PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

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 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

16.1% of Centre County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
11.1%
households, no vehicle
16.3%
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).

Centre County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 16.1% per the USDA Atlas. 9 of the county's 31 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 24,826 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,742 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 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).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Centre County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 31 census tracts in Centre 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 Centre County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 22 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 31 tracts evaluated. 22 tracts adequate (71.0%) 6 tracts limited (19.4%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (9.7%) Adequate 71% Limited 19% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Centre County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Centre 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 Centre County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts31
Atlas Population (2010 basis)153,990
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population24,826
Low-Access Share16.1%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,742

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Centre County
IndicatorValue
Population158,576
Median Household Income$74,291
Poverty Rate16.3%above the national average
SNAP Households4,910
SNAP Participation Rate8.3%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle11.1%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population13.8%
SNAP participation in Centre County 8.3%

About 8.3% of Centre County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 16.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,910 households here.
  • 11.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Centre County

near the national share

3 of Centre County's 31 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.7% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 24,826 residents, roughly 16.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,742 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 22 tracts (71.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers 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 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 Centre County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Centre 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 Centre County has low food access? ▼
16.1% of residents in Centre 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 Centre County? ▼
8.3% of households in Centre County receive SNAP, covering 4,910 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Centre County? ▼
The poverty rate in Centre County, PA is 16.3%, with a median household income of $74,291 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Centre County a food desert? ▼
3 of Centre County's 31 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 Centre County households lack a vehicle? ▼
11.1% of households in Centre 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.