PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Maine

Oxford County, ME

Oxford 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.

15.1%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
15.7%
on SNAP
59K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 ME

The food-access picture

15.1% of Oxford County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.9%
households, no vehicle
13.8%
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).

Oxford County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.1% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 17 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,725 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,179 low-income residents.

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 Oxford County compares nationally

Oxford County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.1% low-access share that beats 32% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,118).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Oxford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 17 census tracts in Oxford 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 Oxford County, ME USDA-defined food-access tiers: 11 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 17 tracts evaluated. 11 tracts adequate (64.7%) 4 tracts limited (23.5%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (11.8%) Adequate 65% Limited 24% Severe 12% Food-access tier distribution: Oxford County, ME
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Oxford 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 Oxford County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts17
Atlas Population (2010 basis)57,833
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population8,725
Low-Access Share15.1%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,179

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Oxford County
IndicatorValue
Population59,255
Median Household Income$60,173
Poverty Rate13.8%near the national average
SNAP Households3,793
SNAP Participation Rate15.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.5%
SNAP participation in Oxford County 15.7%

About 15.7% of Oxford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 15.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,793 households here.
  • 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

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 Oxford County

near the national share

2 of Oxford County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.8% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 8,725 residents, roughly 15.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,179 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 11 tracts (64.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Oxford County

Oxford County has 62 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 34 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 34

  • aj's everything, stoneham
  • big apple 1023, mexico
  • big apple 1041, bethel
  • big apple 1042, canton
  • big apple 1062, west paris
  • big apple 1066, south paris
  • big apple 1072, bethel
  • big apple 1106, oxford
  • big apple south paris shell 1122, south paris
  • bolsters mills country store, otisfield
  • circle k 7111, mexico
  • cumberland farms 5588, norway
  • canton variety, canton
  • circle k 4707027, south paris
  • circle k 4707041, bethel
  • circle k 7110, rumford
  • community quik stop, peru
  • community quik stop 2, rumford
  • does inc, south paris
  • ellis variety, dixfield
  • katherines bakery & cafe, norway
  • mahant bryant pond 12, bryant pond
  • mills market, andover
  • nouria 1332 main street 1098, oxford
  • nouria 501 main street 1088, fryeburg
  • park side variety, oxford
  • ralph's store, rumford
  • ricky b's pizza and deli llc, mexico
  • rusty lantern market 0033, bethel
  • rusty lantern market 0059, norway
  • rusty lantern market 0175, west paris
  • rusty lantern market 0930, oxford
  • spice & grain, fryeburg
  • towle corner store, dixfield

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • dollar tree 3173, rumford
  • dollar general 15634, west paris
  • dollar general 15644, fryeburg
  • dollar general 22813, south paris
  • dollar tree 3502, oxford
  • family dollar 11288, bethel
  • family dollar store 7422, mexico
  • mainely provisions, bethel
  • ocean state job lot 474, oxford
  • walgreens 11416, norway
  • walgreens 17159, rumford
  • walgreens 18403, fryeburg
  • walgreens 19575, bethel

Medium Grocery Store · 4

  • brownfield country market, brownfield
  • fare share coop store, norway
  • smedbergs farm, oxford
  • tilton's market, buckfield

Super Store · 4

  • hannaford food & drug 8358, rumford
  • hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8338, oxford
  • walmart supercenter 2183, oxford
  • walmart supercenter 3269, mexico

Farmers' Market · 2

  • bethel farmers market, bethel
  • fryeburg farmers market, fryeburg

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • naples packing co inc, mexico
  • thriftway supermarket fryeburg, fryeburg

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • mountain valley variety, rumford
  • the lake store, norway

Supermarket · 1

  • save-a-lot 24397, south paris

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 Oxford County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →

Food access nationally, Maine in context

Oxford 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 Oxford County has low food access? ▼
15.1% of residents in Oxford 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 Oxford County? ▼
15.7% of households in Oxford County receive SNAP, covering 3,793 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Oxford County? ▼
The poverty rate in Oxford County, ME is 13.8%, with a median household income of $60,173 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Oxford County a food desert? ▼
2 of Oxford County's 17 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Oxford County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.9% of households in Oxford 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.