Signature · 5.2% low-access (10th pct)
Armstrong County, PA
Armstrong County lands in the lower national band on low-access (5.2%); supermarket distance is less binding than in the upper band, though local tracts can still diverge.
- 5.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 15.6%
- on SNAP
- 65K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Armstrong County, PA
LA-ADEQUATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ADEQUATE 5.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -16.9 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.6% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 7.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 11% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Venango County (+ 0.1 pts)
Lower-band low-access
Armstrong County lands in the lower national band (5.2%, #2,797 of 3,079); local tracts can still diverge from the county mean.
- #2,797
- national by low-access %
- #59
- in PA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Lower-band county means still leave tract outliers on the table below.
Signature read: 5.2% low-access (10th pct) (-16.9 pts vs U.S. low-access).
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 #2,797).
Armstrong County's lower-band USDA tier split
19 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
Armstrong County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (14 rural, 5 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 5 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Armstrong County vs nearby low low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Pennsylvania, not a full county-board reprint
- Chester
Chester 45.1%
45.1 % low-access
- Juniata 5.6
Juniata 5.6%
5.6 % low-access
- Venango 5.3
Venango 5.3%
5.3 % low-access
- Armstrong 5.2
Armstrong 5.2%
5.2 % low-access
- Carbon 5
Carbon 5%
5 % low-access
- Potter 4.8
Potter 4.8%
4.8 % low-access
- Wyoming 0.9
Wyoming 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · lower low-access
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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.
Where the store book sits, by town
17 towns share the 52 authorized stores; Kittanning holds 35% of them. 13 of the 17 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Ford City, Apollo, Dayton, Freeport, Shelocta, Cowansville and 7 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kittanning | 18 | 5 |
| Ford City | 7 | none |
| Leechburg | 6 | 2 |
| Apollo | 3 | none |
| North Apollo | 3 | 1 |
| Dayton | 2 | none |
| Freeport | 2 | none |
| Shelocta | 2 | none |
| Cowansville | 1 | none |
| East Brady | 1 | none |
Top 10 of 17 towns by store count.
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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
One of 66 counties in Pennsylvania, 6 are shown here.
Compare Armstrong County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Counties near Armstrong County's lower low-access or SNAP band
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Armstrong County, both outside Pennsylvania so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside PA (5.2% here).
- Holmes County, OH · 5.2% low-access
- Stanly County, NC · 5.2% low-access
- Wilson County, TX · 5.2% low-access
- Windsor County, VT · 5.2% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside PA (15.6% here).
- Columbia County, OR · 15.6% SNAP
- Garfield County, OK · 15.6% SNAP
- Delaware County, OK · 15.6% SNAP
- Obion County, TN · 15.6% 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.
Pennsylvania among Middle Atlantic states
Pennsylvania ranks 2nd of 3 Middle Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (21.4%). Armstrong County, at 5.2%, runs 16.2 pts below the Pennsylvania rate.
- New Jersey 23.8%
- Pennsylvania 21.4%
- New York 12.0%
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 Armstrong County, PA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 42005. 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.