PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Clarion County, PA

Clarion 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.

15.7%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
15.7%
on SNAP
37K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

15.7% of Clarion County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
6.5%
households, no vehicle
13.1%
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).

Clarion County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.7% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,273 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,378 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 Clarion County compares nationally

Clarion County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.7% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,063).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Clarion County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Clarion 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 Clarion County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (60.0%) 1 tracts limited (10.0%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (30.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 10% Severe 30% Food-access tier distribution: Clarion County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Clarion 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 Clarion County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)39,988
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population6,273
Low-Access Share15.7%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,378

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Clarion County
IndicatorValue
Population37,179
Median Household Income$62,649
Poverty Rate13.1%near the national average
SNAP Households2,363
SNAP Participation Rate15.7%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.4%
SNAP participation in Clarion County 15.7%

About 15.7% of Clarion County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 15.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 15.7% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,363 households here.
  • 6.5% 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 Clarion County

near the national share

3 of Clarion County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 30.0% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,273 residents, roughly 15.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,378 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Clarion County

Clarion County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 15 locations (36% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 15

  • cvs pharmacy 1680, clarion
  • dollar general 18318, fryburg
  • dollar general 18812, clarion
  • dollar general 18825, clarion
  • dollar general 18851, shippenville
  • dollar general 19633, new bethlehem
  • dollar general 2229, clarion
  • dollar general 8395, rimersburg
  • dollar general 22678, sligo
  • dollar general 30882, tionesta
  • dollar general 7864, new bethlehem
  • dollar general 7865, knox
  • dollar general store 16801, leeper
  • dollar tree 1078, clarion
  • family dollar store 10262, east brady

Convenience Store · 14

  • choice 4083, knox
  • country fair 36, shippenville
  • county line market llc, tionesta
  • jiffy mini mart #5, shippenville
  • kaival food mart, clarion
  • kwik fill 214, clarion
  • palmer's country store, clarion
  • putneyville store, new bethlehem
  • sheetz 58, clarion
  • sheetz 885, clarion
  • university korner, clarion
  • university korner - rimersburg n/a, rimersburg
  • university korner n/a, sligo
  • university korner n/a, knox

Super Store · 3

  • the sharp shopper, knox
  • tom s riverside 773, new bethlehem
  • walmart supercenter 2540, clarion

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 69050, clarion
  • parker country market 0, parker
  • tom's riverside #775, knox

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • leeper market, leeper
  • tom's riverside #789, rimersburg

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • hirsch's meats, kossuth
  • o'neil's quality foods, shippenville

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • emery's outlet express, callensburg
  • hollenbaugh hometown meat market, clarion

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • m & s meats, fairmount city

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 Clarion County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Clarion 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 Clarion County has low food access? ▼
15.7% of residents in Clarion 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 Clarion County? ▼
15.7% of households in Clarion County receive SNAP, covering 2,363 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Clarion County? ▼
The poverty rate in Clarion County, PA is 13.1%, with a median household income of $62,649 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Clarion County a food desert? ▼
3 of Clarion County's 10 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 Clarion County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.5% of households in Clarion 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.