County food-access profile · Maine
Somerset County, ME
Somerset 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.
- 9.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 51K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.3% of Somerset County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.2%
- 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).
Somerset County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.3% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 17 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,859 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,036 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 Somerset County compares nationally
Somerset County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.3% low-access share that beats 19% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,542).
Somerset County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 17 census tracts in Somerset County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Somerset County vs. other Maine counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maine
- Somerset
Somerset County, ME
9.3 % 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 | 17 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 52,228 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,859 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,036 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 50,959 |
| Median Household Income | $58,179 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,101 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.7%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 17.7% of Somerset County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,101 households here.
- 5.8% 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 Somerset County
near the national share
1 of Somerset County's 17 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.9% 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 4,859 residents, roughly 9.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,036 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 14 tracts (82.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Somerset County
Somerset County has 57 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 25
- a.e. robinson convenience store-pittsfield 112, pittsfield
- ae robinson convenience store-st albans 103, saint albans
- big apple 1020, fairfield
- big apple 1051, madison
- big apple 1075, fairfield
- c&r general store, harmony
- casey's market, anson
- cumberland farms 5605, norridgewock
- cumberland farms 5610, skowhegan
- circle k 4707035, madison
- circle k 4707040, skowhegan
- circle k 4707123, canaan
- circle k 7094, fairfield
- damon's quick stop, skowhegan
- dow's quick stop, fairfield
- dysarts travel stop, pittsfield
- friends food mart, norridgewock
- hinckley general store, hinckley
- indian lake market, saint albans
- jim's variety, athens
- kennebec market, norridgewock
- laney's pit stop, skowhegan
- md's market 4, skowhegan
- oosoola country store, norridgewock
- wrights general store, hartland
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar tree 3504, skowhegan
- dollar general 18959, bingham
- dollar general 30860, canaan
- dollar general 31180, fairfield
- dollar tree 5881, palmyra
- family dollar 10331, hartland
- family dollar 9272, madison
- family dollar store 4180, skowhegan
- family dollar store 4254, pittsfield
- maine grains, skowhegan
- walgreens 17139, skowhegan
Small Grocery Store · 5
- canaan superette, canaan
- m & n inc, athens
- tri pond variety, smithfield
- vicneire's elm street market, inc., north anson
- york's market, norridgewock
Super Store · 5
- danforth's down home supermarket 8818, pittsfield
- hannaford food & drug 8330, skowhegan
- hannaford supermarket 8254, madison
- walmart 2143, skowhegan
- walmart supercenter 2047, palmyra
Supermarket · 4
- george's banana stand, skowhegan
- jimmy's market, bingham
- solon corner market, solon
- village market, fairfield
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- ginny's natural corner, skowhegan
- hartland grocery, hartland
- west front market, skowhegan
Farmers' Market · 1
- skowhegan farmers market, skowhegan
Large Grocery Store · 1
- mountain country investments llc, jackman
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- chartrand farms beef, norridgewock
Seafood Specialty · 1
- high tide low tide seafood, skowhegan
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Maine
Compare Somerset County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Food access nationally, Maine in context
Somerset 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 Somerset County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Somerset County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Somerset County? ▼
Is Somerset County a food desert? ▼
What share of Somerset 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.