Signature · 1.7% low-access (5th pct)
Kent County, MD
Kent County lands in the lower national band on low-access (1.7%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 1.7%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.3%
- on SNAP
- 19K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Kent County, MD
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-TYPICAL · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 1.7% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -20.4 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-TYPICAL 12.3% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Baltimore city (+ 2.8 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Kent County lands in the lower national band (1.7%, #2,977 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,977
- national by low-access %
- #24
- in MD
- 0
- low-access tracts
- 78
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 1.7% low-access (5th pct) (-20.4 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Kent County compares nationally
Food access in Kent County compares favorably nationally: its 1.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 5% of them (rank #2,977).
Kent County's lower-band USDA tier split
5 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Kent County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (4 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Kent County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Maryland, not a full county-board reprint
- Calvert
Calvert 38.6%
38.6 % low-access
- Dorchester 13.9
Dorchester 13.9%
13.9 % low-access
- Talbot 13.7
Talbot 13.7%
13.7 % low-access
- Caroline 9.2
Caroline 9.2%
9.2 % low-access
- Baltimore city 4.5
Baltimore city 4.5%
4.5 % low-access
- Kent 1.7
Kent 1.7%
1.7 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 5 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 20,197 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 0 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 337 |
| Low-Access Share | 1.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 78 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,346 |
| Median Household Income | $80,147 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.7%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,046 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 8.2% |
SNAP retailers in Kent County
Kent County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 8 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
5 towns share the 20 authorized stores; Chestertown holds 60% of them. 1 of the 5 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Worton.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Chestertown | 12 | 3 |
| Rock Hall | 5 | 1 |
| Galena | 1 | 1 |
| Millington | 1 | 1 |
| Worton | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- chester river seafood, rock hall
- dollar general 0490, chestertown
- dollar general 14491, rock hall
- dollar general 17202, worton
- dollar general 30158, chestertown
- dollar tree 1717, chestertown
- walgreens 11064, rock hall
- walgreens 11763, chestertown
Convenience Store · 4
- 7-eleven 36098j, chestertown
- highs of baltimore, llc 97, chestertown
- royal farms 250, chestertown
- sunnys mart, chestertown
Supermarket · 4
- acme 849, chestertown
- bayside market, inc, rock hall
- food lion 2117, millington
- redner's warehouse market 449, chestertown
Large Grocery Store · 1
- chestertown natural foods, chestertown
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- sassy river market ii, galena
Seafood Specialty · 1
- clark's seafood, chestertown
Small Grocery Store · 1
- fresh start food and garden, rock hall
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 Kent County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →
Counties near Kent County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Kent 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 (1.7% here).
- Caldwell County, KY · 1.7% low-access
- Bath County, KY · 1.7% low-access
- Huntingdon County, PA · 1.7% low-access
- Russell County, VA · 1.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside MD (12.3% here).
- Martin County, MN · 12.3% SNAP
- Audrain County, MO · 12.3% SNAP
- Newton County, MO · 12.3% SNAP
- Murray County, GA · 12.3% 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%). Kent County, at 1.7%, runs 21.0 pts below 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 Kent County, MD are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 24029. 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.