County food-access profile · Maryland
Harford County, MD
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Harford 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).
- 28.2%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 7.4%
- on SNAP
- 264K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
28.2% of Harford County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 57 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 27
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 4.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 7.1%
- 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).
USDA data puts Harford County's low-access share at 28.2%, above the national share. 27 of the county's 57 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 69,126 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 11,414 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 Harford County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Harford County's 28.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 66% of them and ranked #1,073 most-affected nationwide.
Harford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 57 census tracts in Harford County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Harford County vs. other Maryland counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Maryland
- Harford
Harford County, MD
28.2 % low-access
- Allegany
Allegany County, MD
30.4 % low-access
- Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel County, MD
33.7 % low-access
- Baltimore city 4.5
Baltimore city, MD
4.5 % low-access
- Baltimore
Baltimore County, MD
21.8 % low-access
- Calvert
Calvert County, MD
38.6 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 57 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 244,826 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 27 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 69,126 |
| Low-Access Share | 28.2%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,414 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 263,757 |
| Median Household Income | $112,265 |
| Poverty Rate | 7.1%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,558 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.4%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
About 7.4% of Harford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 28.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 7.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,558 households here.
- 4.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 2 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 Harford County
above the national share
2 of Harford County's 57 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 3.5% of all its tracts.
A further 25 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 27.
An estimated 69,126 residents, roughly 28.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 11,414 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 30 tracts (52.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Harford County
Harford County has 137 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 65 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 65
- 607 south philadelphia, aberdeen
- 7-eleven 33247, abingdon
- 7-eleven 11620g, bel air
- 7-eleven 11630a, aberdeen
- 7-eleven 29978j, edgewood
- 7-eleven 32361f, edgewood
- 7-eleven inc f 19677d, jarrettsville
- 7-eleven #35490c 35490c, havre de grace
- 7-eleven 11629g, bel air
- 7-eleven 22281b, fallston
- 7-eleven 26334g, abingdon
- 7-eleven 29741d, aberdeen
- 7-eleven 32697d, bel air
- 7-eleven 41146a, belcamp
- aberdeen getty, aberdeen
- aberdeen crown, aberdeen
- aberdeen exxon, aberdeen
- carroll mart 2906, churchville
- carroll motor mart 1, joppa
- corner mart, aberdeen
- e & b food market, aberdeen
- edgewood amoco bp, edgewood
- emmorton exxon, edgewood
- ez quick food market, havre de grace
- g convenience, abingdon
- ganesh petroleum, bel air
- highs of baltimore, llc 1, whiteford
- highs of baltimore, llc 130, white hall
- highs of baltimore, llc 2, white hall
- highs of baltimore, llc 68, street
- highs of baltimore, llc 81, darlington
- highs of baltimore, llc 86, jarrettsville
- macphail exxon, bel air
- perryman grocery inc, aberdeen
- riverside sunoco, belcamp
- royal farms 1, joppa
- royal farms 170, bel air
- royal farms 187, abingdon
- royal farms 188, aberdeen
- royal farms 194, havre de grace
- royal farms 199, forest hill
- royal farms 25, bel air
- royal farms 271, aberdeen
- royal farms 294, joppa
- royal farms 383, bel air
- royal farms 65, edgewood
- royal farms 69, havre de grace
- royal farms 70, joppa
- royal farms 77, edgewood
- royal farms 89, aberdeen
- royal farms 93, fallston
- royal farms 95, street
- rutter's 103, aberdeen
- sheetz 316, joppa
- sheetz 890, bel air
- wawa 553, bel air
- wawa 557, bel air
- wawa 559, street
- wawa 567, aberdeen
- wawa 581, abingdon
- wawa 582, bel air
- wawa 586, bel air
- wawa 8500, fallston
- wawa food market 599, joppa
- wawa store 8534, edgewood
Combination Grocery/Other · 32
- cvs 6614, havre de grace
- cvs pharmacy 4214, edgewood
- cvs pharmacy 2499, bel air
- cvs pharmacy 352, forest hill
- cvs pharmacy 4018, fallston
- dollar general 13957, joppa
- dollar general 557, bel air
- dollar tree 1713, bel air
- dienners deli, joppa
- dollar general 14890, street
- dollar general 15595, jarrettsville
- dollar general 2357, havre de grace
- dollar general 2947, aberdeen
- dollar general 4226, edgewood
- dollar tree 1683, joppa
- dollar tree 1700, aberdeen
- dollar tree 3943, bel air
- dollar tree 4391, havre de grace
- dollar tree 4640, abingdon
- dollar tree 803, edgewood
- family dollar 10813, havre de grace
- harvest fare supermarket 3293, fallston
- walgreens 09342, edgewood
- walgreens 09926, forest hill
- walgreens 7357, abingdon
- walgreens 11169, aberdeen
- walgreens 11999, bel air
- walgreens 17191, bel air
- walgreens 17619, bel air
- walgreens 18096, belcamp
- walgreens 18946, joppa
- walgreens 19144, fallston
Super Store · 17
- b js wholesale club 71, abingdon
- giant food 364, bel air
- giant food 365, abingdon
- kleins shop rite 0545, forest hill
- kleins shop rite 0548, aberdeen
- kleins shop rite 0549, bel air
- kleins shop rite 547, bel air
- kleins shop rite 551, belcamp
- kleins shop rite 555, cardiff
- lidl 1023, aberdeen
- saubels shurfine market, whiteford
- target stores 1002, bel air
- target store 1043, aberdeen
- target store 1871, abingdon
- walmart 2009, abingdon
- walmart 3780, fallston
- walmart supercenter 1968, aberdeen
Supermarket · 14
- aldi 71082, bel air
- aldi 71172, abingdon
- aldi 71028, edgewood
- aldi 71044, aberdeen
- edgewood grocery outlet 743, edgewood
- food lion 1423, bel air
- food lion 1547, edgewood
- redners market 40, joppa
- redners warehouse market 54, bel air
- safeway 1652, bel air
- sprouts farmers market 918, bel air
- wegmans 53, abingdon
- weis markets 172, bel air
- weis markets 193, havre de grace
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- bharosa grocery, belair
- one stop universal market, aberdeen
- you & i international market, edgewood
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- a-1 harford farm, aberdeen
- bowman's butcher shop, aberdeen
Small Grocery Store · 2
- horizon foods, joppa
- kool breeze caribbean supermarket llc, edgewood
Farmers' Market · 1
- jones family farm, edgewood
Military Commissary · 1
- aberdeen commissary deca 2501, aberdeen proving ground
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Maryland
Compare Harford County vs Allegany County → · All Maryland counties →
Food access nationally, Maryland in context
Harford County sits inside Maryland (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 Harford County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Harford County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Harford County? ▼
Is Harford County a food desert? ▼
What share of Harford 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.