County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Luzerne County, PA

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

20.3%
low-access pop.
4
food-desert tracts
19.6%
on SNAP
328K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

20.3% of Luzerne County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 104 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

30
low-access tracts
16K
food-desert residents
9.5%
households, no vehicle
15.3%
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 Luzerne County's low-access share at 20.3%, above the national share. 30 of the county's 104 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 65,131 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 16,241 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 Luzerne County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Luzerne County's 20.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,668 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Luzerne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 104 census tracts in Luzerne 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 Luzerne County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 74 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 26 limited, 4 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 104 tracts evaluated. 74 tracts adequate (71.2%) 26 tracts limited (25.0%) 4 tracts severe / food desert (3.8%) Adequate 71% Limited 25% Severe 4% Food-access tier distribution: Luzerne County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Luzerne 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 Luzerne County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts104
Atlas Population (2010 basis)320,918
Low-Access Tracts30
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)4
Low-Access Population65,131
Low-Access Share20.3%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population16,241

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Luzerne County
IndicatorValue
Population327,675
Median Household Income$63,691
Poverty Rate15.3%near the national average
SNAP Households26,482
SNAP Participation Rate19.6%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle9.5%above the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.3%
SNAP participation in Luzerne County 19.6%

About 19.6% of Luzerne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 20.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 26,482 households here.
  • 9.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 4 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 Luzerne County

above the national share

4 of Luzerne County's 104 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 3.8% of all its tracts.

A further 26 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 30.

An estimated 65,131 residents, roughly 20.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 16,241 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 74 tracts (71.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Luzerne County

Luzerne County has 297 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 131 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 131

  • 4k's beer and deli, wilkes barre
  • 7-eleven store #41266b, hazle township
  • anthracite newstand, wilkes barre
  • al's quick stop 5, bear creek township
  • al's quick stop 8, pittston
  • alnajukchahatstore llc dba al's quick stop 9, drums
  • aman convenience / shiv llc, dupont
  • amaylisha llc 3017, pittston
  • citgo - excel gas corp 1, wilkes barre
  • cocoa hut 103, nanticoke
  • cocoa hut 104, nanticoke
  • convenient food mart 3010, hazleton
  • convenient food mart 3013, freeland
  • convenient food mart 3014, luzerne
  • convenient food mart 3019, pittston
  • convenient food mart 3022, kingston
  • convenient food mart 3026, avoca
  • convenient food mart 3037, pittston
  • countryside quik mart, hunlock creek
  • dipamadi incdba convenient food mart 3041, wilkes barre
  • drums convenience inc, drums
  • dupont mini mart none, dupont
  • e z express food mart, hanover township
  • frank news & deli 2 1, wilkes barre
  • franks news & deli 3, wilkes barre
  • friendly food mart, nanticoke
  • friendly food mart, west pittston
  • fuel on, luzerne
  • fuel one 940 plaza, white haven
  • general store, shickshinny
  • good to go expressmart, wilkes barre
  • good to go foodmart, wilkes barre
  • groceries plus, hazleton
  • hanover convenience, hanover township
  • humboldt sunoco no, hazle township
  • hunnington mills grocery shop, shickshinny
  • in and out 1, duryea
  • jaymarie grocery & deli inc 1, wilkes barre
  • joe's kwik marts 163, pittston
  • juniors of plains 1, plains
  • k&s convenience, exeter
  • kaival food and petroleum inc, glen lyon
  • kingston food mart llc 1, kingston
  • kval food 2, wapwallopen
  • lucas farms produce center inc, hanover township
  • lombardo's market, inc., pittston
  • main street convenience llc, larksville
  • mann kingston llc 3005, kingston
  • market street convenience inc., kingston
  • nescopeck foodmart llc 1, nescopeck
  • new mart, shavertown
  • pantry quik, hanover township
  • pq express, west hazleton
  • pantry quick, wilkes barre
  • pantry quik, hazleton
  • pantry quik, kingston
  • paris mart, wilkes barre
  • penn corner food mart, hanover township
  • peters deli inc, wilkes barre
  • petro scranton 0378, dupont
  • pilot travel center 298, drums
  • pilot travel center 370, pittston
  • pitt stop & deli inc, pittston
  • pittston convenience inc 1, pittston
  • pittston sunoco, pittston
  • plains mart, wilkes barre
  • plains six packs to go llc, wilkes barre
  • plymouth convenient mart, plymouth
  • plymouth six packs to go inc, plymouth
  • puffs-n-pics gunpati ll, hazleton
  • quick food mart, plymouth
  • r & s convenience inc., kingston
  • rp llc/ hazle mini mart, hazle township
  • ruminskis market llc, nanticoke
  • rishi foodmart, wyoming
  • rudraunsh inc., wilkes barre
  • sajan convenience inc, wyoming
  • sheetz 291, hazle township
  • sheetz 297, wilkes barre
  • sheetz 319, shavertown
  • sheetz 344, plains twp
  • sheetz 463, sugarloaf
  • sheetz 734, plymouth
  • sheetz 780, city of wilkes barre
  • sheetz 820, wyoming
  • shree ganesh 001 willkesbarre corporation, wilkes barre
  • simply convenient, glen lyon
  • siya patel llc dba pantry quik, sugarloaf
  • sk's quick stop, west pittston
  • stop mart, exeter
  • sukh convinience llc, wilkes barre
  • super service gas mart, shavertown
  • swoyersville general store llc, swoyersville
  • t&t grocery store corp 1, wilkes barre
  • ta express hazleton, hazle township
  • tonys corner llc 84-1920242, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit market 950249, hazleton
  • turkey hill minit market 950285, dallas
  • turkey hill minit market 950289, hazle township
  • turkey hill minit market 950301, plains
  • turkey hill minit market 950310, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit markets 950140, forty fort
  • turkey hill minit markets 950152, edwardsville
  • turkey hill minit markets 950153, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit markets 950154, kingston
  • turkey hill minit markets 950155, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit markets 950157, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit markets 950158, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit markets 950165, exeter
  • turkey hill minit markets 950179, sugarloaf
  • turkey hill minit markets 950192, kingston
  • turkey hill minit markets 950194, nanticoke
  • turkey hill minit markets 950196, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit markets 950250, hazleton
  • turkey hill minit markets 950259, wilkes barre
  • turkey hill minit markets 950270, mountain top
  • turkey hill minit markets 950275, plymouth
  • turkey hill minit markets 950297, hazleton
  • turkey hill minit markets 950300, pittston
  • u s gas/ daksha llc, shavertown
  • uni mart-sheen mart llc, larksville
  • uni mart 4301, wilkes barre
  • uni-mart, wyoming
  • unimart, duryea
  • wyoming food mart llc, wyoming
  • wawa 270, kidder township
  • wawa 8249, dallas
  • wawa store 8240, wilkes barre
  • wb mart llc, wilkes barre
  • yash convenience inc., wilkes barre
  • your choice, hazleton

Combination Grocery/Other · 71

  • bhagavati food store #241 inc, wilkes barre
  • cvs pharmacy 1594, dallas
  • cvs pharmacy 2729, pittston
  • cvs pharmacy 10128, freeland
  • cvs pharmacy 1572, hazle township
  • cvs pharmacy 1584, nanticoke
  • cvs pharmacy 1588, wyoming
  • cvs pharmacy 1591, wilkes barre
  • cvs pharmacy 1614, hanover township
  • cvs pharmacy 1616, exeter
  • cvs pharmacy 1891, hazleton
  • cvs pharmacy 2133, kingston
  • cvs/pharmacy 1583, shickshinny
  • dollar general 11232, wilkes barre
  • dollar general 19268, edwardsville
  • dollar general 4424, wilkes barre
  • dollar general 7096, exeter
  • dollar general store 24298, hazleton
  • dollar tree 1384, edwardsville
  • dollar general 10148, hazleton
  • dollar general 10473, dallas
  • dollar general 12900, wilkes barre
  • dollar general 14417, mountain top
  • dollar general 14914, nescopeck
  • dollar general 15422, lake township
  • dollar general 15817, drums
  • dollar general 15995, freeland
  • dollar general 16039, kingston
  • dollar general 16818, wilkes barre
  • dollar general 18489, nescopeck
  • dollar general 19404, hazleton
  • dollar general 20451, nanticoke
  • dollar general 20840, pittston
  • dollar general 21156, mountain top
  • dollar general 21314, hazle township
  • dollar general 21643, plymouth
  • dollar general 22954, nanticoke
  • dollar general 23851, dallas
  • dollar general 24145, plains
  • dollar general 30391, shickshinny
  • dollar general 30609, dallas
  • dollar general 8000, wilkes barre
  • dollar general 9423, shavertown
  • dollar general 9544, pittston
  • dollar general 9632, hazleton
  • dollar tree 1677, wilkes barre
  • dollar tree 1952, pittston
  • dollar tree 2240, wyoming
  • dollar tree 4239, wilkes barre
  • dollar tree 425, hazle township
  • dollar tree 6722, duryea
  • dollar tree 7240, wilkes barre
  • dollar tree 8499, wilkes barre
  • family dollar 12417, kingston
  • family dollar 2582, wilkes barre
  • family dollar 3157, luzerne
  • family dollar 3310, hazleton
  • family dollar 3369, hazle township
  • family dollar 6575, ashley
  • family dollar 6986, plymouth
  • family dollar 7975, exeter
  • family dollar 8528, plains
  • family dollar 9342, freeland
  • family dollar store 2563, shickshinny
  • house of nutrition, luzerne
  • keyco warehouse outlet, forty fort
  • las yeli mini market inc, hazleton
  • ocean state job lot 603, wilkes barre
  • premo's, wilkes barre
  • valley meats & deli llc, avoca
  • walgreens 07843, kingston

Medium Grocery Store · 19

  • a & j grocery store 2, west hazleton
  • akshar plymouth corp, nanticoke
  • associates grocery & meat corp, hazleton
  • el bambu056 llc, hazleton
  • el macuto mini market, hazleton
  • enger supermarket inc, hazleton
  • hazle park quality meats, hazleton
  • hazleton supermarket, hazleton
  • jerry & son market llc, nanticoke
  • jerusalem halal market, wilkes barre
  • jp meat market, hanover township
  • jp meat market corp, hanover township
  • la isla fresh market, wilkes barre
  • marias market, wilkes barre
  • mi conuco minimark corp, hazleton
  • mi tierra supermarket, hazleton
  • sabatelles market, pittston
  • soraida grocery corp, hazleton
  • the kosher market, kingston

Small Grocery Store · 12

  • dd's minimarket corp, freeland
  • deli mexican produce, hazleton
  • diamond food minimarket corp, hazleton
  • e & j grocery corp, hazleton
  • espinoza deli & grocery, wilkes barre
  • green minimarket inc, west hazleton
  • huzaish meat mart, wilkes-barre
  • india bazar, wilkes barre
  • kiara grosery, hazleton
  • melvin grocery corp, hazleton
  • payita deli grocery corp, wilkes barre
  • smiths country store, monroe township

Large Grocery Store · 5

  • deemer's discount groceries, wilkes barre
  • food universe marketplace kf#2693, wilkes barre
  • fuente de mana farmers market inc, hazleton
  • meliza supermarket, hazleton
  • penn city supermarket corp 1, hazleton

Farmers' Market · 4

  • berwick farmer's market, berwick
  • burger's farm market, drums
  • city of wilkes-barre farmers market, wilkes barre
  • pittston city farmers market ffab, pittston

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 4

  • fish & meat market corp, wilkes barre
  • komensky's market, duryea
  • morgans butcher shop, pittston
  • usa pork packers, inc., hazleton

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 2

  • herold's farm market, hanover township
  • peruginos mkt, kingston

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • amigon's bakery, wilkes barre

Seafood Specialty · 1

  • c&d seafood, wilkes barre

Showing 250 of 297 authorized retailers, largest categories first.

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Pennsylvania

Compare Luzerne County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Luzerne 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 Luzerne County has low food access?
20.3% of residents in Luzerne 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 Luzerne County?
19.6% of households in Luzerne County receive SNAP, covering 26,482 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Luzerne County?
The poverty rate in Luzerne County, PA is 15.3%, with a median household income of $63,691 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Luzerne County a food desert?
4 of Luzerne County's 104 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 Luzerne County households lack a vehicle?
9.5% of households in Luzerne 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.