PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maine

Hancock County, ME

Most of Hancock County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

4.0%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
8.4%
on SNAP
56K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ME

The food-access picture

4.0% of Hancock County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
897
food-desert residents
6.2%
households, no vehicle
9.9%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Hancock County fares better than most: just 4.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 17 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,178 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 897 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 Hancock County compares nationally

Food access in Hancock County compares favorably nationally: its 4.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 8% of them (rank #2,870).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hancock County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 17 census tracts in Hancock 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 Hancock County, ME USDA-defined food-access tiers: 15 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 17 tracts evaluated. 15 tracts adequate (88.2%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (11.8%) Adequate 88% Limited 0% Severe 12% Food-access tier distribution: Hancock County, ME
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hancock 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 Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts17
Atlas Population (2010 basis)54,418
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,178
Low-Access Share4.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population897

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Population56,460
Median Household Income$72,744
Poverty Rate9.9%below the national average
SNAP Households2,142
SNAP Participation Rate8.4%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.9%
SNAP participation in Hancock County 8.4%

About 8.4% of Hancock County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 4.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,142 households here.
  • 6.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Hancock County

below the national share

2 of Hancock County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.8% of all its tracts.

An estimated 2,178 residents, roughly 4.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 897 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 15 tracts (88.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hancock County

Hancock County has 57 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 27 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 27

  • amherst general store, amherst
  • beech hill farm, mount desert
  • big apple 1060, orland
  • bucksport freshies 1830, verona island
  • circle k 4707009, ellsworth
  • circle k 4707058, bar harbor
  • circle k 4707060, bucksport
  • corner market, southwest harbor
  • eggemoggin country store, sargentville
  • ellsworth freshies 1904, ellsworth
  • ellsworth market place, ellsworth
  • franklin trading post, franklin
  • hancock grocery, hancock
  • hansen's outpost, bass harbor
  • hilltop freshies 1905, ellsworth
  • hulls cove general store, bar harbor
  • lamoine general store, lamoine
  • mc s marketplace, birch harbor
  • mikes market ii, blue hill
  • otis general store, otis
  • swarnim, llc, bucksport
  • the island market & supply, swans island
  • the surry store, surry
  • tideway market, inc., hancock
  • tradewinds 2340, ellsworth
  • tradewinds 2341, orland
  • someville freshies 1906, mount desert

Combination Grocery/Other · 9

  • blue hill coop, blue hill
  • dollar general 17825, sullivan
  • dollar tree 6439, ellsworth
  • family dollar 12061, blue hill
  • family dollar store 5474, bucksport
  • walgreens 11742, ellsworth
  • walgreens 17149, bucksport
  • walgreens 17708, blue hill
  • walgreens 19967, bar harbor

Super Store · 6

  • hannaford supermarket 8152, bucksport
  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8123, ellsworth
  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8224, bar harbor
  • hannaford supermarket 8452, blue hill
  • southwest food mart, southwest harbor
  • walmart supercenter 1932, ellsworth

Supermarket · 6

  • burnt cove market, stonington
  • edwards brothers supermarkets 8817, trenton
  • friends and family market, ellsworth
  • john edwards natural foods, ellsworth
  • shaw's supermarket 57, ellsworth
  • the galley, deer isle

Farmers' Market · 5

  • bar harbor's eden farmers market nafmnp, bar harbor
  • blue hill farmers market #nafmnp, blue hill
  • bucksport bay farmers market, bucksport
  • ellsworth farmers market, ellsworth
  • stonington farmers market nafmnp, stonington

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • a&b naturals, bar harbor
  • gotts store, southwest harbor

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • winter harbor provisions, winter harbor

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • dunbar store, sullivan

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
Franklin County
12.9% low-access · 15.4% SNAP
Kennebec County
5.2% low-access · 13.6% SNAP
Knox County
8.0% low-access · 8.5% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Maine in context

Hancock 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 Hancock County has low food access? ▼
4.0% of residents in Hancock 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 Hancock County? ▼
8.4% of households in Hancock County receive SNAP, covering 2,142 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hancock County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hancock County, ME is 9.9%, with a median household income of $72,744 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hancock County a food desert? ▼
2 of Hancock County's 17 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 Hancock County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.2% of households in Hancock 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.