PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maine

Knox County, ME

Knox 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.

8.0%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
8.5%
on SNAP
41K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ME

The food-access picture

8.0% of Knox County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

3
low-access tracts
660
food-desert residents
5.4%
households, no vehicle
8.2%
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).

Knox County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.0% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,194 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 Knox County compares nationally

Knox County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.0% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,646).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Knox County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Knox 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 Knox County, ME USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (70.0%) 3 tracts limited (30.0%) Adequate 70% Limited 30% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Knox County, ME
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Knox 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 Knox County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,736
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population3,194
Low-Access Share8.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population660

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Knox County
IndicatorValue
Population41,003
Median Household Income$74,096
Poverty Rate8.2%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,572
SNAP Participation Rate8.5%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.4%
SNAP participation in Knox County 8.5%

About 8.5% of Knox County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 8.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,572 households here.
  • 5.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $74,096 with a 8.2% 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 Knox County

near the national share

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 3,194 residents, roughly 8.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 660 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Knox County

Knox County has 45 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 21 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 21

  • andes variety, warren
  • circle k 4707092, rockland
  • circle k 7103, rockport
  • edgecomb's, appleton
  • four corner variety, union
  • jacksons' corner store, washington
  • mic mac market, union
  • maritime farms #11 683, warren
  • maritime farms #13 676, rockland
  • maritime farms #18 677, rockland
  • maritime farms #52 675, rockland
  • maritime farms 674, south thomaston
  • maritime farms 681, union
  • north haven inn & market, north haven
  • nouria 160 new county road 1103, thomaston
  • nouria 536 old county road 1099, rockland
  • pick qwik, thomaston
  • pushaws trading post, hope
  • tenants harbor general store, tenants harbor
  • tolman pond market 680, rockport
  • washington general, washington

Combination Grocery/Other · 7

  • dollar general 18129, union
  • dollar tree 5919, rockland
  • family dollar store 5760, rockland
  • megunticook market, camden
  • ocean state job lot 475, rockland
  • walgreens 17473, rockland
  • walgreens 17523, camden

Medium Grocery Store · 3

  • fresh off the farm, rockport
  • good tern natural foods co-op & cafe, rockland
  • lincoln's country store, warren

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • keag store, south thomaston
  • south end grocery, rockland
  • thomaston grocery, thomaston

Super Store · 3

  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8151, camden
  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8230, rockland
  • walmart 1797, thomaston

Supermarket · 3

  • carvers harbor market inc, vinalhaven
  • french & brawn, inc, camden
  • shaw's supermarket 3548, rockland

Farmers' Market · 2

  • camden farmers' market nafmnp, camden
  • rockland farmers' market nafmnp, rockland

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • graffam bros seafood market, rockport
  • the common market, union

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • jess's market, inc., rockland

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
Hancock County
4.0% low-access · 8.4% SNAP
Kennebec County
5.2% low-access · 13.6% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Maine in context

Knox 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 Knox County has low food access? ▼
8.0% of residents in Knox 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 Knox County? ▼
8.5% of households in Knox County receive SNAP, covering 1,572 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Knox County? ▼
The poverty rate in Knox County, ME is 8.2%, with a median household income of $74,096 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Knox County a food desert? ▼
0 of Knox County's 10 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 Knox County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.4% of households in Knox 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.