PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maine

Lincoln County, ME

Most of Lincoln County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

2.6%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
7.9%
on SNAP
36K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ME

The food-access picture

2.6% of Lincoln County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

1
low-access tracts
319
food-desert residents
4.5%
households, no vehicle
7.9%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Lincoln County fares better than most: just 2.6% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 9 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 907 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 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 #2,935).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lincoln County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, ME USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (88.9%) 1 tracts limited (11.1%) Adequate 89% Limited 11% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Lincoln County, ME
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lincoln 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 Lincoln County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)34,457
Low-Access Tracts1
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population907
Low-Access Share2.6%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population319

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lincoln County
IndicatorValue
Population36,099
Median Household Income$76,875
Poverty Rate7.9%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,303
SNAP Participation Rate7.9%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.5%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.1%
SNAP participation in Lincoln County 7.9%

About 7.9% of Lincoln County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 2.6% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 7.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,303 households here.
  • 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $76,875 with a 7.9% 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 Lincoln County

below the national share

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.

An estimated 907 residents, roughly 2.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 319 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (88.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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.

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 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 Lincoln County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →

Food access nationally, Maine in context

Lincoln 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 Lincoln County has low food access? ▼
2.6% of residents in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County? ▼
7.9% of households in Lincoln County receive SNAP, covering 1,303 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lincoln County, ME is 7.9%, with a median household income of $76,875 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lincoln County a food desert? ▼
0 of Lincoln County's 9 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 Lincoln County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.5% of households in Lincoln 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.