County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Armstrong County, PA
Most of Armstrong County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 5.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 15.6%
- on SNAP
- 65K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
5.2% of Armstrong County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 7.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.8%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Armstrong County fares better than most: just 5.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 19 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,567 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,412 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 Armstrong County compares nationally
Food access in Armstrong County compares favorably nationally: its 5.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,805).
Armstrong County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 19 census tracts in Armstrong County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Armstrong County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Armstrong 5.2
Armstrong County, PA
5.2 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, PA
15.9 % low-access
- Allegheny
Allegheny County, PA
26.4 % 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 | 19 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 68,941 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,567 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,412 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 64,622 |
| Median Household Income | $65,008 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,387 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.8%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 15.6% of Armstrong County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 5.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,387 households here.
- 7.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 tracts 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 Armstrong County
below the national share
2 of Armstrong County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.5% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,567 residents, roughly 5.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,412 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (89.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Armstrong County
Armstrong County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 23 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 23
- dollar general 14159, shelocta
- dollar general 18207, elderton
- dollar general 4274, kittanning
- dollar general 4313, leechburg
- dollar general 7220, north apollo
- dollartree 9409, leechburg
- dollar general 10247, kittanning
- dollar general 14688, leechburg
- dollar general 15942, ford city
- dollar general 21673, cowansville
- dollar general 21989, slate lick
- dollar general 22078, freeport
- dollar general 23291, kittanning
- dollar general 25419, ford city
- dollar general 5817, numine
- dollar general store 17320, spring church
- dollar tree 560, kittanning
- dollar tree 6170, apollo
- family dollar store 1596, kittanning
- family dollar store 2589, apollo
- family dollar store 7336, ford city
- family dollar store 7712, leechburg
- hankey's riverside llc, ford city
Convenience Store · 18
- america fuel, worthington
- cio stores 32, kittanning
- crooked creek mkt., ford city
- corner foodmart llc, shelocta
- gearhart's grab n go, dayton
- getgo 3165, east brady
- honey bear 207, north apollo
- honey bear 210, kittanning
- kwik fill 208, kittanning
- par mar store 62, ford city
- radhe oil corp, freeport
- red paprika food llc, kittanning
- sheetz 101, ford city
- sheetz 114, kittanning
- sheetz 445, kittanning
- snax food n gas dayton inc, dayton
- sunoco 40249h, kittanning
- templeton express, templeton
Super Store · 4
- held's shop n save, north apollo
- sprankle s neighborhood market, kittanning
- walmart supercenter 1820, kittanning
- west kittanning shop n save 1657, kittanning
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 69002, leechburg
- aldi 69064 69064, kittanning
- dimaos market, nu mine
- sprankle's neighborhood market, leechburg
Small Grocery Store · 2
- kistaco farm market, apollo
- the market on reynolds, kittanning
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- kevins quality meats, kittanning
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Armstrong County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Armstrong 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 Armstrong County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Armstrong County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Armstrong County? ▼
Is Armstrong County a food desert? ▼
What share of Armstrong 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.