Signature · 342 SNAP-authorized stores
Berks County, PA
Berks County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 17.5%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 13.9%
- on SNAP
- 433K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Berks County, PA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-TYPICAL · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 17.5% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -4.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 13.9% SNAP
- VEH-TYPICAL 8.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 3% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Elk County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Berks County ranks #1,909 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #34 of 67 counties in PA (17.5% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,909
- national by low-access %
- #34
- in PA
- 24
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- 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: 342 SNAP-authorized stores .
How Berks County compares nationally
Berks County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.5% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,909).
Berks County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
90 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Berks County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (68 urban, 22 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 22 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Berks County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Pennsylvania, not a full county-board reprint
- Chester
Chester 45.1%
45.1 % low-access
- Mercer
Mercer 18.2%
18.2 % low-access
- Susquehanna
Susquehanna 18.1%
18.1 % low-access
- Berks 17.5
Berks 17.5%
17.5 % low-access
- Elk 17.3
Elk 17.3%
17.3 % low-access
- Fayette 16.8
Fayette 16.8%
16.8 % low-access
- Wyoming 0.9
Wyoming 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 90 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 411,442 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 24 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 71,797 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 13,545 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 433,015 |
| Median Household Income | $79,777 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.2%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 22,640 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.7%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.1% |
Thick SNAP store book in Berks County
Berks County has 342 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 11 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 136 locations (40% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
40 towns share the 342 authorized stores; Reading holds 61% of them. 21 of the 40 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Blandon, Morgantown, Robesonia, Shillington, Shoemakersville, West Reading and 15 more.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 207 | 43 |
| Fleetwood | 10 | 2 |
| Hamburg | 10 | 4 |
| Kutztown | 10 | 3 |
| Douglassville | 8 | 2 |
| Temple | 8 | 5 |
| Leesport | 7 | 1 |
| Birdsboro | 6 | 1 |
| Boyertown | 6 | 1 |
| Womelsdorf | 5 | 2 |
Top 10 of 40 towns by store count.
Convenience Store · 136
- 13st gulf express, reading
- 5th n buttonwood deli 1, reading
- 5th street gas, reading
- 7-eleven 40241j, reading
- 7-eleven store #40241a, reading
- 7-eleven store 17031g, reading
- a plus sunoco, reading
- aplus 40115h, bechtelsville
- aplus 40171h, reading
- aplus 40214, reading
- ash oil and gas inc 2, boyertown
- berlinville mart, boyertown
- birdsboro c store, birdsboro
- birdsboro mart, birdsboro
- bus stop shop and deli, reading
- caba grocery ii, reading
- cherry hill market, boyertown
- corner food mart, fleetwood
- dominican grocery, reading
- dr deli grocery, reading
- dollar zone of wyomissing 17, reading
- e & j grocery and deli, reading
- fleetwood food market 1, fleetwood
- friendly stops 2 inc., robesonia
- garcia-diaz grocery llc, reading
- guru sub and grocery store inc. no, reading
- hamburg market, hamburg
- jandy meat market 2 jandy 2, reading
- jeevandeep llc t/a buttonwood citgo, reading
- joe's kwik mart 1045, reading
- juncalito deli grocery llc, reading
- kenny grocery & sandwich shop, reading
- kramer patel kwik stop llc, shartlesville
- la virgen de la altagracia llc, reading
- laurel minimarket 1, reading
- love's travel stop 358, hamburg
- lukoil west reading, west reading
- macoris mini market, reading
- mena cibao deli & grocery, reading
- midway exxon food mart, bethel
- mittie mae's corner market, reading
- mr food 1, kutztown
- new 5th & spruce food market llc, reading
- new holland food mart, reading
- new leyenda deli & grocery, reading
- nitro gas inc, mt aetna
- oley mini mart, oley
- one of a kind grocery store llc, reading
- paulino's deli & grocery, reading
- pilot travel center 518, myerstown
- primavera mini market llc, reading
- quick mart, reading
- rafa & alvin deli grocery 1, reading
- redner's quick shoppe 301, reading
- redner's quick shoppe 312, bally
- redner's quick shoppe 325, fleetwood
- redner's quick shoppe 328, bernville
- redners quick shoppe 352, reading
- redners quick stop 74, reading
- redners warehouse market 45, reading
- renacer mini market, reading
- royal farms 402, douglassville
- rutter's 81, leesport
- rutter's 92, kutztown
- rutters 69, hamburg
- samir's, reading
- sheetz 226, reading
- sheetz 247, fleetwood
- sheetz 256, shoemakersville
- sheetz 273, reading
- sheetz 289, sinking spring
- sheetz 293, leesport
- sheetz 345, morgantown
- sheetz 603, bethel
- sheetz 655, reading
- smart mart #3, reading
- smart mart #4, douglassville
- speedway 6713, reading
- speedway 6731, reading
- speedway 6752, topton
- speedway 6753, fleetwood
- speedway 6771, wernersville
- speedway 6772, sinking springs
- speedway 6781, douglassville
- spring 950 inc, reading
- sukh oil inc, shoemakersville
- sunny's grocery and sandwich shop, reading
- sunny's sanwich mart, reading
- sunoco a-plus, reading
- sunoco mini mart 1, temple
- taxco food mart, strausstown
- the berkshire express, wyomissing
- the market at boyer's junction, fleetwood
- top star express 131, reading
- turkey hill minit market 950277, morgantown
- turkey hill minit market 950295, womelsdorf
- turkey hill minit market 950308, birdsboro
- turkey hill minit markets 950014, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950031, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950051, fleetwood
- turkey hill minit markets 950053, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950054, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950059, kutztown
- turkey hill minit markets 950061, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950062, temple
- turkey hill minit markets 950099, boyertown
- turkey hill minit markets 950115, mohnton
- turkey hill minit markets 950119, blandon
- turkey hill minit markets 950120, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950124, hereford
- turkey hill minit markets 950126, leesport
- turkey hill minit markets 950195, mohnton
- turkey hill minit markets 950233, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950242, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950244, reading
- turkey hill minit markets 950257, birdsboro
- turkey hill minit markets 950292, reading
- universal mart, laureldale
- wawa 147, reading
- wawa 153, reading
- wawa 166, reading
- wawa 274, reading
- wawa 282, douglassville
- wawa 286, sinking springs
- wawa 8010, reading
- warren st. sunoco, reading
- washington tower market, reading
- wawa 8051, hamburg
- wawa 8109, reading
- wawa 8119, leesport
- wawa 8129, morgantown,
- wawa 8155, hereford
- wawa store 8124, wyomissing
- wawa store 8179, robesonia
- wenger's bakery, reading
- winners markets, reading
Combination Grocery/Other · 60
- bb's grocery outlet, lp 4, morgantown
- cvs 10045, reading
- cvs 2969, womelsdorf
- cvs pharmacy 1301, kutztown
- cvs pharmacy 1319, shoemakersville
- cvs pharmacy 1321, reading
- cvs pharmacy 1769, leesport
- cvs pharmacy 1923, reading
- cvs pharmacy 3242, reading
- cvs pharmacy 4064, reading
- cvs pharmacy 5065, blandon
- cvs pharmacy 5734, reading
- cvs pharmacy 7838, douglassville
- dollar general 0497, hamburg
- dollar general 13695, boyertown
- dollar general 13791, blandon
- dollar general 18310, douglassville
- dollar general 19767, shartlesville
- dollar general 3968, morgantown
- dollar general 4919, mount penn
- dollar general 7212, reading
- dollar tree 1722, reading
- dollartree 11509, reading
- dollar general 10271, topton
- dollar general 1058, kutztown
- dollar general 11920, reading
- dollar general 13403, robesonia
- dollar general 14593, reading
- dollar general 15084, shillington
- dollar general 15282, bethel
- dollar general 15584, birdsboro
- dollar general 15647, leesport
- dollar general 20208, fleetwood
- dollar general 24028, womelsdorf
- dollar general 24213, lenhartsville
- dollar general 25686, mohrsville
- dollar tree 1339, reading
- dollar tree 1437, reading
- dollar tree 1649, shillington
- dollar tree 1682, reading
- dollar tree 2361, kutztown
- dollar tree 4658, temple
- dollar tree 5139, hamburg
- dollar tree 5954, reading
- dollar tree 7056, blandon
- dollar tree 7297, sinking spring
- dollar tree 9013, reading
- family dollar 11484, wernersville
- family dollar 11609, reading
- family dollar 11670, reading
- family dollar 8416, reading
- family dollar 8494, reading
- family dollar store 6825, reading
- family dollar store 7250, reading
- family dollar store 7455, reading
- friendly food mart, reading
- los primos grocery store, reading
- mertztown great valu market, mertztown
- ocean state job lot 608, reading
- walgreens 15937, shillington
Small Grocery Store · 50
- 15th & cotton st food market, reading
- a&j minimarket llc 1, reading
- blue marsh market, llc, bernville
- brendaly & estefania grocery, reading
- c & r grocery, reading
- citi sub & grocery store, reading
- caba grocery store, reading
- chestnut mini market 1, reading
- d karina deli grocery store, reading
- d'reyes mini market, reading
- el corillo d. llc, reading
- el encanto grocery inc, reading
- el gallito bakery corporation, reading
- elian mini market, reading
- emily mini market 1, reading
- glenside grocery, reading
- guru sub & grocery store inc,, reading
- happy mini market 1, reading
- hermanos arias grocery llc, reading
- joe's food market n/a, reading
- karen super market, reading
- la altagracia grocery, reading
- la antillana no, reading
- la uva deli grocery, reading
- la uva deli grocery #2, reading
- leyenda 2 2, reading
- los goldos mini market llc, reading
- los primos 99 plus, reading
- martha deli grocery llc, reading
- misael deli & grocery, reading
- naan stop, reading
- new heightz grocery store, reading
- olivares supermarket, reading
- one shop deli grocery vip, reading
- paulette deli & grocery store 1, reading
- pikes mini market llc, reading
- quisqueya grocery hh llc, reading
- r & a deli grocery #2, reading
- r&a deli grocery llc, reading
- r&j deli and grocery llc, reading
- randy & dayleen 1, reading
- rosa grocery store, reading
- sabor dominicano deli and grocery, reading
- san antonio grocery, reading
- santa barbara supermarket, reading
- sky city seafood market inc., reading
- sofia grocery, reading
- tity grocery, reading
- v&p deli grocery, reading
- veras restaurant & supermarket llc, reading
Supermarket · 40 (4 shown)
- aldi 60062 60062, reading
- aldi 60106, hamburg
- aldi 60182, reading
- aldi 75081 75081, reading
Showing 250 of 342 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
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 Berks County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Nationwide peers for Berks County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Berks 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 (17.5% here).
- Caldwell County, TX · 17.5% low-access
- Virginia Beach city, VA · 17.5% low-access
- Lyon County, KS · 17.5% low-access
- Adams County, IN · 17.5% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside PA (13.9% here).
- Osage County, OK · 13.9% SNAP
- Saluda County, SC · 13.9% SNAP
- Granville County, NC · 13.9% SNAP
- Forsyth County, NC · 13.9% 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%). Berks County, at 17.5%, runs 3.9 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 Berks County, PA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 42011. 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.