County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Clearfield County, PA
Clearfield 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.
- 19.3%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 19.2%
- on SNAP
- 79K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
19.3% of Clearfield County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 9
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 7.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.6%
- 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).
Clearfield County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 19.3% per the USDA Atlas. 9 of the county's 20 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 15,740 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,726 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 Clearfield County compares nationally
Clearfield County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 19.3% low-access share that beats 44% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,746).
Clearfield County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 20 census tracts in Clearfield County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Clearfield County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Clearfield
Clearfield County, PA
19.3 % 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 | 20 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 81,642 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 9 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 15,740 |
| Low-Access Share | 19.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,726 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 78,635 |
| Median Household Income | $62,152 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.6%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,255 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.2%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.4%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.8% |
About 19.2% of Clearfield County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 19.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,255 households here.
- 7.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Clearfield County
near the national share
5 of Clearfield County's 20 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 25.0% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.
An estimated 15,740 residents, roughly 19.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,726 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (55.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Clearfield County
Clearfield County has 66 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 26 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 26
- cvs 5709, du bois
- cvs pharmacy 1685, clearfield
- cvs pharmacy 1919, philipsburg
- calliari's bakery, dubois
- dollar general 18540, penfield
- dollar general 18823, grampian
- dollar general 3525, houtzdale
- dollar general 4123, irvona
- dollar general 4935, curwensville
- dollar general 7737, clearfield
- dollar general 10982, du bois
- dollar general 13907, osceola mills
- dollar general 15841, kylertown
- dollar general 20053, clearfield
- dollar general 20955, madera
- dollar general 21258, morrisdale
- dollar general 21511, dubois
- dollar general 24186, clearfield
- dollar general 9356, dubois
- dollar general store 10435, philipsburg
- dollar general store 16724, woodland
- dollar tree 2246, clearfield
- dollar tree 2421, du bois
- family dollar 2104, du bois
- family dollar store 10765, mahaffey
- family dollar store 7087, clearfield
Convenience Store · 22
- benton's market, karthaus
- city market, clearfield
- crick general store, glen hope
- d & g groceries, mahaffey
- fam fuels #3, curwensville
- fuel on, philipsburg
- grampian one stop, grampian
- lakeside market, du bois
- nittany minit mart 212, coalport
- nittany minit mart 233, osceola mills
- nittany minit mart 234, morrisdale
- nittany minit mart 239, penfield
- nittany minit mart 246, woodland
- pilot travel center 336, du bois
- santinoceto's italian market, clearfield
- sapp bros travel center, clearfield
- sheetz 148, du bois
- sheetz 149, dubois
- sheetz 252, clearfield
- sheetz 63, du bois
- sheetz 73, clearfield
- snappy's 11, curwensville
Supermarket · 9
- aldi 60085 60085, du bois
- fezell save-a-lot 24251, dubois
- goodman's foodliner, inc, curwensville
- houtzdale shop n save express, houtzdale
- j g food warehouse, clearfield
- leyos inc, coalport
- martins food market 6325, du bois
- palumbo meat market, dubois
- save-a-lot, clearfield
Super Store · 4
- giant eagle 84, dubois
- philipsburg hometown market, philipsburg
- walmart supercenter 1769, du bois
- walmart supercenter 2129, clearfield
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- adlers mkt, philipsburg
- country butcher inc., clearfield
Farmers' Market · 1
- amish farmers market, clearfield
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- mt. view market place, kylertown
Small Grocery Store · 1
- aletta's farm market, curwensville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Clearfield County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Clearfield 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 Clearfield County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Clearfield County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Clearfield County? ▼
Is Clearfield County a food desert? ▼
What share of Clearfield 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.