Signature · 8.3% SNAP (11th pct in PA)
Centre County, PA
Centre 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.
- 16.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 8.3%
- on SNAP
- 159K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Centre County, PA
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-GAP · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-MODERATE 16.1% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -6.0 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 8.3% SNAP
- VEH-GAP 11.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 10% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Blair County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Centre County ranks #2,017 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #38 of 67 counties in PA (16.1% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #2,017
- national by low-access %
- #38
- in PA
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- 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: 8.3% SNAP (11th pct in PA) (-3.8 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Centre County compares nationally
Centre County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 16.1% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,023).
Centre County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
31 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Centre County has 18 urban and 13 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Centre County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Pennsylvania, not a full county-board reprint
- Chester
Chester 45.1%
45.1 % low-access
- Blair 16.2
Blair 16.2%
16.2 % low-access
- Centre 16.1
Centre 16.1%
16.1 % low-access
- Adams 15.9
Adams 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Delaware 15.9
Delaware 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Somerset 15.9
Somerset 15.9%
15.9 % low-access
- Wyoming 0.9
Wyoming 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 31 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 153,990 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 24,826 |
| Low-Access Share | 16.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,742 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 158,576 |
| Median Household Income | $74,291 |
| Poverty Rate | 16.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,910 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 8.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 11.1%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 13.8% |
Thick SNAP store book in Centre County
Centre County has 77 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 34 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 34
- 1473 port matilda hwy., philipsburg
- centermart, bellefonte
- fishers mkt, milesburg
- grab n go 2 llc, state college
- hettingers grocery, rebersburg
- homan's general store, spring mills
- ingram's market #4, bellefonte
- lykens mkt, port matilda
- lykens market 4, bellefonte
- market east, university park
- nittany minit mart 214, state college
- nittany minit mart 235, philipsburg
- ok stop inc 2, sandy ridge
- rutter's 87, bellefonte
- sheetz 122, state college
- sheetz 181, bellefonte
- sheetz 287, state college
- sheetz 339, state college
- sheetz 450, bellefonte
- sheetz 475, state college
- sheetz 562, centre hall
- sheetz 635, state college
- sheetz 64, philipsburg
- sheetz 715, state college
- ta milesburg 214, milesburg
- time saver, boalsburg
- uni mart, milesburg
- uni mart, howard
- uni mart 04167, state college
- uni-mart #4166, pleasant gap
- uni-mart #94165, state college
- uni-mart 1381 services, state college
- uni-mart north atherton, state college
- zion mart, bellefonte
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs pharmacy 1684, bellefonte
- cvs pharmacy 1688, state college
- cvs pharmacy 1916, state college
- cvs pharmacy 5459, state college
- dollar general 2263, bellefonte
- dollar general 6323, bellefonte
- dollar general 10082, centre hall
- dollar general 16173, bellefonte
- dollar general 23088, aaronsburg
- dollar general 24184, state college
- dollar general 24238, bellefonte
- dollar general 5820, snow shoe
- dollar tree 0597, state college
- dollar tree 3644, state college
- family dollar store 2041, philipsburg
- meyer dairy, state college
- ocean state job lot 607, state college
Supermarket · 12
- aldi 69026, state college
- aldi 69027, state college
- giant food store 6072, state college
- giant food store 6524, state college
- giant food store 6574, bellefonte
- trader joe's 629, state college
- wegmans 98, state college
- weis markets 118, philipsburg
- weis markets 137, state college
- weis markets 187, bellefonte
- weis markets 33, state college
- weis markets 51, state college
Super Store · 6
- burkholders mkt, spring mills
- sam's club 6533, state college
- target 3234, state college
- target stores 1288, state college
- walmart 2230, state college
- walmart supercenter 1640, state college
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- global foods, state college
- hilltop farms, bellefonte
- nature's pantry, state college
- state college international market, state college
Small Grocery Store · 2
- east european mkt, state college
- sowers market, philipsburg
Farmers' Market · 1
- pine grove mills farmers market, pine grove mills
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- penns valley meat mkt, millheim
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 Centre County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Nationwide peers for Centre County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Centre County (8.3%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Pennsylvania.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside PA (16.1% here).
- Lavaca County, TX · 16.1% low-access
- Lavaca County, TX · 16.1% low-access
- Fredericksburg city, VA · 16.1% low-access
- Fredericksburg city, VA · 16.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside PA (8.3% here).
- Pickens County, SC · 8.3% SNAP
- Pickens County, SC · 8.3% SNAP
- Davidson County, TN · 8.3% SNAP
- Davidson County, TN · 8.3% 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.
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Centre County sits inside Pennsylvania (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
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 Centre County, PA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 42027. 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.