
  • steves family market, wilton
  • the farmer's daughter, oquossoc
  • the local bull, phillips
  • valley brook variety, llc, avon
  • white elephant, strong

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 18475, kingfield
  • dollar general 15708, wilton
  • dollar general 21640, new sharon
  • dollar tree 4036, jay
  • dollar tree 6492, farmington
  • mosher's seafoods llc, farmington
  • walgreens 17356, farmington

Supermarket · 5

  • food city inc/wilton, wilton
  • food city - farmington, kingfield
  • mainely provisions, kingfield
  • rangeley iga 251, rangeley
  • sandy river shop n save inc 8224, phillips

Super Store · 3

  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8165, jay
  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8291, farmington
  • walmart supercenter 1866, farmington

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • douin's market, new sharon
  • ron's market, farmington

Farmers' Market · 1

  • farmington farmers market association #nafmnp, farmington

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • dl fotter & sons, inc, stratton

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • better living center, farmington

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Maine

Androscoggin County
9.2% low-access · 16.8% SNAP
Aroostook County
10.9% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Cumberland County
21.0% low-access · 7.5% SNAP
Hancock County
4.0% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Kennebec County
5.2% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Knox County
8.0% low-access · 8.5% SNAP

Compare Franklin County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →

Food access nationally, Maine in context

Franklin County sits inside Maine (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 Franklin County has low food access? ▼
12.9% of residents in Franklin County, ME 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 Franklin County? ▼
15.4% of households in Franklin County receive SNAP, covering 1,949 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
The poverty rate in Franklin County, ME is 12.2%, with a median household income of $58,675 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
0 of Franklin County's 9 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Franklin County households lack a vehicle? ▼
9.2% of households in Franklin 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.