County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Susquehanna County, PA
Susquehanna 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.
- 18.1%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 12.9%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.1% of Susquehanna County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 5.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.4%
- 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).
Susquehanna County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.1% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 11 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,854 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,648 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 Susquehanna County compares nationally
Susquehanna County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.1% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,854).
Susquehanna County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 11 census tracts in Susquehanna County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Susquehanna County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Susquehanna
Susquehanna County, PA
18.1 % 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 | 11 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 43,356 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 7,854 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.1%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,648 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 38,219 |
| Median Household Income | $68,487 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.4%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,002 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 12.9% of Susquehanna County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,002 households here.
- 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Susquehanna County
near the national share
3 of Susquehanna County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 27.3% of all its tracts.
A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 7,854 residents, roughly 18.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,648 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (45.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County has 24 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 11 locations (46% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- dollar general 18204, new milford
- dollar general 6543, forest city
- dollar general 8583, susquehanna
- dollar general 10084, montrose
- dollar general 12323, hallstead
- dollar general 19523, friendsville
- dollar general 23063, clifford township
- dollar general 30692, meshoppen
- dollar tree 8426, montrose
- family dollar 8870, hallstead
- family dollar store 5955, montrose
Convenience Store · 7
- arlo's country store, union dale
- checkered express, springville
- dandy mini mart 72, little meadows
- liberty express- great bend sunoco 3, hallstead
- liberty travel plaza- great bend 7, hallstead
- pilot travel center 710, new milford
- turkey hill minit markets 950150, forest city
Supermarket · 3
- price chopper montrose 185, montrose
- scarfalloto's hometown market, montrose
- schneiders of susquehanna, susquehanna
Large Grocery Store · 1
- rae & hads mkt inc., forest city
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- russell farms, brackney
Super Store · 1
- rob's market, hallstead
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Susquehanna County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Susquehanna 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 Susquehanna County has low food access? ▼
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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.