County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Indiana County, PA
Indiana County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 8.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 16.3%
- on SNAP
- 83K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.2% of Indiana County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 7.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.0%
- 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).
Indiana County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.2% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 23 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,322 residents who live far from a supermarket. 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 Indiana County compares nationally
Indiana County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.2% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,629).
Indiana County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 23 census tracts in Indiana County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Indiana County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Indiana 8.2
Indiana County, PA
8.2 % 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 | 23 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 88,880 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,322 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,252 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 83,042 |
| Median Household Income | $60,208 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,289 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.3%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.4% |
About 16.3% of Indiana County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,289 households here.
- 7.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $60,208 with a 14.0% 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 Indiana County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 7,322 residents, roughly 8.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,252 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 20 tracts (87.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Indiana County
Indiana County has 63 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 29 locations (46% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 29
- 400 philadelphia, indiana
- back street outlet llc, black lick
- coy's convenience, penn run
- coen markets 1203, shelocta
- country convenience, hillsdale
- dixonville food n gas, clymer
- ez-mart na, indiana
- fahari allmart, indiana
- getgo 3608, indiana
- kwik fill 253, clymer
- kwik fill 254, indiana
- martin general stores 212, home
- one stop, armagh
- par mar store 63, indiana
- par mar store 64, saltsburg
- pbjs country market 01, indiana
- plumville minimart, home
- rt 22 pit stop llc, blairsville
- sheetz 170, indiana
- sheetz 29, blairsville
- sheetz 31, indiana
- sheetz 369, homer city
- sheetz 498, blairsville
- sheetz 61, clymer
- snax glen campbell, glen campbell
- sunoco indiana, indiana
- teamz xpress black lick inc, blairsville
- werner's general store, clarksburg
- weaver's market & cafe, cherry tree
Combination Grocery/Other · 19
- cvs pharmacy 4000, indiana
- dollar general 2679, clymer
- dollar general 4242, indiana
- dollar general 4419, homer city
- dollar general 8892, saltsburg
- dollar general 12765, indiana
- dollar general 15390, plumville
- dollar general 16630, blairsville
- dollar general 18226, marion center
- dollar general 20406, marion center
- dollar general 22999, home
- dollar general 23001, josephine
- dollar general 24019, indiana
- dollar general 24248, alverda
- dollar general 24715, indiana
- dollar general 30993, homer city
- dollar general store 16863, strongstown
- dollar tree 3677, blairsville
- dollar tree 461, indiana
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 69030, indiana
- homer city ideal market, homer city
- martins food market 6308, indiana
- saltsburg shop n save, saltsburg
- tate's supermarket, inc., clymer
Super Store · 4
- giant eagle 1678, indiana
- valeski's 4th st. mkt., indiana
- walmart supercenter 2318, indiana
- walmart supercenter 5356, blairsville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3
- bork farms, homer city
- dixon meats, shelocta
- the meat cooler, saltsburg
Farmers' Market · 1
- indiana county farmers' market, indiana
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- cunningham meats llc, indiana
Small Grocery Store · 1
- pudliners country corner llc, armagh
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Indiana County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Indiana 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 Indiana County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Indiana County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Indiana County? ▼
Is Indiana County a food desert? ▼
What share of Indiana 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.