County food-access profile · Maine
Washington County, ME
Washington 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.
- 11.1%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 18.8%
- on SNAP
- 31K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
11.1% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 6.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.1%
- 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).
Washington County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 11.1% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,641 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,559 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 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: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Washington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Washington County vs. other Maine counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maine
- Washington
Washington County, ME
11.1 % 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 | 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 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| 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% |
About 18.8% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 11.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,663 households here.
- 6.1% 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 Washington County
near the national share
1 of Washington County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 3,641 residents, roughly 11.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,559 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (84.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers 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.
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 retailers.
Other Counties in Maine
Compare Washington County vs Androscoggin County → · All Maine counties →
Food access nationally, Maine in context
Washington 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 Washington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Washington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Washington 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.