PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Carbon County, PA

Most of Carbon County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

5.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
15.6%
on SNAP
65K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

5.0% of Carbon County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
6.4%
households, no vehicle
12.3%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Carbon County fares better than most: just 5.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 12 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 3,247 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,191 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 Carbon County compares nationally

Food access in Carbon County compares favorably nationally: its 5.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,815).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Carbon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Carbon 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 Carbon County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (75.0%) 2 tracts limited (16.7%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (8.3%) Adequate 75% Limited 17% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Carbon County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Carbon 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 Carbon County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)65,249
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population3,247
Low-Access Share5.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,191

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Carbon County
IndicatorValue
Population65,382
Median Household Income$67,554
Poverty Rate12.3%below the national average
SNAP Households4,252
SNAP Participation Rate15.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.4%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.3%
SNAP participation in Carbon County 15.6%

About 15.6% of Carbon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 5.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,252 households here.
  • 6.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Carbon County

below the national share

1 of Carbon County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 3,247 residents, roughly 5.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,191 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (75.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Carbon County

Carbon County has 43 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • 7-eleven 40281, jim thorpe
  • convenient food mart 3018, palmerton
  • fastfill#1 1, lehighton
  • friendly food mart, lansford
  • lehighton patel kwik stop llc, lehighton
  • miners market, summit hill
  • olde tyme corner store, lehighton
  • palmerton patel kwik stop llc, palmerton
  • pereira 10 gas llc, nesquehoning
  • pereira 5 gas llc, summit hill
  • pereira 8 cstore llc, lansford
  • pls deli, summit hill
  • rellys deli and convenience store 1, bowmanstown
  • sunny's quick mart, albrightsville
  • tresckow super food, tresckow
  • turkey hill minit market 950101, jim thorpe
  • turkey hill minit markets 950087, nesquehoning
  • turkey hill minit markets 950102, lansford

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • big lots 3067, lehighton
  • cvs pharmacy 1325, nesquehoning
  • dollar general 18504, lehighton
  • dollar general 10434, nesquehoning
  • dollar general 12481, weatherly
  • dollar general 13251, albrightsville
  • dollar general 15101, jim thorpe
  • dollar general 20551, lehighton
  • dollar general 22328, albrightsville
  • dollar general 24316, beaver meadows
  • dollar general 25138, lehighton
  • dollar general 31803, lansford
  • dollar general 3933, lehighton
  • dollar tree 7152, lehighton
  • family dollar 8229, palmerton
  • family dollar store 943, lansford
  • jim thorpe market, jim thorpe

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 88, lehighton
  • boyers food mkts inc 3588, lansford
  • giant food store 6320, lehighton
  • redners warehouse market 19, nesquehoning

Super Store · 2

  • country harvest family markets, palmerton
  • walmart 2169, lehighton

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • mallard market, lehighton

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • hazle park meats & gro, albrightsville

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
Bedford County
22.7% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Berks County
17.5% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

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

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Carbon 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 Carbon County has low food access? ▼
5.0% of residents in Carbon 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 Carbon County? ▼
15.6% of households in Carbon County receive SNAP, covering 4,252 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Carbon County? ▼
The poverty rate in Carbon County, PA is 12.3%, with a median household income of $67,554 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Carbon County a food desert? ▼
1 of Carbon County's 12 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 Carbon County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.4% of households in Carbon 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.