Signature · 8.0% low-access (16th pct)
Knox County, ME
Knox County lands in the lower national band on low-access (8.0%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 8.0%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.5%
- on SNAP
- 41K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Knox County, ME
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-MODERATE 8.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -14.1 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.4% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Androscoggin County (+ 1.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Knox County lands in the lower national band (8.0%, #2,641 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,641
- national by low-access %
- #12
- in ME
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 660
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 8.0% low-access (16th pct) (-14.1 pts vs U.S. low-access).
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 #2,641).
Knox County's lower-band USDA tier split
10 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Knox County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (7 rural, 3 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 3 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Knox County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Maine, not a full county-board reprint
- Cumberland
Cumberland 21%
21 % low-access
- Sagadahoc
Sagadahoc 10.7%
10.7 % low-access
- Somerset
Somerset 9.3%
9.3 % low-access
- Androscoggin
Androscoggin 9.2%
9.2 % low-access
- Knox 8
Knox 8%
8 % low-access
- Kennebec 5.2
Kennebec 5.2%
5.2 % low-access
- Lincoln 2.6
Lincoln 2.6%
2.6 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 39,736 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,194 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 660 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 41,003 |
| Median Household Income | $74,096 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,572 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.4% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
13 towns share the 45 authorized stores; Rockland holds 33% of them. 6 of the 13 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: South Thomaston, Washington, Appleton, Hope, North Haven, Tenants Harbor.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Rockland | 15 | 3 |
| Camden | 5 | 2 |
| Union | 5 | 1 |
| Rockport | 4 | 2 |
| Thomaston | 4 | 1 |
| Warren | 3 | 1 |
| South Thomaston | 2 | none |
| Washington | 2 | none |
| Appleton | 1 | none |
| Hope | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 13 towns by store count.
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 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 Knox County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Counties near Knox County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Knox 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 (8.0% here).
- Miller County, MO · 8.0% low-access
- Gulf County, FL · 8.0% low-access
- Macon County, NC · 8.0% low-access
- Williamsburg County, SC · 8.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ME (8.5% here).
- Woodford County, KY · 8.5% SNAP
- Shelby County, KY · 8.5% SNAP
- Fayette County, KY · 8.5% SNAP
- Washtenaw County, MI · 8.5% 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.
Maine among New England states
Maine ranks 4th of 5 New England states by population-weighted low-access (13.4%). Knox County, at 8.0%, runs 5.4 pts below the Maine rate.
- Massachusetts 27.8%
- New Hampshire 27.5%
- Rhode Island 23.6%
- Maine 13.4%
- Vermont 11.2%
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 Knox County, ME are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 23013. 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.