County food-access profile · Maine
Penobscot County, ME
Penobscot 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.
- 15.7%
- low-access pop.
- 8
- food-desert tracts
- 15.6%
- on SNAP
- 155K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.7% of Penobscot County residents live in a low-access area, and 8 of its 46 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 12
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 8.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.1%
- 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).
Penobscot County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.7% per the USDA Atlas. 12 of the county's 46 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 24,129 residents who live far from a supermarket. 8 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 8,859 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 Penobscot County compares nationally
Penobscot County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.7% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,063).
Penobscot County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 46 census tracts in Penobscot County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Penobscot County vs. other Maine counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maine
- Penobscot
Penobscot County, ME
15.7 % low-access
- Androscoggin
Androscoggin County, ME
9.2 % low-access
- Aroostook
Aroostook County, ME
10.9 % low-access
- Cumberland
Cumberland County, ME
21 % low-access
- Franklin
Franklin County, ME
12.9 % low-access
- Hancock 4
Hancock County, ME
4 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 46 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 153,923 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 12 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 8 |
| Low-Access Population | 24,129 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.7%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 8,859 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 154,710 |
| Median Household Income | $66,356 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 10,162 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.1%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.7% |
About 15.6% of Penobscot County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 10,162 households here.
- 8.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 8 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 Penobscot County
near the national share
8 of Penobscot County's 46 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 17.4% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 12.
An estimated 24,129 residents, roughly 15.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 8,859 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 34 tracts (73.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Penobscot County
Penobscot County has 158 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 79 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 79
- a&m family market llc, brewer
- a.e. robinson convenience store-corinna 104, corinna
- ae robinson convenience store-corinth 106, corinth
- ae robinson convenience store-dexter 108, dexter
- airport freshies 1855, bangor
- alltown market orono 641, orono
- big apple 1015, brewer
- big apple 1031, brewer
- big apple 1032, bangor
- big apple 1057, mattawamkeag
- big apple 1063, lincoln
- big apple 1077, corinna
- bratt's country store, stetson
- broadway convenience llc, bangor
- broadway freshies 1827, bangor
- busy bee variety 24, bangor
- circle k 4707002, newport
- circle k 4707004, medway
- circle k 4707012, bangor
- circle k 4707015, brewer
- circle k 4707020, bangor
- circle k 4707021, orono
- circle k 4707023, holden
- circle k 4707048, lincoln
- circle k 4707050, bangor
- circle k 4707057, hampden
- circle k 4707087, bangor
- circle k 4707089, orono
- circle k 7113, millinocket
- clifton general store, clifton
- county road market and deli, milford
- dysarts travel stop, newburgh
- dysarts travel stop, orono
- dysarts travel stop, holden
- dysarts travel stop, hampden
- dysarts travel stop, old town
- dysarts travel stop, bangor
- dysarts travel stop, lincoln
- dysarts truck stop, hermon
- fairmount market, bangor
- flowers bakery outlet 991, holden
- garland country store, garland
- hammond street freshies 1825, bangor
- handy stop, howland
- hawks deli & marketplace, hermon
- hermon convenience, llc, hermon
- hermon e-z mart, hermon
- holden freshies 1829, holden
- katahdin general store llc/katahdin general store, millinocket
- lagrange general store, lagrange
- lee handy stop, lee
- lennie's superette, inc., medway
- levant corner store, levant
- milford freshies 1854, milford
- millinocket variety, millinocket
- neport freshies 1863, newport
- newport freshies 1853, newport
- orcutt's variety, dixmont
- ohio convenience llc, bangor
- ollie's market, inc, levant
- perry village variety, glenburn
- price's corner store, bangor
- r & k variety, hampden
- rick's mini mart, carmel
- sam's qwik stop, kenduskeag
- smith's general store, springfield
- snows corner freshies 1852, orrington
- stillwater freshies 1826, bangor
- the eddington store, eddington
- the local, orono
- tim's little big store, old town
- tipped trailer co. llc, newport
- tradewinds 2332, hampden
- tradewinds 2333, brewer
- tradewinds 2335, bangor
- tradewinds 2337, veazie
- tradewinds 2338, old town
- tradewinds 2339, eddington
- why not stop, lincoln
Combination Grocery/Other · 35
- abraham's country store, newport
- bean w a & sons inc, bangor
- dollar general 18183, carmel
- dollar general 18869, milford
- dollar general 19416, patten
- dollar tree 2864, bangor
- dollar tree 2871, brewer
- dollar general 17039, west enfield
- dollar general 17148, hampden
- dollar general 19144, old town
- dollar general 20379, corinna
- dollar general 23906, hermon
- dollar general 24293, dexter
- dollar general 25267, bangor
- dollar general 25421, millinocket
- dollar general store 17042, glenburn
- dollar general store 17353, eddington
- dollar tree 2867, orono
- dollar tree 3888, bangor
- dollar tree 5168, lincoln
- dollar tree 8468, bangor
- family dollar 11364, e millinocket
- family dollar 4424, dexter
- family dollar 6450, bangor
- family dollar 7854, corinth
- family dollar store 4963, millinocket
- natural living center, bangor
- tiller & rye, brewer
- trader dicks beef jerky, clifton
- walgreens 11285, bangor
- walgreens 11545, brewer
- walgreens 17141, bangor
- walgreens 17147, lincoln
- walgreens 18000, old town
- walgreens 18112, hampden
Super Store · 18
- bj's wholesale club 374, bangor
- danforth's down home supermarket 8803, hermon
- hannaford supermarket 8110, bangor
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8107, bangor
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8109, bangor
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8133, old town
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8140, lincoln
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8155, millinocket
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8173, brewer
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8417, hampden
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8442, dexter
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8443, newport
- p & l country market, dexter
- sam's club 6333, bangor
- target 1855, bangor
- walmart 1919, lincoln
- walmart supercenter 5076, brewer
- walmart supercenter 1856, bangor
Supermarket · 8
- ellis family market, patten
- ellis family market shop 8806, east millinocket
- g & m family market, holden
- orono iga, orono
- paradis shop 'n save 8825, brewer
- shaw's supermarket 4556, bangor
- steaks n stuff, lincoln
- whitney's family supermarket, corinth
Farmers' Market · 5
- bangor farmers market, bangor
- brewer farmers market, brewer
- hampden farmers market, hampden
- hampden farmers market, hampden
- orono farmers market, orono
Small Grocery Store · 5
- alton grocery, alton
- applebees superette, greenbush
- joe's market, bangor
- rogers market, hudson
- the village market, carmel
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- bears one-stop, newport
- katahdin general store medway, medway
- rideout's market, millinocket
Large Grocery Store · 2
- bradford general store, bradford
- emery's meat & produce brewer, brewer
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- maple lane farm, charleston
Military Commissary · 1
- bangor angb commissary 2005, bangor
Seafood Specialty · 1
- mclaughlin seafood inc, bangor
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Maine
Compare Penobscot County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Food access nationally, Maine in context
Penobscot County sits inside Maine (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Penobscot County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Penobscot County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Penobscot County? ▼
Is Penobscot County a food desert? ▼
What share of Penobscot County households lack a vehicle? ▼
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.