County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Union County, PA
Union 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.
- 18.4%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.8%
- on SNAP
- 42K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.4% of Union County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 9.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.0%
- 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).
Union County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.4% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,290 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 Union County compares nationally
Union County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.4% low-access share that beats 42% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,824).
Union County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Union County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Union County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Union
Union County, PA
18.4 % 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 | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 44,947 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,290 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,797 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 42,456 |
| Median Household Income | $76,404 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,711 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.8%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 9.7%above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 21.1% |
About 11.8% of Union County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,711 households here.
- 9.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $76,404 with a 9.0% 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 Union 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 8,290 residents, roughly 18.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,797 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (70.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Union County
Union County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 13 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 13
- 7-eleven store #40421a 40421a, lewisburg
- aplus 40231, allenwood
- express food mart, mifflinburg
- good to go fuelmart, allenwood
- harvey's retail operation, inc harvey's1, millmont
- i-fuel, lewisburg
- quick shop #4, lewisburg
- quick shop 2, new columbia
- s&s farms country store, allenwood
- sheetz 276, mifflinburg
- sheetz 378, lewisburg
- wawa store 8202, lewisburg
- west milton food mart, west milton
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs pharmacy 1596, mifflinburg
- cvs pharmacy 1604, lewisburg
- dollar general 9436, mifflinburg
- dollar general 15976, mifflinburg
- dollar general 18185, new columbia
- dollar general 19751, hartleton
- dollar general store 17844, allenwood
- dollar tree 3832, lewisburg
- dollar tree 6858, mifflinburg
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 60175, lewisburg
- davy's fresh market llc., lewisburg
- giant food store 6332, lewisburg
- weis markets 197, mifflinburg
- weis markets 31, lewisburg
Super Store · 2
- walmart 1644, lewisburg
- wengers grocery outlet, mifflinburg
Farmers' Market · 1
- lewisburg farmers market, lewisburg
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- fisher's meats lewisburg llc, lewisburg
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- green ridge country mkt., mifflinburg
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Union County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Union 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 Union County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Union County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Union County? ▼
Is Union County a food desert? ▼
What share of Union 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.