County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Franklin County, PA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Franklin County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 24.3%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 11.0%
- on SNAP
- 157K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.3% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 27 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 4.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.5%
- 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).
USDA data puts Franklin County's low-access share at 24.3%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 27 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 36,299 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,390 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 Franklin County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Franklin County's 24.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,347 most-affected nationwide.
Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 27 census tracts in Franklin County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Franklin County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Franklin
Franklin County, PA
24.3 % 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 | 27 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 149,618 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 36,299 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,390 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 157,379 |
| Median Household Income | $77,003 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,967 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
About 11.0% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,967 households here.
- 4.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Franklin County
above the national share
1 of Franklin County's 27 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 3.7% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 36,299 residents, roughly 24.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,390 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 17 tracts (63.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Franklin County
Franklin County has 108 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 36 locations (33% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 36
- andrews farm market, saint thomas
- cvs pharmacy 1642, waynesboro
- cvs pharmacy 1649, chambersburg
- cvs pharmacy 1918, chambersburg
- cvs pharmacy 142, greencastle
- country corner meat market llc, waynesboro
- dollar general 0231, waynesboro
- dollar general 0316, chambersburg
- dollar general 13544, spring run
- dollar general 18946, waynesboro
- dollar general 19488, orrstown
- dollar general 4986, chambersburg
- dollar general 8361, mercersburg
- dollar tree 1707, chambersburg
- dollartree 10373, chambersburg
- dollartree 8871, chambersburg
- dollar general 10839, waynesboro
- dollar general 11381, chambersburg
- dollar general 12438, fort loudon
- dollar general 12688, fayetteville
- dollar general 14592, waynesboro
- dollar general 15070, saint thomas
- dollar general 16358, blue ridge summit
- dollar general 16879, chambersburg
- dollar general 17327, shippensburg
- dollar general 23228, chambersburg
- dollar general 23732, chambersburg
- dollar general 31218, fannettsburg
- dollar general 31427, greencastle
- dollar general store 16721, greencastle
- dollar tree 22, chambersburg
- dollar tree 3151, waynesboro
- family dollar 10409, chambersburg
- family dollar 8662, fayetteville
- family dollar store 1030, greencastle
- family dollar store 6751, chambersburg
Convenience Store · 35
- 103 main st convenience store, chambersburg
- 7-eleven store #40132a 40132a, fayetteville
- bill's kwik chek market, chambersburg
- branded meats & deli, greencastle
- brothers quick mart llc, orrstown
- country breeze farm market and bakery, chambersburg
- enter & exit 2, chambersburg
- fuel up 1, chambersburg
- mys energy green castle inc, greencastle
- quincy mini mart, waynesboro
- r&r smoke shop & grocery, chambersburg
- raceway, chambersburg
- route 11 pit stop, chambersburg
- rutters 5, fayetteville
- rutters 63, waynesboro
- rutters 65, chambersburg
- rutters 67, mercersburg
- rutters 72, saint thomas
- rutters 74, fayetteville
- rutters 78, waynesboro
- sheetz 178r, chambersburg
- sheetz 392, chambersburg
- sheetz 401, waynesboro
- sheetz 451, greencastle
- sheetz 466, chambersburg
- sheetz 553, greencastle
- sheetz 608, shippensburg
- sheetz 69, chambersburg
- sheetz 76, chambersburg
- sheetz 797, greencastle
- ta greencastle 213, greencastle
- turkey hill minit markets 950291, waynesboro
- unimart, saint thomas
- wawa store 8204, chambersburg
- waynesboro exxon 610, waynesboro
Supermarket · 17
- aldi 71090, chambersburg
- aldi 71095, waynesboro
- food lion 2180, mercersburg
- giant food store 6052, chambersburg
- giant food store 6443, chambersburg
- glenwood foods at greencastle llc, greencastle
- grocery outlet of chambersburg 720, chambersburg
- johnnie's restaurant and hotel service, chambersburg
- la union international market, chambersburg
- martins food market 6525, waynesboro
- martins food market 6559, greencastle
- save-a-lot 23972, waynesboro
- save-a-lot 24926, chambersburg
- weis markets 207, greencastle
- weis markets 208, chambersburg
- weis markets 38, shippensburg
- weis markets 56, chambersburg
Medium Grocery Store · 6
- blueberry hill market llc 001, waynesboro
- country foods, waynesboro
- karimar market, chambersburg
- la herradura llc, chambersburg
- p&s latino supermarket, chambersburg
- raison and multi services, chambersburg
Super Store · 5
- bj's wholesale club 368, chambersburg
- target stores 2241, chambersburg
- the butcher shoppe, chambersburg
- walmart 3633, waynesboro
- walmart supercenter 1850, chambersburg
Small Grocery Store · 4
- annapurna market, shippensburg
- asian bazaar, chambersburg
- gorkhali asian store, chamersburg
- la caribena grocery, chambersburg
Large Grocery Store · 2
- klines grocery, shady grove
- paul's country market, waynesboro
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- esh meats and cheese, chambersburg
- steely meats, inc., fayetteville
Farmers' Market · 1
- north square farmers market, chambersburg
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Franklin County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Franklin 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 Franklin County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Franklin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Franklin 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.