PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Greene County, PA

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Greene 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).

22.6%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
20.8%
on SNAP
35K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

22.6% of Greene County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
4.7%
households, no vehicle
13.5%
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 Greene County's low-access share at 22.6%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 8,740 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,565 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 Greene County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Greene County's 22.6% low-access share is elevated, higher than 53% of them and ranked #1,480 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Greene County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Greene 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 Greene County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 4 tracts limited (44.4%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (11.1%) Adequate 44% Limited 44% Severe 11% Food-access tier distribution: Greene County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Greene 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 Greene County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)38,686
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population8,740
Low-Access Share22.6%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,565

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Greene County
IndicatorValue
Population34,835
Median Household Income$68,041
Poverty Rate13.5%near the national average
SNAP Households2,977
SNAP Participation Rate20.8%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.7%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population9.0%
SNAP participation in Greene County 20.8%

About 20.8% of Greene County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 22.6% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,977 households here.
  • 4.7% 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 Greene County

above the national share

1 of Greene County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 11.1% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 8,740 residents, roughly 22.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,565 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Greene County

Greene County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 17 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 17

  • 4704232.0 4232, carmichaels
  • 7-eleven 36153, waynesburg
  • bfs foods 32, mount morris
  • bfs foods 370, mount morris
  • bfs foods 41, waynesburg
  • bfs foods 42, waynesburg
  • bfs foods 44, jefferson
  • burns exxon, wind ridge
  • coen 1205, waynesburg
  • dilliner convenience store, dilliner
  • i 79 on the run, waynesburg
  • lone pine one stop exxon, waynesburg
  • sheetz 230, carmichaels
  • sheetz 284, waynesburg
  • sheetz 654, waynesburg
  • stokes store, wind ridge
  • waynesburg sunoco, waynesburg

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • cvs pharmacy 5700, waynesburg
  • dollar general 0115, waynesburg
  • dollar general 18429, greensboro
  • dollar general 18478, waynesburg
  • dollar general 13148, rices landing
  • dollar general 21471, dilliner
  • dollar general 22747, jefferson
  • dollar general 25758, clarksville
  • dollar general 7156, carmichaels
  • dollar tree 2206, waynesburg
  • family dollar store 5046, waynesburg

Super Store · 3

  • rice's landing giant eagle 1689, rices landing
  • waynesburg giant eagle 673, waynesburg
  • walmart supercenter 5446, waynesburg

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 44088 44088, waynesburg
  • carmichaels shop n save, carmichaels

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • hungarian smokehouse, carmichaels

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 Greene County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Greene 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 Greene County has low food access? ▼
22.6% of residents in Greene 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 Greene County? ▼
20.8% of households in Greene County receive SNAP, covering 2,977 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Greene County? ▼
The poverty rate in Greene County, PA is 13.5%, with a median household income of $68,041 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Greene County a food desert? ▼
1 of Greene County's 9 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 Greene County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.7% of households in Greene 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.