PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Bedford County, PA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Bedford 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).

22.7%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
15.8%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

22.7% of Bedford County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.7%
households, no vehicle
11.6%
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 Bedford County's low-access share at 22.7%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 11 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 11,302 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,122 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 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.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Bedford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Bedford County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Bedford County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (54.5%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (27.3%) Adequate 55% Limited 18% Severe 27% Food-access tier distribution: Bedford County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Bedford County vs. other Pennsylvania counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Bedford County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,762
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population11,302
Low-Access Share22.7%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,122

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Bedford County
IndicatorValue
Population47,513
Median Household Income$59,992
Poverty Rate11.6%below the national average
SNAP Households3,116
SNAP Participation Rate15.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.7%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Bedford County 15.8%

About 15.8% of Bedford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,116 households here.
  • 5.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Bedford County

above the national share

3 of Bedford County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 11,302 residents, roughly 22.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,122 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (54.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 retailers.

Other Counties in Pennsylvania

Adams County
15.9% low-access · 8.2% SNAP
Allegheny County
26.4% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Armstrong County
5.2% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Beaver County
32.5% low-access · 13.8% SNAP
Berks County
17.5% low-access · 13.9% SNAP
Blair County
16.2% low-access · 17.9% SNAP

Compare Bedford County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Bedford County sits inside Pennsylvania (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Bedford County has low food access? ▼
22.7% of residents in Bedford County, PA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Bedford County? ▼
15.8% of households in Bedford County receive SNAP, covering 3,116 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Bedford County? ▼
The poverty rate in Bedford County, PA is 11.6%, with a median household income of $59,992 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Bedford County a food desert? ▼
3 of Bedford County's 11 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Bedford County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.7% of households in Bedford County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.