County food-access profile · Maine
Waldo County, ME
Waldo 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.
- 11.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.5%
- on SNAP
- 40K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.3% of Waldo County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 5.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.0%
- 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).
Waldo County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.3% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 8 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,383 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Waldo County compares nationally
Waldo County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.3% low-access share that beats 24% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,391).
Waldo County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Waldo County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Waldo County vs. other Maine counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maine
- Waldo
Waldo County, ME
11.3 % 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 | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 38,786 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,383 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.3%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,466 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 40,192 |
| Median Household Income | $72,782 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,180 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.5%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 12.5% of Waldo County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,180 households here.
- 5.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $72,782 with a 12.0% poverty rate.
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 Waldo County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 4,383 residents, roughly 11.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,466 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Waldo County
Waldo County has 43 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 20
- belfast variety - rt 52, belfast
- belfast variety, belfast
- big apple 1037, belfast
- circle k 4707011, belfast
- circle k 4707124, liberty
- circle k 7104, belfast
- debs variety, winterport
- hilltop store, knox
- island market, llc, islesboro
- jacks grocery no, belfast
- mandy's country store, frankfort
- maritime farms #17 671, belmont
- monroe country market, monroe
- out-ah the box, belfast
- patterson's general store, burnham
- steamboat - maritime farms 678, searsport
- the depot country store, unity
- weavers roadside variety, waldo
- wentworth family qwik stop, belfast
- winterport freshies 1861, winterport
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- belfast coop store inc, belfast
- dollar general 17826, winterport
- dollar general 22726, belfast
- dollar general store 17255, searsport
- dollar general store 17356, belmont
- family dollar 7827, belfast
- family dollar 9116, unity
- ocean state job lot 471, belfast
- walgreens 13615, belfast
- wentworth family grocery - northport, northport
Small Grocery Store · 3
- fraternity village general store, searsmont
- marsh river cooperative, brooks
- morrill general, morrill
Super Store · 3
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8241, belfast
- unity shop n save 8807, unity
- wentworth family grocery - swan lake, swanville
Farmers' Market · 2
- belfast farmers market, belfast
- united farmers market of maine nafmnp, belfast
Supermarket · 2
- j p wentworth general store, brooks
- sea coast llc #8837, searsport
Delivery Route · 1
- daybreak growers alliance, unity
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- goose river farm meat store, belfast
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- troy general store, troy
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Maine
Compare Waldo County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Food access nationally, Maine in context
Waldo 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 Waldo County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Waldo County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Waldo County? ▼
Is Waldo County a food desert? ▼
What share of Waldo 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.