County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Northampton County, PA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Northampton 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).
- 24.5%
- low-access pop.
- 4
- food-desert tracts
- 10.3%
- on SNAP
- 319K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.5% of Northampton County residents live in a low-access area, and 4 of its 68 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 29
- low-access tracts
- 14K
- food-desert residents
- 6.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 8.8%
- 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 Northampton County's low-access share at 24.5%, above the national share. 29 of the county's 68 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 73,086 people. 4 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 14,149 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 Northampton County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Northampton County's 24.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,332 most-affected nationwide.
Northampton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 68 census tracts in Northampton County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Northampton County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Northampton
Northampton County, PA
24.5 % 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 | 68 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 297,735 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 29 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 4 |
| Low-Access Population | 73,086 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.5%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 14,149 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 318,580 |
| Median Household Income | $89,184 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 12,621 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.3%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.5%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 4.1% |
About 10.3% of Northampton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 12,621 households here.
- 6.5% 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 Northampton County
above the national share
4 of Northampton County's 68 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 5.9% of all its tracts.
A further 25 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 29.
An estimated 73,086 residents, roughly 24.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 14,149 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 39 tracts (57.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Northampton County
Northampton County has 187 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 77 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 77
- 12th street market, easton
- 25th street sunoco, easton
- 611 food mart llc, easton
- 7-eleven #11380d 11380, hellertown
- 7-eleven store 19886f, nazareth
- 7-eleven store 40206a, bath
- 7-eleven store f 25704c, bethlehem
- a & d mini mart, bethlehem
- a to z convenience, easton
- arys express mart, easton
- bangor mart llc, bangor
- bath mart llc, bath
- bath mini market 1, bath
- berwick convenience shop, easton
- center street s inc, bethlehem
- dhani 1 food mart llc, nazareth
- easton ave mart llc, bethlehem
- easton mobile pramukh 100 inc, easton
- frey's better foods, hellertown
- friendly food mart, bethlehem
- fastfill#2 2, walnutport
- five star petroleum, bangor
- fresh hills market 101, wind gap
- friendly food mart, bethlehem
- friendly food mart 25, walnutport
- husky food mart, easton
- la favorita grocery store, bethlehem
- lmt mini mart llc, bethlehem
- mph food mart llc, easton
- main street sunoco inc, bethlehem
- nieves grocery, bethlehem
- nazareth pike sunoco fine food, bethlehem
- northampton exxon, northampton
- pantry 1 food mart, bethlehem
- penn jersey pen argyl, pen argyl
- pereira 11 gas llc, bethlehem
- raaas llc, bethlehem
- racetrack llc, bethlehem
- raceway food mart inc, bethlehem
- ram shri inc., bangor
- redners quick shoppe 332, northamption
- samp usa llc (bangor general store), bangor
- sheetz 522, easton
- sheetz 680, easton
- sheetz 821, bethlehem
- sheetz 891, hellertown
- speedway 6714, bethlehem
- speedway 6742, bethlehem
- speedway 6743, bethlehem
- speedway 6745, bethlehem
- subhmangal services llc, easton
- supreme mart, easton
- tatamy food mart, tatamy
- top star express 107, bethlehem
- top star express 112, hellertown
- top star express 137, easton
- turkey hill minit markets 950107, northampton
- turkey hill minit markets 950114, cherryville
- turkey hill minit markets 950215, easton
- turkey hill minit markets 950223, pen argyl
- turkey hill minit markets 950224, bethlehem
- turkey hill minit markets 950226, bangor
- turkey hill minit markets 950298, bethlehem
- uni-mart 301, bethlehem
- village market, hellertown
- wawa 101, easton
- wawa 297, bethlehem
- wawa 8032, palmer
- wawa 8036, bethlehem
- wawa 8037, bethlehem
- wawa 8043, nazareth
- wawa 8046, easton
- wawa food market 89, easton
- wawa store 8142, bethlehem
- wawa store 8181, bethlehem
- yesha inc., bethlehem
- your choice easton, easton
Combination Grocery/Other · 50
- cvs 1787, easton
- cvs 1901, bangor
- cvs pharmacy 1305, easton
- cvs pharmacy 1311, bethlehem
- cvs pharmacy 1908, bethlehem
- cvs pharmacy 3617, easton
- cvs pharmacy 5743, northampton
- cvs pharmacy 960, easton
- cvs pharmacy inc 2115, hellertown
- cvs pharmacy 2459, bethlehem
- cvs pharmacy 5533, bethlehem
- cvs pharmacy 5879, wind gap
- cvs pharmacy 5885, nazareth
- cvs pharmacy 820, bethlehem
- dollar general 18102, nazareth
- dollar general 4671, nazareth
- dollar general 7024, walnutport
- dollar general 8215, hellertown
- dollar general 15146, mount bethel
- dollar general 19889, northampton
- dollar general 25007, easton
- dollar general 25584, bangor
- dollar general 30381, northampton
- dollar general 4282, easton
- dollar general 7820, bangor
- dollar general 9546, easton
- dollar tree 1557, bethlehem
- dollar tree 1583, walnutport
- dollar tree 1661, easton
- dollar tree 1673, bethlehem
- dollar tree 2214, hellertown
- dollar tree 2479, nazareth
- dollar tree 4188, easton
- dollar tree 4572, wind gap
- dollar tree 5679, bethlehem
- dollar tree 8379, pen argyl
- dollar tree 9017, easton
- family dollar 11893, easton
- family dollar store 2811, bethlehem
- family dollar store 3390, pen argyl
- family dollar store 4227, easton
- family dollar store 7577, easton
- indian bazaar, easton
- ocean state job lot 604, wind gap
- pantry one food mart, bethlehem
- stefko market, bethlehem
- walgreens 03495, bethlehem
- walgreens 04852, bethlehem
- walgreens 05985, easton
- walgreens 09994, easton
Supermarket · 25
- aldi 60021 60021, nazareth
- aldi 60083 60083, bethlehem
- aldi 81, easton
- bath market inc, bath
- chandi supermarket llc, bethlehem
- easton grocery outlet 726, easton
- giant food store 6043, hellertown
- giant food store 6093, wind gap
- giant food store 6123, bethlehem
- giant food store 6255, easton
- giant food store 6321, nazareth
- giant food store 6330, easton
- giant food store 6336, bethlehem
- giant food store 6546, walnutport
- montclair meat & food corp./ideal food basket, bethlehem
- redners warehouse market 78, easton
- redners warehouse market 95, northampton
- thomson's meat market, walnutport
- wegmans 94, easton
- wegmans 97, bethlehem
- weis markets 144, bethlehem
- weis markets 164, pen argyl
- weis markets 168, easton
- weis markets 169, easton
- weis markets 386, bethlehem
Medium Grocery Store · 11
- apna punjab, bethlehem
- deli boca chica llc, bethlehem
- express mini market, easton
- heights market, bethlehem
- lopes seafood, bethlehem
- lehigh brazilian market, bethlehem
- minimarket cabrera 1, bethlehem
- nature's way, easton
- ruggiero's market, bangor
- saylors & co, hellertown
- taste of nature, wind gap
Small Grocery Store · 11
- 5 points mini market & deli llc, bethlehem
- bodega la familia llc, bethlehem
- carniceria la plaza, easton
- easton public market - highmark farm stand, easton
- fresh halal meat & deli, easton
- linden market, bethlehem
- mana food market, easton
- mhk family market llc, easton
- northampton grocery inc, easton
- pl international market llc., easton
- shree krishna market llc, easton
Super Store · 11
- azar supermarket, bethlehem
- bethlehem meat & produce corp/c-town supermarket, bethlehem
- fgv foods llc/bravo supermarket, easton
- gerrity's valley farm market, bethlehem
- ideal food basket, easton
- lidl 1096, easton
- sam's club 6567, easton
- shoprite of bethlehem 449, easton
- target store 2536, easton
- walmart 3563, bethlehem
- walmart supercenter 2252, easton
Delivery Route · 1
- eat real food mobile market, tatamy
Farmers' Market · 1
- easton farmers' market, easton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Northampton County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Northampton 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 Northampton County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Northampton County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Northampton County? ▼
Is Northampton County a food desert? ▼
What share of Northampton 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.