Signature · 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts)
Bedford County, PA
Bedford County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of the book) alongside 22.7% low-access.
- 22.7%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 15.8%
- on SNAP
- 48K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Bedford County, PA
LA-ELEVATED · PHOTO-FINISH · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 22.7% low-access
- PHOTO-FINISH +0.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 15.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 5.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 27% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Greene County ( -0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Bedford County ranks #1,465 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #21 of 67 counties in PA (22.7% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,465
- national by low-access %
- #21
- in PA
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (27.3% of tracts) .
How Bedford County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Bedford County's 22.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,469 most-affected nationwide.
Bedford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
11 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Bedford County has 3 urban and 8 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Bedford County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Pennsylvania, not a full county-board reprint
- Chester
Chester 45.1%
45.1 % low-access
- Monroe
Monroe 23.4%
23.4 % low-access
- Lycoming
Lycoming 23.3%
23.3 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford 22.7%
22.7 % low-access
- Greene
Greene 22.6%
22.6 % low-access
- Cambria
Cambria 22.3%
22.3 % low-access
- Wyoming 0.9
Wyoming 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 49,762 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 11,302 |
| Low-Access Share | 22.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,122 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 47,513 |
| Median Household Income | $59,992 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,116 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
Thick SNAP store book in Bedford County
Bedford County has 50 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- 7-eleven 40274, bedford
- 7-eleven 40275, bedford
- alum bank pit stop, alum bank
- coen markets 1211, hopewell
- coen markets 1214, bedford
- defiance station, defiance
- getgo 3602, bedford
- linda's little general, hopewell
- manns choice grocery, manns choice
- martin's gnrl store 201, saxton
- rutter's 85, bedford
- sheetz 225, breezewood
- sheetz 23, everett
- sheetz 28, bedford
- sheetz 352, bedford
- snp ridge market llc, new paris
- ta breezewood 476, breezewood
- ta goasis breezewood 481, breezewood
Combination Grocery/Other · 15
- cvs pharmacy 1682, bedford
- dollar general 4731, alum bank
- dollar general 0698, hyndman
- dollar general 11685, loysburg
- dollar general 20207, new paris
- dollar general 23343, hopewell
- dollar general 23613, bedford
- dollar general 25505, osterburg
- dollar general 30274, everett
- dollar general 432, everett
- dollar general 433, bedford
- dollar general 4484, saxton
- dollar general store 16329, schellsburg
- dollar tree 1004, everett
- family dollar store 3440, bedford
Super Store · 5
- bedford giant eagle 1662, bedford
- everett foodliner, inc., everett
- fishers hoagland road country store, bedford
- saxton market, inc., saxton
- walmart 1684, everett
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- b&b market & deli, hyndman
- fishertown country store, fishertown
- little town pantry, everett
- state line country market, bedford
Large Grocery Store · 2
- little barn discount groceries, bedford
- verher llc, schellsburg
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- locker plant llc, everett
- smiths custom meats & retail, hyndman
Supermarket · 2
- bedford save a lot 21427, bedford
- weis markets 140, everett
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- mile level country market, bedford
Small Grocery Store · 1
- valley discount grocery, bedford
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 Bedford County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Nationwide peers for Bedford County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Bedford 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 (22.7% here).
- Rowan County, NC · 22.7% low-access
- Rowan County, NC · 22.7% low-access
- Richmond County, NC · 22.7% low-access
- Richmond County, NC · 22.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside PA (15.8% here).
- Yamhill County, OR · 15.8% SNAP
- Yamhill County, OR · 15.8% SNAP
- Hughes County, OK · 15.8% SNAP
- Hughes County, OK · 15.8% 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.
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Bedford County sits inside Pennsylvania (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Bedford County, PA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 42009. 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.