County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Bradford County, PA
Bradford 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.
- 14.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 14.5%
- on SNAP
- 60K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
14.2% of Bradford County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 6.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.6%
- 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).
Bradford County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 14 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,889 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Bradford County compares nationally
Bradford County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.2% low-access share that beats 30% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,184).
Bradford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Bradford County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Bradford County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Bradford
Bradford County, PA
14.2 % 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 | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 62,622 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,889 |
| Low-Access Share | 14.2%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,956 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 59,858 |
| Median Household Income | $63,675 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,572 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 14.5% of Bradford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 14.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,572 households here.
- 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $63,675 with a 12.6% poverty rate.
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 Bradford County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 8,889 residents, roughly 14.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,956 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (78.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Bradford County
Bradford County has 70 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 25 locations (36% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 25
- bryan's meat cutting & butcher sh, milan
- back achers farm, rome
- cvs pharmacy 1091, sayre
- cvs pharmacy 2565, towanda
- dollar general 0145, towanda
- dollar general 0329, wyalusing
- dollar general 19599, athens
- dollar general 7778, sayre
- dollar general 15521, monroeton
- dollar general 18108, wysox
- dollar general 19606, gillett
- dollar general 21032, east smithfield
- dollar general 21642, burlington
- dollar general 22358, stevensville
- dollar general 23596, athens
- dollar general 25440, wysox
- dollar general 30392, gillett
- dollar general 30464, towanda
- dollar general 9264, canton
- dollar general store 7869, troy
- dollar tree 3731, towanda
- dollar tree 7505, troy
- family dollar store 4353, troy
- family dollar store 7699, sayre
- family dollar store 7937, towanda
Convenience Store · 24
- dandy mini mart 12, canton
- dandy mini mart 15, wyalusing
- dandy mini mart 16, sayre
- dandy mini mart 17, sayre
- dandy mini mart 18, sayre
- dandy mini mart 19, sayre
- dandy mini mart 20, ulster
- dandy mini mart 21, rome
- dandy mini mart 28, athens
- dandy mini mart 3, towanda
- dandy mini mart 36, monroeton
- dandy mini mart 37, le raysville
- dandy mini mart 40, east smithfield
- dandy mini mart 45, new albany
- dandy mini mart 48, camptown
- dandy mini mart 5, towanda
- dandy mini mart 6, athens
- dandy mini mart 60, troy
- dandy mini mart 61, troy
- dandy mini mart 74, wysox
- kwik fill 418, canton
- mirabito #124 sayre, sayre
- sheetz 581, towanda
- sylvania mart, troy
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 65008, sayre
- aldi 65061, towanda
- ashi's grocery store 1, towanda
- connies supermarket, wyalusing
- tops markets 650, sayre
- tops markets 677, troy
- tops markets 678, canton
- tops markets 680, towanda
Medium Grocery Store · 7
- barnstead pantry, troy
- creekside discount groceries, rome
- dotti-lou packing co, stevensville
- farmer fred's llc, towanda
- jurnacks naturally, towanda
- shores sisters farm market inc., towanda
- woodys country store, gillett
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- century farm meats, wyalusing
- leona meat plant, troy
Farmers' Market · 1
- troy sale barn growers market, troy
Large Grocery Store · 1
- twin ponds country market, monroeton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- ammermans store, athens
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2208, sayre
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Bradford County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Bradford 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 Bradford County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Bradford County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Bradford County? ▼
Is Bradford County a food desert? ▼
What share of Bradford 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.