County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Warren County, PA
Warren 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.
- 10.8%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 14.6%
- on SNAP
- 38K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.8% of Warren County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 6.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 10.8%
- 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).
Warren County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.8% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 4,528 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,812 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 Warren County compares nationally
Warren County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.8% low-access share that beats 23% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,424).
Warren County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Warren County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Warren County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Warren 10.8
Warren County, PA
10.8 % 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 | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 41,815 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 4,528 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.8%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,812 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,920 |
| Median Household Income | $60,480 |
| Poverty Rate | 10.8%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,361 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
About 14.6% of Warren County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,361 households here.
- 6.2% 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 Warren County
near the national share
2 of Warren County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.4% 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 4,528 residents, roughly 10.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,812 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (76.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Warren County
Warren County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 14 locations (44% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 14
- cvs pharmacy 5093, warren
- dollar general 2299, warren
- dollar general 8482, youngsville
- dollar general 12982, sheffield
- dollar general 15172, sugar grove
- dollar general 16134, clarendon
- dollar general 18051, russell
- dollar general 30902, tidioute
- dollar tree 3551, warren
- family dollar 10587, tidioute
- family dollar 10961, youngsville
- family dollar store 7297, warren
- spend less, warren
- the storehouse grocery, youngsville
Convenience Store · 10
- country fair 10, warren
- country fair 63, warren
- country fair 71, youngsville
- kwik fill 149, warren
- kwik fill 152, warren
- kwik fill 295, warren
- kwik fill 299, sugar grove
- kwik fill 381, pittsfield
- sheetz 520, warren
- the trading post, tidioute
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 74067 74067, warren
- tops markets 603, warren
- tops markets 669, youngsville
- tops markets 671, sheffield
- warren shurfine 1, warren
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- straight off the block, sheffield
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- kondaks community market, clarendon
Super Store · 1
- walmart 3429, warren
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Warren County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Warren 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 Warren County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Warren County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Warren County? ▼
Is Warren County a food desert? ▼
What share of Warren 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.