County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Blair County, PA
Blair 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.
- 16.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 17.9%
- on SNAP
- 121K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
16.2% of Blair County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 34 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 6K
- food-desert residents
- 8.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.0%
- 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).
Blair County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.2% per the USDA Atlas. 8 of the county's 34 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 20,641 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,564 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 Blair County compares nationally
Blair County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.2% low-access share that beats 36% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,016).
Blair County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 34 census tracts in Blair County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Blair County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Blair
Blair County, PA
16.2 % 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
- Beaver
Beaver County, PA
32.5 % low-access
- Bedford
Bedford County, PA
22.7 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 34 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 127,089 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,641 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 5,564 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 121,277 |
| Median Household Income | $62,382 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 9,068 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.4% |
About 17.9% of Blair County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 16.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 9,068 households here.
- 8.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Blair County
near the national share
2 of Blair County's 34 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.9% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 20,641 residents, roughly 16.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 5,564 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 26 tracts (76.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Blair County
Blair County has 112 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 47 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 47
- 110 market street, martinsburg
- bco mart, martinsburg
- blair deli & supermarket llc, altoona
- choice tyrone, tyrone
- eagle market, tyrone
- fefi's, altoona
- fefi's, altoona
- fefi's, altoona
- fefi's, altoona
- fefis, altoona
- getgo 3649, altoona
- getgo 3701, east freedom
- intown convenience store, altoona
- lehigh gas ohio llc, hollidaysburg
- martin's gnrl store 209, williamsburg
- mac's market and the gridiron, tyrone
- martin general store 202, claysburg
- nfamous, altoona
- ok shop inc 1, altoona
- roberts service station, altoona
- rutter's 79, duncansville
- rutter's 82, altoona
- rutter's 83, altoona
- rutters 71, duncansville
- sandy's 10ts, altoona
- sandy's 11ft, hollidaysburg
- sandy's 12ca, altoona
- sheetz 100, altoona
- sheetz 11, altoona
- sheetz 15, tyrone
- sheetz 169, east freedom
- sheetz 187, altoona
- sheetz 3, hollidaysburg
- sheetz 33, altoona
- sheetz 34, altoona
- sheetz 35, duncansville
- sheetz 354, altoona
- sheetz 38, altoona
- sheetz 420, altoona
- sheetz 497, claysburg
- sheetz 531, altoona
- sheetz 7, altoona
- sunoco, hollidaysburg
- sunoco, altoona
- thompson pharmacy, hollidaysburg
- turkey hill minit markets 950256, roaring spring
- tyrone convenience store, tyrone
Combination Grocery/Other · 36
- cvs pharmacy 4013, altoona
- dollar general 17914, altoona
- dollar general 18654, duncansville
- dollar general 1931, roaring spring
- dollar general 4058, claysburg
- dollar general 6445, martinsburg
- dollar general 8003, altoona
- dollar general 8468, williamsburg
- dollartree 10288, altoona
- dollar general 10120, altoona
- dollar general 12436, hollidaysburg
- dollar general 17969, altoona
- dollar general 2110, bellwood
- dollar general 21236, altoona
- dollar general 22455, tyrone
- dollar general 24988, altoona
- dollar general 25093, claysburg
- dollar general 25508, tyrone
- dollar general 2818, duncansville
- dollar general 30768, duncansville
- dollar general 4081, altoona
- dollar tree 2163, altoona
- dollar tree 24, duncansville
- dollar tree 7602, altoona
- everything natural under the sun, altoona
- family dollar 13321, claysburg
- family dollar 13322, martinsburg
- family dollar store 1051, altoona
- family dollar store 2457, tyrone
- family dollar store 2681, altoona
- family dollar store 4970, altoona
- giant eagle 2467, hollidaysburg
- rhodes meat market, martinsburg
- the market basket downtown, altoona
- thompson pharmacy, altoona
- walgreens 10386, altoona
Supermarket · 10
- aldi 69029, altoona
- bellwood hometown market, bellwood
- martins food market 6012, altoona
- martins food market 6288, duncansville
- martins food market 6292, altoona
- martins food market 6466, altoona
- save a lot 24861, tyrone
- the village pantry, tyrone
- weis markets 40, altoona
- weis markets 64, altoona
Super Store · 7
- giant eagle 71, altoona
- giant eagle 79, roaring spring
- hollidaysburg hometown market, hollidaysburg
- sam's club 6460, altoona
- target store 1160, altoona
- walmart 4348, duncansville
- walmart supercenter 2049, altoona
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 4
- blochers meat market, altoona
- frederick's meat mkt, roaring spring
- holland brothers meats, duncansville
- roll's meat market, llc, altoona
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- imler's poultry outlet, duncansville
- kepners grandview meats, altoona
- leightys farm mkt inc., newry
Farmers' Market · 2
- altoona farmers market, altoona
- rispoli's produce, williamsburg
Large Grocery Store · 1
- first stop shop, altoona
Seafood Specialty · 1
- shelco seafood co., llc, hollidaysburg
Small Grocery Store · 1
- gearhart's meats, hollidaysburg
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Blair County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Blair 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 Blair County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Blair County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Blair County? ▼
Is Blair County a food desert? ▼
What share of Blair 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.