County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, PA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Montgomery 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).
- 31.3%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 6.6%
- on SNAP
- 868K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
31.3% of Montgomery County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 211 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 111
- low-access tracts
- 30K
- food-desert residents
- 5.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.5%
- 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 Montgomery County's low-access share at 31.3%, above the national share. 111 of the county's 211 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 249,980 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 30,183 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 Montgomery County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Montgomery County's 31.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #864 most-affected nationwide.
Montgomery County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 211 census tracts in Montgomery County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Montgomery County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Montgomery
Montgomery County, PA
31.3 % 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 | 211 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 799,874 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 111 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 249,980 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.3%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 30,183 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 867,573 |
| Median Household Income | $113,915 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 22,272 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.6%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.6% |
About 6.6% of Montgomery County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 31.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 22,272 households here.
- 5.7% 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 Montgomery County
above the national share
4 of Montgomery County's 211 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 1.9% of all its tracts.
A further 107 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 111.
An estimated 249,980 residents, roughly 31.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 30,183 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 100 tracts (47.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Montgomery County
Montgomery County has 443 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 159 locations (36% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 159
- 2073 sumneytown pike llc, woxall
- 6 eleven mini mart, king of prussia
- 66 conveneince llc, bridgeport
- 7 eleven store 16665e, glenside
- 7 eleven store 20435f, ambler
- 7 eleven store 22841b, lansdale
- 7 eleven store 24555e, north wales
- 7 eleven store 30392c, glenside
- 7 eleven store 40193a 40193, north wales
- 7-eleven 1405-23682, conshohocken
- 7-eleven 11410f, ambler
- 7-eleven 16366f, norristown
- 7-eleven store 11405c, lansdale
- 7-eleven store 11416f, norristown
- 7-eleven store 2405 11407c, norristown
- 7-eleven store 24160e, wynnewood
- 7-eleve store #11337b, glenside
- 7-eleven store #40474a 40474a, bryn mawr
- 7-eleven store 16770d, pottstown
- 7-eleven store 2405 11331c, abington
- 7-eleven store 2405 11396c, hatboro
- 7-eleven store 2405-20290d 20290e, bala cynwyd
- 7-eleven store 2405-23676d 23676d, norristown
- 7-eleven store 40163a 40163a, bryn mawr
- 7-eleven store 40235a 40235a, bala cynwyd
- 709 market, lansdale
- aplus 40279, king of prussia
- abarrotes la terraza 1, norristown
- american gasoline, plymouth meeting
- ams foodmart, norristown
- aplus 40100h, king of prussia
- audubon market 1, norristown
- bz stop shop inc, rockledge
- coles tobacco, pottstown
- conoco c-store 1, norristown
- costa deli, ambler
- cottman mart, cheltenham
- eagle smoke and convenience shop, abington
- el jalapeno grocery store inc, ambler
- elkins park fuels 67618, elkins park
- express fuel elkins park inc, elkins park
- express fuel huntingdonpike inc, huntingdon valley
- express fuel market, glenside
- ez mart, hatboro
- ezstop gas 1, glenside
- global food and gas 1, norristown
- gopal llc t/a ambler news stand, ambler
- green lane mart, green lane
- happiness here, norristown
- hatfield market 1, hatfield
- in & out food market, hatboro
- javier mini market llc, pottstown
- jay food corp/ quick stop, norristown
- joe's kwik mart 1034, glenside
- joe's kwik mart 1035, king of prussia
- joe's kwik marts 1049, king of prussia
- k & v petroleum llc 1, pottstown
- k&j melrose park, inc, elkins park
- lahasa quickmart llc, glenside
- landsdale sunoco 1, lansdale
- laura's grocery inc., souderton
- lucky convenience & lottery, royersford
- lukoil #69705 69705, hatboro
- lukoil mall site, plymouth meeting
- maha gas inc, rockledge
- mary's grocery llc, lansdale
- neighbourhood convenience store inc, norristown
- norristown convenience store, norristown
- norristown food mart, norristown
- norristown food&fuel llc, norristown
- oreland market, oreland
- one stop, norristown
- pa lucky 7 deli, willow grove
- pantry 1 food mart, king of prussia
- paradise halal market inc 1, willow grove
- pottstown mart, pottstown
- pottstowns own meat market llc, pottstown
- quick market, oreland
- quick stop #6, east greenville
- quick stop food mart, collegeville
- quickmart, norristown
- rafay's mart 1, west norriton
- redners quick shoppe 71, pottstown
- ridge sunoco, norristown
- roslyn food mart, abington
- royal farms 132, lansdale
- royal farms 155, norristown
- royal farms 234, collegeville
- royal farms 240, colmar
- royal farms 407, pottstown
- sarah's corner mart, willow grove
- sheetz 921, royersford
- shell ambler, ambler
- souderton food mart inc., souderton
- sparta, hatboro
- sunoco, horsham
- sunoco a plus, norristown
- sunoco aplus, hatboro
- sunoco aplus 8298, elkins park
- sunoco mini mart/smoke shop 1, pottstown
- tariq corp 8488, wynnewood
- telford convenience store, telford
- top star express 135, pennsburg
- trooper shell 1, norristown
- tummy time deli & mart, norristown
- turkey hill minit market 950299, eagleville
- turkey hill minit markets 950105, gilbertsville
- turkey hill minit markets 950132, pottstown
- turkey hill minit markets 950260, pottstown
- turkey hill minit markets 950269, pottstown
- turkey hill minit markets 950271, red hill
- urban grocer inc, pottstown
- vada two inc t/a lansdale mini mart, lansdale
- valley supermart, norristown
- wawa 105, souderton
- wawa 111, glenside
- wawa 134, gilbertsville
- wawa 141, royersford
- wawa 143, schwenksville
- wawa 148, ambler
- wawa 155, bala cynwyd
- wawa 156, ft washington
- wawa 157, north wales
- wawa 21, flourtown
- wawa 216, bridgeport
- wawa 253, conshohocken
- wawa 271, horsham
- wawa 281, zieglerville
- wawa 284, royersford
- wawa 285, horsham
- wawa 292, east norriton
- wawa 294, penn valley
- wawa 40, bala cynwyd
- wawa 42, king of prussia
- wawa 43, ambler
- wawa 66, ardmore
- wawa 67, conshohocken
- wawa 8003, norristown
- wawa 8005, limerick
- wawa 8018, colmar
- wawa 8019, collegeville
- wawa 8034, center square
- wawa 8038, limerick
- wawa 8135, harleysville
- wawa 8178, pennsburg,
- wawa 96, north wales
- wawa 97, lafayette hill
- wawa 8058, king of prussia
- wawa 8060, fort washington
- wawa 8050, hatfield
- wawa 8056, hatfield
- wawa 8057, huntingdon valley
- wawa 8061, norristown
- wawa 8062, oaks
- wawa 8063, willow grove
- wawa 8066, jenkintown
- wawa 8067, gilbertsville
- wawa 8071, plymouth meeting
- wawa 8080, cheltenham
Combination Grocery/Other · 91
- akshay grocery, west norriton
- bob's bread barn, gilbertsville
- cvs 5081, bala cynwyd
- cvs 5346, bala cynwyd
- cvs 7073, pennsburg
- cvs 7253, dresher
- cvs pharmacy 1282, ardmore
- cvs pharmacy 2032, norristown
- cvs pharmacy 2110, huntingdon valley
- cvs pharmacy 305, pottstown
- cvs pharmacy 3252, conshohocken
- cvs pharmacy 658, hatboro
- cvs pharmacy 919, glenside
- cvs pharmacy inc 791, erdenheim
- cvs pharmacy 1310, boyertown
- cvs pharmacy 10061, ambler
- cvs pharmacy 10493, ambler
- cvs pharmacy 10825, plymouth meeting
- cvs pharmacy 1191, horsham
- cvs pharmacy 1193, jenkintown
- cvs pharmacy 1379, lansdale
- cvs pharmacy 2046, norristown
- cvs pharmacy 2350, schwenksville
- cvs pharmacy 2479, souderton
- cvs pharmacy 2481, king of prussia
- cvs pharmacy 2496, maple glen
- cvs pharmacy 2523, lansdale
- cvs pharmacy 2530, willow grove
- cvs pharmacy 2688, collegeville
- cvs pharmacy 2690, limerick
- cvs pharmacy 2730, royersford
- cvs pharmacy 3011, blue bell
- cvs pharmacy 338, lansdale
- cvs pharmacy 3799, blue bell
- cvs pharmacy 4773, gilbertsville
- cvs pharmacy 5762, hatfield
- cvs pharmacy 5898, norristown
- cvs pharmacy 7259, zieglerville
- cvs pharmacy 8498, ambler
- cvs pharmacy 987, lansdale
- clemens meat market inc, norristown
- dollar tree 4537, jenkintown
- dollartree 10142, willow grove
- dollartree 10206, royersford
- dollartree 10213, willow grove
- dollartree 11027, north wales
- dollar general 11003, eagleville
- dollar general 12465, royersford
- dollar general 1549, pottstown
- dollar general 20919, pottstown
- dollar general 23065, souderton
- dollar general 23423, hatboro
- dollar general 23817, green lane
- dollar general 25907, cheltenham
- dollar general 6892, pottstown
- dollar tree 1617, lansdale
- dollar tree 1623, norristown
- dollar tree 1625, horsham
- dollar tree 1641, pottstown
- dollar tree 1647, collegeville
- dollar tree 1662, flourtown
- dollar tree 1672, eagleville
- dollar tree 1841, wyncote
- dollar tree 2932, north wales
- dollar tree 4141, norristown
- dollar tree 4891, boyertown
- dollar tree 5049, east greenville
- dollar tree 5155, royersford
- dollar tree 6671, royersford
- dollar tree 7176, souderton
- dollar tree 7891, norristown
- dollar tree 8616, norristown
- dollar tree 8650, montgomeryville
- family dollar 10793, pottstown
- family dollar 6048, abington
- family dollar store 5932, norristown
- family dollar store 7803, norristown
- ocean state job lot 601, montgomeryville
- ocean state job lot 611, pottstown
- sae han oriental fd mkt, blue bell
- soul brothers meats, north wales
- tienda hispana la tica llc, willow grove
- walgreens 01106, flourtown
- walgreens 06837, norristown
- walgreens 07014, norristown
- walgreens 07196, north wales
- walgreens 07224, king of prussia
- walgreens 07225, elkins park
- walgreens 07425, lansdale
- walgreens 10943, lansdale
- walgreens 10958, limerick
Showing 250 of 443 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Montgomery County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Montgomery 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 Montgomery County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Montgomery County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Montgomery County? ▼
Is Montgomery County a food desert? ▼
What share of Montgomery 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.