PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Lawrence County, PA

Lawrence 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.

18.5%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
20.4%
on SNAP
85K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

18.5% of Lawrence County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

9
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
8.0%
households, no vehicle
11.9%
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).

Lawrence County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.5% per the USDA Atlas. 9 of the county's 28 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 16,879 residents who live far from a supermarket. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,265 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 Lawrence County compares nationally

Lawrence County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.5% low-access share that beats 42% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,819).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lawrence County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 28 census tracts in Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 19 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 28 tracts evaluated. 19 tracts adequate (67.9%) 3 tracts limited (10.7%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (21.4%) Adequate 68% Limited 11% Severe 21% Food-access tier distribution: Lawrence County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lawrence 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 Lawrence County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts28
Atlas Population (2010 basis)91,108
Low-Access Tracts9
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population16,879
Low-Access Share18.5%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population6,265

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lawrence County
IndicatorValue
Population85,024
Median Household Income$61,931
Poverty Rate11.9%below the national average
SNAP Households7,368
SNAP Participation Rate20.4%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.0%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.6%
SNAP participation in Lawrence County 20.4%

About 20.4% of Lawrence County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 18.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 20.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,368 households here.
  • 8.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 6 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 Lawrence County

near the national share

6 of Lawrence County's 28 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.4% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 9.

An estimated 16,879 residents, roughly 18.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 6,265 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 19 tracts (67.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lawrence County

Lawrence County has 88 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 37 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 37

  • 7-eleven store 36133, ellwood city
  • 7-eleven store #35897 35897, new castle
  • b&b express, ellwood city
  • brf foods 53, new castle
  • barry quick mart llc, ellwood city
  • country fair 99, new castle
  • east side mini mart, new castle
  • ellport junction, ellwood city
  • fast market, new castle
  • genos, new castle
  • getgo 3045, new castle
  • getgo 3386, new castle
  • ho ho food mart, new castle
  • highland gas llc, new castle
  • langhanoja inc, new castle
  • last minit mart, new castle
  • last minit mart, new wilmington
  • last minit mart, new castle
  • last minit mart 6, new castle
  • main street mini mart, west pittsburg
  • marias country store, volant
  • new castle brothers market llc, new castle
  • samtak inc t/a westside mini mart, new castle
  • sheetz, new castle
  • sheetz 246, new castle
  • sheetz 551, new castle
  • sheetz 763, ellwood city
  • shree isha inc, new castle
  • southside market 7248563904, new castle
  • speedway 2927, new castle
  • stop n shop food mart, wampum
  • tic toc food mart 104, new castle
  • the hometown pharmacy, new castle
  • tic toc food mart 102, new castle
  • utsav food inc, new castle
  • washington street valero, new castle
  • z & i inc 3114, ellwood city

Combination Grocery/Other · 35

  • big lots 3053, new castle
  • cvs pharmacy 4058, new castle
  • cvs pharmacy 5711, new castle
  • cvs pharmacy 5710, ellwood city
  • dollar general 14205, new castle
  • dollar general 17942, new castle
  • dollar general 2232, ellwood city
  • dollar general 2711, new castle
  • dollar general 4428, new castle
  • dollar general 4903, new castle
  • dollartree 8114, new castle
  • dollartree 9661, new castle
  • dollar general 10221, new castle
  • dollar general 14887, west pittsburg
  • dollar general 17819, new castle
  • dollar general 18023, edinburg
  • dollar general 19677, new castle
  • dollar general 20237, new castle
  • dollar general 21313, new castle
  • dollar general 21367, ellwood city
  • dollar general 21531, new castle
  • dollar general 21682, wampum
  • dollar general 23336, new castle
  • dollar general 24376, pulaski
  • dollar general 24893, new castle
  • dollar general 25047, edinburg
  • dollar general 25779, bessemer
  • dollar general 6186, new castle
  • dollar general 8713, ellwood city
  • dollar general 9928, new castle
  • dollar tree 0520, new castle
  • dollar tree 5730, new castle
  • family dollar store 3218, new castle
  • walgreens 09586, new castle
  • whiting family foods llc, new wilmington

Super Store · 5

  • dave's hometown shop 'n save, ellwood city
  • giant eagle 4077, new castle
  • giant eagle 6386, new castle
  • new castle save-a-lot 24695, new castle
  • walmart supercenter 2287, new castle

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 3

  • beatty's country market, enon valley
  • garrett meats, new wilmington
  • the meat guyz, new castle

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • arlington market, new castle
  • bussers cheese, enon valley
  • the apple castle, new wilmington

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 69038, new castle
  • grocery outlet of new castle 753, new castle
  • save-a-lot 24009, new castle

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • gillilands market, new wilmington
  • joseph's marketplace inc, new castle

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 Lawrence County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Lawrence 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 Lawrence County has low food access? ▼
18.5% of residents in Lawrence 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 Lawrence County? ▼
20.4% of households in Lawrence County receive SNAP, covering 7,368 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lawrence County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lawrence County, PA is 11.9%, with a median household income of $61,931 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lawrence County a food desert? ▼
6 of Lawrence County's 28 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 Lawrence County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.0% of households in Lawrence 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.