County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Lycoming County, PA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Lycoming 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).
- 23.3%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 14.9%
- on SNAP
- 113K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.3% of Lycoming County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 11
- low-access tracts
- 10K
- food-desert residents
- 9.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.8%
- 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 Lycoming County's low-access share at 23.3%, above the national share. 11 of the county's 29 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 27,038 people. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,793 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 Lycoming County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Lycoming County's 23.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 55% of them and ranked #1,421 most-affected nationwide.
Lycoming County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 29 census tracts in Lycoming County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lycoming County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Lycoming
Lycoming County, PA
23.3 % 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 | 29 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 116,111 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 11 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 27,038 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,793 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 113,489 |
| Median Household Income | $63,917 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,961 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.7%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.0% |
About 14.9% of Lycoming County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,961 households here.
- 9.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Lycoming County
above the national share
5 of Lycoming County's 29 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 17.2% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 11.
An estimated 27,038 residents, roughly 23.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,793 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 18 tracts (62.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lycoming County
Lycoming County has 91 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 44 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 44
- 220 pitt stop, hughesville
- 6th and high mini mart, williamsport
- 7-eleven 40118h, muncy
- 7-eleven, inc. 40408j, montgomery
- a-1 stop, williamsport
- aplus 40408, montgomery
- aplus 40409, williamsport
- aplus 40423, williamsport
- creekside country market, montoursville
- dandy mini mart 46, unityville
- dandy mini mart 81, jersey shore
- eds market, williamsport
- everest retail llc, williamsport
- ez mart high street, williamsport
- fuel on, hughesville
- kwik fill 192, williamsport
- lehigh gas ohio llc, jersey shore
- mobil 330, williamsport
- nittany minit mart 237, jersey shore
- nittany minit mart 243, williamsport
- nittany minit mart 244, williamsport
- nittany minit mart 249, williamsport
- quick mart, williamsport
- r&t asian market of williamsport, williamsport
- right-away 2, hughesville
- round house, williamsport
- sheetz 283, williamsport
- sheetz 336, williamsport
- sheetz 442, lycoming
- sheetz 530, muncy
- sheetz 686, montgomery
- shree nilkanth inc, williamsport
- station market, cogan station
- steam valley travel plaza, trout run
- turkey hill minit market 950201, williamsport
- turkey hill minit market 950202, montoursville
- turkey hill minit market 950210, williamsport
- turkey hill minit market 950211, montoursville
- turkey hill minit markets 950206, muncy
- unimart, williamsport
- unimart montgomery, montgomery
- unity food mart, muncy
- wawa store 8220, williamsport
- your choice #2, montoursville
Combination Grocery/Other · 24
- cvs pharmacy 1598, williamsport
- cvs pharmacy 1610, muncy
- cvs pharmacy 1613, williamsport
- cvs pharmacy 6764, jersey shore
- dollar general 1417, montoursville
- dollar general 2911, muncy
- dollar general 3578, williamsport
- dollar general 6461, jersey shore
- dollartree 9689, williamsport
- dollar general 14961, montgomery
- dollar general 20625, linden
- dollar general 21298, jersey shore
- dollar general 22874, williamsport
- dollar general 25995, williamsport
- dollar general 31373, montgomery
- dollar general 8716, williamsport
- dollar general 9598, muncy
- dollar general store 16223, jersey shore
- dollar tree 27, williamsport
- dollar tree 6576, williamsport
- family dollar 13797, hughesville
- family dollar 8899, williamsport
- family dollar store 1811, williamsport
- family dollar store 1891, williamsport
Supermarket · 13
- aldi 60093, montoursville
- aldi 60186, williamsport
- giant food store 6122, williamsport
- save a lot, jersey shore
- save a lot, williamsport
- wegmans 78, williamsport
- weis markets 14, jersey shore
- weis markets 177, muncy
- weis markets 24, montgomery
- weis markets 37, montoursville
- weis markets 52, williamsport
- weis markets 9, williamsport
- wengerds farm market, muncy
Super Store · 4
- sam's club 6547, muncy
- surplus outlet, montgomery
- target 2437, muncy
- walmart 1887, montoursville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- erv's meat market, jersey shore
- hb farm to you meats llc, muncy
Large Grocery Store · 1
- tj's market, hughesville
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- trout run general store, trout run
Seafood Specialty · 1
- helmrich's seafood, inc., williamsport
Small Grocery Store · 1
- flooks meat & locker plant, williamsport
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Lycoming County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Lycoming 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 Lycoming County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lycoming County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lycoming County? ▼
Is Lycoming County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lycoming 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.