County food-access profile · Maine
Sagadahoc County, ME
Sagadahoc 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.
- 10.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 8.7%
- on SNAP
- 37K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.7% of Sagadahoc County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.0%
- 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).
Sagadahoc County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.7% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,783 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,004 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 Sagadahoc County compares nationally
Sagadahoc County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.7% low-access share that beats 22% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,433).
Sagadahoc County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Sagadahoc County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sagadahoc County vs. other Maine counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maine
- Sagadahoc
Sagadahoc County, ME
10.7 % 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 | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 35,293 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,783 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,004 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,285 |
| Median Household Income | $87,806 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,432 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.7%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 8.7% of Sagadahoc County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,432 households here.
- 5.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Sagadahoc County
near the national share
1 of Sagadahoc County's 8 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 3,783 residents, roughly 10.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,004 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (62.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sagadahoc County
Sagadahoc County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 13
- big apple 1079, bath
- bisson's center store, phippsburg
- cumberland farms 5571, bath
- cumberland farms 5586, woolwich
- charleen's, richmond
- circle k 4707063, topsham
- energy north 2310, woolwich
- energy north 2323, west bath
- exit 43 quik stop, richmond
- gary's quick stop, richmond
- mobil 4689, topsham
- mobil 4722, topsham
- nouria 211 lewiston road 1104, topsham
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- brackett market, bath
- cvs pharmacy 801, bath
- dollar tree 3716, topsham
- family dollar 11032, richmond
- family dollar store 6836, bath
- walgreens 10077, bath
- walgreens 19188, topsham
Small Grocery Store · 3
- kennebec meat co, bath
- pierce's country store, richmond
- tender soles farm, richmond
Super Store · 3
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8187, topsham
- market basket 95, topsham
- target 2130, topsham
Farmers' Market · 2
- bath farmers' market, bath
- bowdoinham farmers market nafmnp, bowdoinham
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- bisson l&p meat & sons inc, topsham
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- bath natural market, bath
Seafood Specialty · 1
- cantrell seafood inc, topsham
Supermarket · 1
- shaw's supermarket 553, bath
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Maine
Compare Sagadahoc County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Food access nationally, Maine in context
Sagadahoc 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 Sagadahoc County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sagadahoc County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sagadahoc County? ▼
Is Sagadahoc County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sagadahoc 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.