Signature · 2.6% low-access (6th pct)
Lincoln County, ME
Lincoln County lands in the lower national band on low-access (2.6%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 2.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 7.9%
- on SNAP
- 36K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Lincoln County, ME
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ADEQUATE 2.6% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -19.5 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 4.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hancock County (+ 1.4 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Lincoln County lands in the lower national band (2.6%, #2,934 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,934
- national by low-access %
- #16
- in ME
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 319
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 2.6% low-access (6th pct) (-19.5 pts vs U.S. low-access).
How Lincoln County compares nationally
Food access in Lincoln County compares favorably nationally: its 2.6% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 6% of them (rank #2,934).
Lincoln County's lower-band USDA tier split
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
All 9 of Lincoln County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Lincoln 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 | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 34,457 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 907 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 319 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 36,099 |
| Median Household Income | $76,875 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.9%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,303 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.9%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Lincoln County
Lincoln County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 16 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
11 towns share the 35 authorized stores; Damariscotta holds 23% of them. 6 of the 11 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Jefferson, Boothbay, Dresden, New Harbor, Newcastle, Somerville.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Damariscotta | 8 | 2 |
| Wiscasset | 7 | 1 |
| Waldoboro | 6 | 1 |
| Boothbay Harbor | 4 | 1 |
| Whitefield | 3 | 1 |
| Jefferson | 2 | none |
| Boothbay | 1 | none |
| Dresden | 1 | none |
| New Harbor | 1 | none |
| Newcastle | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 11 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 16
- big apple 1071, waldoboro
- c.e.reilly & sons, new harbor
- circle k 4707026, waldoboro
- circle k 4707028, boothbay harbor
- circle k 4707037, wiscasset
- country corners grocery inc, whitefield
- dresden takeout no, dresden
- energy north 2309, wiscasset
- maritime farms #10 673, newcastle
- maritime farms 682, waldoboro
- maritime farms peaslee's 672, jefferson
- mr. mike's damariscotta 612, damariscotta
- nouria 695 bath road 1108, wiscasset
- rideout market, jefferson
- tanot rai inc, wiscasset
- whitefield market, whitefield
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 18373, damariscotta
- dollar general 20374, wiscasset
- dollar tree 4272, damariscotta
- family dollar 11397, waldoboro
- family dollar 9083, boothbay harbor
- rising tide natural foods coop, damariscotta
- walgreens 17964, damariscotta
- walgreens 19886, boothbay harbor
Farmers' Market · 4
- boothbay farmers market, boothbay
- damariscotta farmers' market nafmnp, damariscotta
- farmers market at pumpkin vine farm, somerville
- wiscasset farmers market, wiscasset
Super Store · 4
- hannaford supermarket 8143, boothbay harbor
- hannaford supermarket 8294, waldoboro
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8141, damariscotta
- main street grocery, damariscotta
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- sheepscot general llc, whitefield
Seafood Specialty · 1
- delano seafood, waldoboro
Supermarket · 1
- shaw's supermarket 1609, wiscasset
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 Lincoln County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Counties near Lincoln County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Lincoln 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 (2.6% here).
- Pike County, IN · 2.6% low-access
- Clare County, MI · 2.7% low-access
- Montcalm County, MI · 2.5% low-access
- Clayton County, IA · 2.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ME (7.9% here).
- Marion County, IA · 7.9% SNAP
- Guthrie County, IA · 7.9% SNAP
- Rice County, MN · 7.9% SNAP
- Yellowstone County, MT · 7.9% 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%). Lincoln County, at 2.6%, runs 10.8 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 Lincoln County, ME are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 23015. 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.