County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Adams County, PA
Adams 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.
- 15.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 8.2%
- on SNAP
- 106K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.9% of Adams County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 4
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 4.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.2%
- 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).
Adams County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.9% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 23 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 16,080 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 Adams County compares nationally
Adams County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.9% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,046).
Adams County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 23 census tracts in Adams County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Adams County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Adams
Adams County, PA
15.9 % low-access
- Allegheny
Allegheny County, PA
26.4 % low-access
- Armstrong 5.2
Armstrong County, PA
5.2 % low-access
- Beaver
Beaver County, PA
32.5 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, PA
22.7 % low-access
- Berks
Berks County, PA
17.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 23 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 101,407 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 4 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 16,080 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,248 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 106,115 |
| Median Household Income | $84,092 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.2%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,350 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.2% |
About 8.2% of Adams County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 8.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,350 households here.
- 4.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $84,092 with a 8.2% 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 Adams County
near the national share
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.
An estimated 16,080 residents, roughly 15.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,248 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 19 tracts (82.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Adams County
Adams County has 60 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 24
- 7-eleven 2405 28214b, new oxford
- 7-eleven store #19021e 19021e, gettysburg
- 7-eleven store #28228b 28228b, biglerville
- abhiaman llc, gettysburg
- american fuel, gettysburg
- arendtsville mini mart, arendtsville
- aspers mini mart, aspers
- chohan mini mart fairfield, fairfield
- citymart gettysburg, gettysburg
- gateway mini mart, gettysburg
- gettysburg sunoco, gettysburg
- gettysburg travel plaza, gettysburg
- royal farms 129, littlestown
- royal farms 420, gettysburg
- rutters 17, east berlin
- rutters 36, york springs
- rutters 46, east berlin
- rutters 58, abbottstown
- sheetz 141, littlestown
- sheetz 326, gettysburg
- sheetz 560, gettysburg
- sheetz 644, new oxford
- turkey hill minit markets 950066, mcsherrystown
- turkey hill minit markets 950247, new oxford
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- cvs pharmcy 1921, gettysburg
- dollar general 0551, gettysburg
- dollar general 15215, east berlin
- dollar general 18918, new oxford
- dollar general 19391, gettysburg
- dollar general 15886, littlestown
- dollar general 16693, aspers
- dollar general 22984, new oxford
- dollar general 30186, gettysburg
- dollar general 31226, gettysburg
- dollar general 7329, new oxford
- dollar general 7506, fairfield
- dollar general 9779, hanover
- dollar general store 17192, biglerville
- dollar tree 1865, gettysburg
- dollar tree 7900, new oxford
- family dollar 8792, biglerville
- family dollar store 1076, new oxford
- family dollar store 2155, littlestown
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 71167, gettysburg
- food lion 2683, mcsherrystown
- giant food store 6267, gettysburg
- myers meat mkt inc, hanover
- weis markets 120, gettysburg
- weis markets 200, east berlin
Super Store · 4
- kennies mkt inc 51417, gettysburg
- kennies mkt inc 51419, littlestown
- kennie's markets, biglerville
- walmart 1537, gettysburg
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- butcher block, biglerville
- el mercado llc, abbottstown
Small Grocery Store · 2
- el rincon mexican store, new oxford
- lua's mexican store, york springs
Delivery Route · 1
- sponseller's egg co., hanover
Farmers' Market · 1
- adams county farmers' market association, gettysburg
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- bucher meats, biglerville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Adams County vs Allegheny County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Adams County sits inside Pennsylvania (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 Adams County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Adams County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Adams County? ▼
Is Adams County a food desert? ▼
What share of Adams 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.