PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Huntingdon County, PA

Most of Huntingdon County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

1.7%
low-access pop.
0
food-desert tracts
13.4%
on SNAP
44K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

1.7% of Huntingdon County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.

0
low-access tracts
214
food-desert residents
7.1%
households, no vehicle
10.6%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Huntingdon County fares better than most: just 1.7% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 0 of the county's 12 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 760 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.

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 Huntingdon County compares nationally

Food access in Huntingdon County compares favorably nationally: its 1.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 5% of them (rank #2,979).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Huntingdon County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Huntingdon 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 Huntingdon County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 12 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 0 limited, 0 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 12 tracts adequate (100.0%) Adequate 100% Limited 0% Severe 0% Food-access tier distribution: Huntingdon County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Huntingdon 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 Huntingdon County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)45,913
Low-Access Tracts0
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)0
Low-Access Population760
Low-Access Share1.7%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population214

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Huntingdon County
IndicatorValue
Population43,653
Median Household Income$65,557
Poverty Rate10.6%below the national average
SNAP Households2,191
SNAP Participation Rate13.4%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population11.5%
SNAP participation in Huntingdon County 13.4%

About 13.4% of Huntingdon County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 1.7% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,191 households here.
  • 7.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • Median household income is $65,557 with a 10.6% poverty rate.

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 Huntingdon County

below the national share

An estimated 760 residents, roughly 1.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 214 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 12 tracts (100.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

None of Huntingdon County's tracts meet the USDA low-access threshold, so the county is not flagged for a food-access gap in the 2019 Atlas.

SNAP retailers in Huntingdon County

Huntingdon County has 36 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 15

  • 3 n. jefferson, mount union
  • 359 grab n go, cassville
  • alexandria martin general stores 226, alexandria
  • cassville country store, cassville
  • orbisonia martin general stores 228, orbisonia
  • raystown country store, james creek
  • sandy ridge express, orbisonia
  • seven points bait& grocery inc, hesston
  • sheetz 10, huntingdon
  • sheetz 215, huntingdon
  • sheetz 40, mount union
  • sheetz 577, huntingdon
  • skips hometown store, petersburg
  • skymart, warriors mark
  • thee store, shade gap

Combination Grocery/Other · 11

  • dollar general 0189, orbisonia
  • dollar general 10290, alexandria
  • dollar general 16021, mount union
  • dollar general 20307, huntingdon
  • dollar general 23684, shade gap
  • dollar general 30547, james creek
  • dollar general 31089, broad top city
  • dollar general 9925, huntingdon
  • dollar tree 3968, huntingdon
  • family dollar store 10736, broad top
  • family dollar store 3619, mount union

Supermarket · 5

  • aldi 69037, huntingdon
  • giant food store 6277, huntingdon
  • sandy ridge market, orbisonia
  • weis markets 30, huntingdon
  • weis markets 48, mount union

Farmers' Market · 1

  • huntingdon farmers market, huntingdon

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • peight's store 2, mt union

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • bricktown kickin chicken, mount union

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • brennemans meat mkt inc, huntingdon

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 5470, huntingdon

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 Huntingdon County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Huntingdon 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 Huntingdon County has low food access? ▼
1.7% of residents in Huntingdon 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 Huntingdon County? ▼
13.4% of households in Huntingdon County receive SNAP, covering 2,191 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Huntingdon County? ▼
The poverty rate in Huntingdon County, PA is 10.6%, with a median household income of $65,557 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Huntingdon County a food desert? ▼
0 of Huntingdon County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). No tracts here meet both conditions in the 2019 Atlas.
What share of Huntingdon County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.1% of households in Huntingdon 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.