PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Pennsylvania

Venango County, PA

Most of Venango County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).

5.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
19.4%
on SNAP
50K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 PA

The food-access picture

5.3% of Venango County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
1K
food-desert residents
7.6%
households, no vehicle
13.2%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Venango County fares better than most: just 5.3% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 16 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,897 people who live far from a supermarket, and 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,075 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 Venango County compares nationally

Food access in Venango County compares favorably nationally: its 5.3% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 11% of them (rank #2,796).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Venango County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Venango County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Venango County, PA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 13 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 13 tracts adequate (81.3%) 1 tracts limited (6.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (12.5%) Adequate 81% Limited 6% Severe 13% Food-access tier distribution: Venango County, PA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Venango County vs. other Pennsylvania counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Venango County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)54,984
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population2,897
Low-Access Share5.3%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,075

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Venango County
IndicatorValue
Population49,801
Median Household Income$61,522
Poverty Rate13.2%near the national average
SNAP Households4,145
SNAP Participation Rate19.4%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle7.6%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.2%
SNAP participation in Venango County 19.4%

About 19.4% of Venango County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 5.3% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 19.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,145 households here.
  • 7.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 2 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 Venango County

below the national share

2 of Venango County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 12.5% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 2,897 residents, roughly 5.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,075 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 13 tracts (81.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Venango County

Venango County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (39% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • cvs pharmacy 5096, oil city
  • core goods, oil city
  • dollar general 14254, pleasantville
  • dollar general 1655, franklin
  • dollar general 18190, franklin
  • dollar general 19478, franklin
  • dollar general 8267, emlenton
  • dollar general 8878, oil city
  • dollar general 11515, seneca
  • dollar general 18076, harrisville
  • dollar general 20545, polk
  • dollar general 22656, oil city
  • dollar tree 29, franklin
  • family dollar 11984, oil city
  • family dollar store 10300, clintonville
  • family dollar store 1941, oil city
  • family dollar store 5956, franklin

Convenience Store · 13

  • coen markets 1204, emlenton
  • country fair 21, franklin
  • country fair 47, oil city
  • country fair 89, oil city
  • farmers daughters country market deli & bakery, seneca
  • nilu enterprise inc, cranberry
  • nilu enterprise inc, seneca
  • nilu enterprises, franklin
  • sheetz 260, cranberry
  • sheetz 439, franklin
  • sheetz 84, franklin
  • sheetz 859, harrisville
  • speedway 2921, harrisville

Super Store · 4

  • franklin markets llc, franklin
  • giant eagle 86, oil city
  • giant eagle franklin 85, franklin
  • walmart supercenter 2597, cranberry

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 69033, cranberry
  • emlenton iga, emlenton
  • save a lot 30193, franklin

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • clintonville market, clintonville
  • main street market, polk

Small Grocery Store · 2

  • big sky farms market llc, titusville
  • smith's country store, venus

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • schwebel baking company, reno

Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1

  • pollen nation, franklin

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • stillers meats and smokehouse, seneca

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Pennsylvania

Adams County
15.9% low-access · 8.2% SNAP
Allegheny County
26.4% low-access · 13.0% SNAP
Armstrong County
5.2% low-access · 15.6% SNAP
Beaver County
32.5% low-access · 13.8% SNAP
Bedford County
22.7% low-access · 15.8% SNAP
Berks County
17.5% low-access · 13.9% SNAP

Compare Venango County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →

Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context

Venango County sits inside Pennsylvania (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Venango County has low food access? ▼
5.3% of residents in Venango County, PA live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Venango County? ▼
19.4% of households in Venango County receive SNAP, covering 4,145 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Venango County? ▼
The poverty rate in Venango County, PA is 13.2%, with a median household income of $61,522 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Venango County a food desert? ▼
2 of Venango County's 16 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Venango County households lack a vehicle? ▼
7.6% of households in Venango County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.