Signature · 9.3% low-access (19th pct)
Somerset County, ME
Somerset County lands in the lower national band on low-access (9.3%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 9.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 17.7%
- on SNAP
- 51K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Somerset County, ME
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 9.3% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -12.8 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 17.7% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 6% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Androscoggin County ( -0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Somerset County lands in the lower national band (9.3%, #2,540 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,540
- national by low-access %
- #10
- in ME
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 9.3% low-access (19th pct) (-12.8 pts vs U.S. low-access).
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 #2,540).
Somerset County's lower-band USDA tier split
17 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Somerset County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (15 rural, 2 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 2 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Somerset County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Maine, not a full county-board reprint
- Cumberland
Cumberland 21%
21 % low-access
- Aroostook
Aroostook 10.9%
10.9 % low-access
- Sagadahoc
Sagadahoc 10.7%
10.7 % low-access
- Somerset
Somerset 9.3%
9.3 % low-access
- Androscoggin
Androscoggin 9.2%
9.2 % low-access
- Knox 8
Knox 8%
8 % low-access
- Lincoln 2.6
Lincoln 2.6%
2.6 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| 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 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
18 towns share the 57 authorized stores; Skowhegan holds 28% of them. 9 of the 18 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Norridgewock, Canaan, Athens, Saint Albans, Anson, Hinckley and 3 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan | 16 | 5 |
| Fairfield | 6 | 1 |
| Norridgewock | 6 | none |
| Madison | 4 | 1 |
| Pittsfield | 4 | 1 |
| Canaan | 3 | none |
| Hartland | 3 | 1 |
| Athens | 2 | none |
| Bingham | 2 | 1 |
| Palmyra | 2 | 1 |
Top 10 of 18 towns by store count.
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Maine
One of 15 counties in Maine, 6 are shown here.
Compare Somerset County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Counties near Somerset County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Somerset County, both outside Maine so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside ME (9.3% here).
- Owen County, KY · 9.3% low-access
- Lawrence County, KY · 9.3% low-access
- Oceana County, MI · 9.3% low-access
- Clinton County, NY · 9.3% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ME (17.7% here).
- Russell County, KY · 17.7% SNAP
- Laurel County, KY · 17.7% SNAP
- Tift County, GA · 17.7% SNAP
- Rockingham County, NC · 17.7% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Maine among New England states
Maine ranks 4th of 5 New England states by population-weighted low-access (13.4%). Somerset County, at 9.3%, runs 4.1 pts below the Maine rate.
- Massachusetts 27.8%
- New Hampshire 27.5%
- Rhode Island 23.6%
- Maine 13.4%
- Vermont 11.2%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Somerset County, ME are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 23025. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.