County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Pike County, PA
Pike 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.
- 12.6%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.6%
- on SNAP
- 61K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
12.6% of Pike County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 5.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.8%
- 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).
Pike County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.6% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 18 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,222 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Pike County compares nationally
Pike County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.6% low-access share that beats 27% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,298).
Pike County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 18 census tracts in Pike County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Pike County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Pike 12.6
Pike County, PA
12.6 % 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 | 18 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 57,369 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,222 |
| Low-Access Share | 12.6%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,531 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 60,621 |
| Median Household Income | $81,323 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,046 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.6%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.7% |
About 12.6% of Pike County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 12.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,046 households here.
- 5.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $81,323 with a 9.8% poverty rate.
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 Pike County
near the national share
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 7,222 residents, roughly 12.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,531 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 15 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Pike County
Pike County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 11 locations (38% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 53, hawleu
- dollar general 15589, delaware township
- dollar general 17049, greentown
- dollar general 17272, milford
- dollar general 18269, shohola
- dollar general 20122, greeley
- dollar general 24042, milford
- dollar tree 4548, matamoras
- family dollar store 3856, hawley
- walgreens 19444, hawley
- walgreens 19871, milford
Convenience Store · 9
- mirabito #125 hawley, hawley
- mirabito #127 milford-hilltop, milford
- mirabito #128 hawley-lords valley, hawley
- promised land truck stop, tafton
- sister's corner deli & convenient store, dingmans ferry
- snh real estates llc, dingmans ferry
- turkey hill minit market 950145, milford
- turkey hill minit market 950151, matamoras
- turkey hill minit markets 950286, hawley
Supermarket · 6
- dutchs mkt, greentown
- pike farms llc/key food, milford
- price chopper westfall 202, matamoras
- shoprite of westfall town center 463, matamoras
- weis markets 135, dingmans ferry
- weis markets 157, hawley
Large Grocery Store · 1
- prime time meats, milford
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- express fuel & mart, greeley
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 2064, milford
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Pike County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Pike 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 Pike County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pike County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Pike County? ▼
Is Pike County a food desert? ▼
What share of Pike 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.