Signature · 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts)
Forest County, PA
Forest County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of the book) alongside 39.4% low-access.
- 39.4%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 14.0%
- on SNAP
- 7K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Forest County, PA
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 39.4% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +17.3 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 2 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.0% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.7% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 67% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Dauphin County ( -4.0 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Forest County sits in the upper national band (39.4%, #420 of 3,079) with 2 LILA tracts.
- #420
- national by low-access %
- #2
- in PA
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 2 LILA tracts (66.7% of tracts) .
How Forest County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Forest County's 39.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 87% of them and ranked #420 most-affected nationwide.
Forest County's elevated USDA tier split
3 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 2 LILA.
All 3 of Forest County's tracts are rural in the USDA classification, so every one is judged on the 10-mile test: a resident counts as low-access only when the nearest supermarket is more than 10 miles away.
Forest County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Pennsylvania, not a full county-board reprint
- Chester
Chester 45.1%
45.1 % low-access
- Forest
Forest 39.4%
39.4 % low-access
- Dauphin
Dauphin 35.4%
35.4 % low-access
- Bucks
Bucks 34.6%
34.6 % low-access
- Sullivan
Sullivan 34.4%
34.4 % low-access
- Washington
Washington 34.4%
34.4 % low-access
- Wyoming 0.9
Wyoming 0.9%
0.9 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 3 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 7,716 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,042 |
| Low-Access Share | 39.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,158 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 6,715 |
| Median Household Income | $52,191 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.9%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 268 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 36.0% |
SNAP retailers in Forest County
Forest County has 7 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 3 locations (43% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
2 towns share the 7 authorized stores; Marienville holds 71% of them. 1 of the 2 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Marienville.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Marienville | 5 | none |
| Tionesta | 2 | 1 |
Combination Grocery/Other · 3
- dollartree 10353, marienville
- dollar general 11278, marienville
- dollar general store 15700, tionesta
Convenience Store · 2
- kwik fill 391, marienville
- university korner, marienville
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- baughmans market, marienville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- tionesta farm fresh, llc, tionesta
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 Forest County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Pennsylvania among Middle Atlantic states
Pennsylvania ranks 2nd of 3 Middle Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (21.4%). Forest County, at 39.4%, runs 18.0 pts above the Pennsylvania rate.
- New Jersey 23.8%
- Pennsylvania 21.4%
- New York 12.0%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Forest County, PA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 42053. 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.