Signature · 5.2% low-access (10th pct)
Kennebec County, ME
Kennebec County lands in the lower national band on low-access (5.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 5.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.6%
- on SNAP
- 127K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Kennebec County, ME
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ADEQUATE 5.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -16.9 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.6% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 3% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Piscataquis County ( -0.7 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Kennebec County lands in the lower national band (5.2%, #2,800 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,800
- national by low-access %
- #13
- in ME
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 5.2% low-access (10th pct) (-16.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Kennebec County compares nationally
Food access in Kennebec County compares favorably nationally: its 5.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,805).
Kennebec County's lower-band USDA tier split
31 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Kennebec County has 8 urban and 23 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Kennebec County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Maine, not a full county-board reprint
- Cumberland
Cumberland 21%
21 % low-access
- Knox 8
Knox 8%
8 % low-access
- Kennebec 5.2
Kennebec 5.2%
5.2 % low-access
- Piscataquis 4.5
Piscataquis 4.5%
4.5 % low-access
- Hancock 4
Hancock 4%
4 % low-access
- Lincoln 2.6
Lincoln 2.6%
2.6 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 31 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 122,151 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,343 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,437 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 126,808 |
| Median Household Income | $69,077 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,402 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.5% |
Thick SNAP store book in Kennebec County
Kennebec County has 126 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 57 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 57
- 202 general store, albion
- 32 general store, south china
- ainslie's market, gardiner
- albion mini mart, albion
- amies place, litchfield
- babar inc/waterville mobil/mobil mart, waterville
- big apple 1018, augusta
- big apple 1058, waterville
- big apple 1103, augusta
- big apple 1112, gardiner
- big apple 1115, augusta
- big apple 1119, augusta
- big apple waterville 1027, waterville
- cumberland farms 5590, winthrop
- cumberland farms 5596, waterville
- cumberland farms 5606, winslow
- cumberland farms 5611, fairfield
- chelsea gas station, chelsea
- circle k 4707007, manchester
- circle k 4707014, augusta
- circle k 4707039, waterville
- circle k 4707082, fairfield
- circle k 4707121, south china
- circle k 7095, fairfield
- circle k 7106, augusta
- circle k 7107, augusta
- circle k 7109, winthrop
- clinton variety, clinton
- cumberland farms 5591, gardiner
- d&l country store, oakland
- day's store, belgrade
- dixon's country market, benton
- easy mart, augusta
- enchanted herbs & teas, waterville
- flowers bakery outlet 989, waterville
- flying pond variety, mount vernon
- galusha's family stop, clinton
- john's market, waterville
- juliette's bakery & deli, waterville
- maritime farms south china 679, south china
- middle road general store, sidney
- monmouthgeneralstore, monmouth
- nouria 132 mount vernon avenue 1083, augusta
- nouria 320 kennedy memorial drive 1105, waterville
- nouria 554 maine avenue 1087, farmingdale
- nouria 71 bay street 1107, winslow
- nouria 875 western avenue 1095, manchester
- nouria 926 western avenue 1243, manchester
- rusty lantern market 288, waterville
- rusty lantern market 670, augusta
- randolph takeout, randolph
- river road variety, gardiner
- rusty lantern 0262, augusta
- rusty lantern 1005, augusta
- safdar inc/augusta mobil mart, augusta
- star energy 1, augusta
- the 107 store, winslow
Combination Grocery/Other · 28
- b & f vegetables, winslow
- cvs pharmacy 4158, augusta
- cvs pharmacy, inc. 620, waterville
- dollar tree 2490, augusta
- dollar tree 3297, waterville
- dollartree 8130, augusta
- dollar general 15382, oakland
- dollar general 15760, litchfield
- dollar general 16800, clinton
- dollar general 17317, manchester
- dollar general 18956, monmouth
- dollar general 19146, waterville
- dollar general 25014, windsor
- dollar general 31238, china
- dollar general store 17235, augusta
- family dollar 8060, gardiner
- family dollar 8245, south china
- family dollar 9392, fairfield
- new augusta seafood inc, augusta
- ocean state job lot 479, augusta
- walgreens 17156, waterville
- walgreens 17484, oakland
- walgreens 17745, winthrop
- walgreens 17990, manchester
- walgreens 18416, fairfield
- walgreens 19285, gardiner
- walgreens 19359, augusta
- walgreens 19674, winslow
Super Store · 13
- goggins iga, randolph
- gowells shop n save, litchfield
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8220, gardiner
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8229, waterville
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8238, waterville
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8239, augusta
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8250, augusta
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8287, china
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8289, winthrop
- sam's club 6462, augusta
- target 2315, augusta
- walmart supercenter 2013, waterville
- walmart supercenter 2046, augusta
Farmers' Market · 5
- augusta farmers market, augusta
- downtown waterville farmers market, waterville
- fairfield farmers mkt-villagegreen organic produce, fairfield
- farmers market at mill park, augusta
- waterville farmer's market, waterville
Large Grocery Store · 5
- buddies groceries, oakland
- caswells liquidation center, waterville
- hallowell seafood & produce, hallowell
- hussey's general store, windsor
- tobeys grocery, south china
Medium Grocery Store · 5
- christy's country store, belgrade
- fullers market, west gardiner
- iraqi kabab market 1232183, waterville
- josephs market, waterville
- river road variety, south gardiner
Supermarket · 5
- clinton market inc. dba tradewinds market plus, clinton
- pleau's market, winslow
- shaw's supermarket 2552, augusta
- shaw's supermarket 3551, waterville
- uncle dean's natural market, waterville
Small Grocery Store · 4
- alnaeem market, augusta
- bell's liquidation, chelsea
- mainly groceries, augusta
- the palm, augusta
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- emery's meat & produce inc, gardiner
- marcoux's meat shop, sidney
- manchester meats, llc, manchester
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- the apple farm, fairfield
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Maine
One of 15 counties in Maine, 6 are shown here.
Compare Kennebec County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Counties near Kennebec County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Kennebec County, both outside Maine so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside ME (5.2% here).
- Iberville Parish, LA · 5.2% low-access
- Iberville Parish, LA · 5.2% low-access
- LaGrange County, IN · 5.2% low-access
- LaGrange County, IN · 5.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ME (13.6% here).
- Bay County, MI · 13.6% SNAP
- Bay County, MI · 13.6% SNAP
- Ionia County, MI · 13.6% SNAP
- Ionia County, MI · 13.6% 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.
Kennebec County inside a lower low-access state context
Kennebec County sits inside Maine (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Kennebec County, ME are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 23011. 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.