County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Beaver County, PA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Beaver County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 32.5%
- low-access pop.
- 13
- food-desert tracts
- 13.8%
- on SNAP
- 166K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
32.5% of Beaver County residents live in a low-access area, and 13 of its 51 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 26
- low-access tracts
- 16K
- food-desert residents
- 7.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.9%
- 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).
USDA data puts Beaver County's low-access share at 32.5%, above the national share. 26 of the county's 51 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 55,474 people. 13 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 16,011 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 Beaver County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Beaver County's 32.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 75% of them and ranked #778 most-affected nationwide.
Beaver County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 51 census tracts in Beaver County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Beaver County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Beaver
Beaver County, PA
32.5 % low-access
- 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
- 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 | 51 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 170,539 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 26 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 13 |
| Low-Access Population | 55,474 |
| Low-Access Share | 32.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 16,011 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 166,324 |
| Median Household Income | $71,089 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 10,006 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.7% |
About 13.8% of Beaver County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 32.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 10,006 households here.
- 7.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 13 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 Beaver County
above the national share
13 of Beaver County's 51 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.5% of all its tracts.
A further 13 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 26.
An estimated 55,474 residents, roughly 32.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 16,011 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 25 tracts (49.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Beaver County
Beaver County has 137 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 62 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 62
- 7-eleven store #40148a, aliquippa
- 7-eleven store #40139a 40139a, beaver
- 7-eleven store #40147a, ambridge
- a & a market of beaver falls, beaver falls
- ambridge food mart, ambridge
- aplus 40254, aliquippa
- b and b minimart, ellwood city
- bfs foods 54, beaver
- bfs foods 56, aliquippa
- bfs foods 58, monaca
- beaver falls bp, beaver falls
- beaver mart, beaver falls
- cio store 16, beaver falls
- cio stores 23, aliquippa
- cio stores 24, clinton
- cio stores, llc 30, aliquippa
- chiipewa marathon lnc 405, beaver falls
- circle k 4207, beaver falls
- classic express, darlington
- cmgg enterprise, rochester
- coen 1224, ambridge
- coen markets 1221, aliquippa
- coen markets 1222, midland
- coen markets 1226, monaca
- conway marathon lnc 404, conway
- d mart, aliquippa
- dewalt's health food, ambridge
- dewalt's health foods, new brighton
- dukes food market aliquippa, aliquippa
- getgo 3016, monaca
- getgo 3062, rochester
- getgo 3166, beaver falls
- getgo 3182, ellwood city
- getgo 3694, aliquippa
- golden mini mart inc, beaver falls
- j's news, beaver falls
- jackson mart, aliquippa
- johnston market, hookstown
- kibler's korner market lnc# 408, rochester
- lnc 16, beaver
- la poblanita ambridge, ambridge
- little super, freedom
- mercer mini mart, beaver falls
- monaca market lnc#407, monaca
- nichol's market, monaca
- om minimart llc, rochester
- one stop shopper n/a, darlington
- pine run mkt. inc., freedom
- par mar store 55, beaver
- plan twelve market, aliquippa
- quick stop, beaver falls
- sheetz, beaver falls
- sheetz 152, beaver falls
- sheetz 223, baden
- shivlers corner store, aliquippa
- shree rajeshwari inc, darlington
- speedway 2912, baden
- speedway 2928, new brighton
- stop n shop, aliquippa
- supermart plus, new brighton
- the shoppe by equality llc, beaver falls
- two cousins 2 of aliquippa inc, aliquippa
Combination Grocery/Other · 45
- cvs pharmacy inc 4039, ambridge
- cvs pharmacy inc 4055, aliquippa
- cvs pharmacy 4162, beaver falls
- cvs pharmacy inc 4232, monaca
- dollar general 0749, aliquippa
- dollar general 18834, midland
- dollar general 2968, beaver falls
- dollar general 3315, aliquippa
- dollar tree 2493, monaca
- dollartree 10863, rochester
- dollartree 10998, new brighton
- dollar general 10025, rochester
- dollar general 11477, beaver
- dollar general 14690, beaver falls
- dollar general 15370, aliquippa
- dollar general 16543, darlington
- dollar general 17004, wampum
- dollar general 17751, clinton
- dollar general 19365, aliquippa
- dollar general 19682, georgetown
- dollar general 20291, aliquippa
- dollar general 20354, new brighton
- dollar general 20745, baden
- dollar general 20757, monaca
- dollar general 20899, industry
- dollar general 21304, new brighton
- dollar general 22474, freedom
- dollar general 23401, ambridge
- dollar general 25258, new brighton
- dollar general 25777, freedom
- dollar general 30797, hookstown
- dollar general 6127, beaver
- dollar general 6733, beaver falls
- dollar general 7183, ambridge
- dollar general 9505, beaver falls
- dollar tree 1096, aliquippa
- dollar tree 207, baden
- dollar tree 2322, beaver falls
- dollar tree 4636, ellwood city
- family dollar store 1952, aliquippa
- family dollar store 3649, midland
- family dollar store 3801, ellwood city
- famous ray's llc, aliquippa
- walgreens 09942, beaver falls
- walgreens 10494, rochester
Super Store · 13
- ambridge shop n save, ambridge
- east rochester shop n save 0229884, rochester
- fischer s foodland, new brighton
- franklin plaza giant eagle 687, ellwood city
- giant eagle 62, rochester
- giant eagle 66, beaver falls
- jd doggy inc 625, aliquippa
- kuhns market, aliquippa
- target stores 2100, monaca
- tusca plaza shop n save 021-1793, beaver
- walmart supercenter 1883, monaca
- walmart supercenter 3223, beaver falls
- walmart supercenter 4643, baden
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 66031 66031, monaca
- aldi 67043 67043, beaver falls
- aldi 69035, ellwood city
- aldi 69042, baden
- aldi 69094 69094, aliquippa
- beaver supermarket, beaver
- beaver falls save a lot 24702, beaver falls
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- beaver co fruit &gdn ctr, beaver falls
- beaver county fruit co., inc. 44, monaca
- giles town and country, beaver falls
- milk house meats, beaver falls
- monroy supermarket, ambridge
- om sai ram enterprise corp, aliquippa
Farmers' Market · 2
- beaver county farmers' market, ambridge
- beaver county farmers' market, beaver falls
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- s wright meat packing, fombell
Small Grocery Store · 1
- la poblanita new brighton inc, new brighton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Beaver County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Beaver 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 Beaver County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Beaver County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Beaver County? ▼
Is Beaver County a food desert? ▼
What share of Beaver 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.