Signature · 18.8% SNAP (93rd pct in ME)
Washington County, ME
Washington County stands out on SNAP (18.8%, +6.7 pts vs U.S.) with 11.1% low-access from USDA FARA 2019.
- 11.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.8%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Washington County, ME
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 11.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -11.0 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-HEAVY 18.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 8% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Aroostook County ( -0.2 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Washington County lands in the lower national band (11.1%, #2,404 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,404
- national by low-access %
- #7
- in ME
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 18.8% SNAP (93rd pct in ME) (+6.7 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Washington County compares nationally
Washington County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 11.1% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,404).
Washington County's lower-band USDA tier split
13 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
All 13 of Washington County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Washington County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Maine, not a full county-board reprint
- Cumberland
Cumberland 21%
21 % low-access
- Waldo
Waldo 11.3%
11.3 % low-access
- Washington
Washington 11.1%
11.1 % 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
- Lincoln 2.6
Lincoln 2.6%
2.6 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,856 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,641 |
| Low-Access Share | 11.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,559 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,331 |
| Median Household Income | $56,024 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.1%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,663 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.3% |
Thick SNAP store book in Washington County
Washington County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
20 towns share the 52 authorized stores; Calais holds 17% of them. 12 of the 20 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Baileyville, Lubec, Eastport, Harrington, Pembroke, Steuben and 6 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Calais | 9 | 4 |
| Machias | 8 | 2 |
| Baileyville | 4 | none |
| Lubec | 4 | none |
| Milbridge | 3 | 1 |
| Princeton | 3 | 1 |
| Cherryfield | 2 | 1 |
| Columbia | 2 | 1 |
| Eastport | 2 | none |
| Harrington | 2 | none |
Top 10 of 20 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 24
- archibald's one-stop, east machias
- calais freshies 1808, calais
- candy-lane, milbridge
- circle k 4707000, baileyville
- circle k 4707008, machias
- circle k 4707010, baileyville
- circle k 4707016, princeton
- circle k 4707022, calais
- circle k 4707024, harrington
- circle k 4707032, calais
- delias n/a, columbia
- east side variety, addison
- elmer's country store, columbia falls
- lyon's variety - iga, lubec
- mcfadden's variety, lubec
- machias freshies 1903, machias
- moosabec video & variety, llc, jonesport
- pembroke freshies 1907, pembroke
- princenton freshies 1902, princeton
- steuben country store, steuben
- strawberry patch, perry
- tom's mini mart, machias
- whiting store, whiting
- woodland foodmart, baileyville
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- dollar general 18157, machias
- dollar general 18594, baileyville
- dollar general 17612, pembroke
- dollar general 20992, cherryfield
- dollar general 22132, lubec
- dollar general store 17527, harrington
- dollar tree 6266, calais
- family dollar 7098, machias
- family dollar 8420, milbridge
- family dollar 9415, eastport
- lyons market, lubec
- r & m iga, eastport
- walgreens 17481, machias
Super Store · 5
- 4 corners shop n' save supermarket, columbia
- bayside supermarket, milbridge
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8128, machias
- tradewinds shop n' save 8812, calais
- walmart 2178, calais
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- ch mathews, cherryfield
- knights thrift way, danforth
- machias marketplace, machias
Large Grocery Store · 2
- perry farmers union, perry
- princeton food mart, princeton
Supermarket · 2
- calais iga, calais
- calais market inc dba tradewinds shop n save 8812, calais
Farmers' Market · 1
- calais farmers market nafmnp, calais
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- blake's slaughtering and custom cut meats, alexander
Small Grocery Store · 1
- rays meat market, steuben
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 Washington County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Counties near Washington County's lower low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Washington County (18.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Maine.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside ME (11.1% here).
- Fulton County, IL · 11.1% low-access
- Osage County, MO · 11.1% low-access
- Chesterfield County, SC · 11.1% low-access
- Moniteau County, MO · 11.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside ME (18.8% here).
- Genesee County, MI · 18.8% SNAP
- Lawrence County, MS · 18.8% SNAP
- Peach County, GA · 18.8% SNAP
- Chattooga County, GA · 18.8% 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%). Washington County, at 11.1%, runs 2.3 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 Washington County, ME are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 23029. 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.