County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Washington County, PA
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Washington County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 34.4%
- low-access pop.
- 11
- food-desert tracts
- 13.9%
- on SNAP
- 210K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.4% of Washington County residents live in a low-access area, and 11 of its 59 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 26
- low-access tracts
- 20K
- food-desert residents
- 7.3%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.6%
- 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).
USDA data puts Washington County's low-access share at 34.4%, above the national share. 26 of the county's 59 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 71,558 people. 11 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 20,046 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 Washington County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Washington County's 34.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #646 most-affected nationwide.
Washington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 59 census tracts in Washington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Washington County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Washington
Washington County, PA
34.4 % 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 | 59 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 207,820 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 26 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 11 |
| Low-Access Population | 71,558 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 20,046 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 210,042 |
| Median Household Income | $78,958 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 12,279 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.9%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.3%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.7% |
About 13.9% of Washington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 12,279 households here.
- 7.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 11 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 Washington County
above the national share
11 of Washington County's 59 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 18.6% of all its tracts.
A further 15 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 26.
An estimated 71,558 residents, roughly 34.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 20,046 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 33 tracts (55.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Washington County
Washington County has 147 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 71 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 71
- 519.7 1200, eighty four
- 7-eleven #36157, new eagle
- 7-eleven store 2701 36181a, washington
- 7-eleven store 2701-35900a 35900a, monongahela
- avella sunoco unimart na, avella
- bfs foods 63, canonsburg
- bfs foods 65, washington
- bentleyville sunoco, bentleyville
- bp eighty four, eighty four
- bp mcdonald, mcdonald
- bp racetrack, washington
- cougar mini mart, charleroi
- canonsburg sunoco, canonsburg
- cash n save, washington
- cogo's 1789, houston
- coen 1201, claysville
- coen 1210, washington
- coen 1215, canonsburg
- coen 1220, washington
- coen 1225, bentleyville
- coen 1230, eighty four
- coen 1235, burgettstown
- coen 1240, washington
- coen 1245, washington
- coen 1250, canonsburg
- coen 1260, prosperity
- coen 1600, hickory
- coen markets 1246, canonsburg
- coen markets 1249, bentleyville
- cogos 1850, washington
- donora union pharmacy, donora
- destination candy, washington
- dukes food mart washington, washington
- gabbys, fredericktown
- gabby food market, houston
- gas n go washington, washington
- georgetown express, canonsburg
- getgo 3027, richeyville
- getgo 3039, washington
- getgo 3272, washington
- getgo 3672, washington
- giant 907 907, charleroi
- holy geeta llc, clarksville
- houston sunoco lnc# 410, canonsburg
- in n out grocery store, cecil
- kwik fill 231, california
- kwik fill 232, eighty four
- kwik fill 235, washington
- mapco 1927, washington
- midwayminimart, midway
- minteers market, claysville
- mon city smoke & convenience, monongahela
- never us market 1, washington
- par mar store 158, elrama
- racetrack marathon lnc #401 380624, washington
- roscoe food mart, roscoe
- sheetz 279, canonsburg
- sheetz 671, washington
- sheetz 826, meadow lands
- sheetz 828, houston
- sheetz 92, monongahela
- spee-d mart 222, stockdale
- speedway 2915, washington
- the station, donora
- unimart, washington
- unimart express washington, washington
- vakil oil inc, canonsburg
- venetia amoco 1242, venetia
- washington bp, washington
- washington isaly's, washington
- winkles pit stop, cecil
Combination Grocery/Other · 40
- cvs pharmacy 3971, richeyville
- cvs pharmacy 4245, washington
- cvs pharmacy 5101, canonsburg
- dollar general 0042, monongahela
- dollar general 11328, mc donald
- dollar general 18798, burgettstown
- dollar general 2447, charleroi
- dollar general 10354, washington
- dollar general 13237, canonsburg
- dollar general 13449, roscoe
- dollar general 13996, finleyville
- dollar general 15903, hickory
- dollar general 17987, cecil
- dollar general 19582, brugettstown
- dollar general 21505, washington
- dollar general 23217, fredericktown
- dollar general 23463, bulger
- dollar general 23571, monongahela
- dollar general 247, california
- dollar general 25293, washington
- dollar general 4865, bentleyville
- dollar general 4971, donora
- dollar general 6675, houston
- dollar general 8758, washington
- dollar general store 16359, fredericktown
- dollar general store 16806, claysville
- dollar general store 17257, washington
- dollar tree 1060, canonsburg
- dollar tree 3392, washington
- dollar tree 8448, bentleyville
- ezzy mart, charleroi
- family dollar store 1356, washington
- family dollar store 1671, burgettstown
- family dollar store 3164, canonsburg
- family dollar store 4365, washington
- family dollar store 719, bentleyville
- family dollar store 788, monongahela
- walgreens 09676, washington
- walgreens 10786, canonsburg
- walgreens 12597, canonsburg
Super Store · 14
- bentleyville giant eagle #1603, bentleyville
- giant eagle 39, washington
- giant eagle 70, mcmurray
- giant eagle finleyville 5, finleyville
- giant eagle fisher heights 12, monongahela
- heisler's market, canonsburg
- interstate foodland, washington
- market district express 5104, mcmurray
- mcdonald giant eagle 1288, mc donald
- monongahela foodland 21-6063, monongahela
- sam's club 6251, washington
- target store 1216, washington
- washington shop n save, washington
- walmart supercenter 1739, washington
Medium Grocery Store · 7
- dickinson & son 84 packing, eighty four
- guyton's food warehouse, washington
- gabby market, washington
- international unimart, charlorei
- kauffman family market place, burgettstown
- las palmas 3, washington
- queen's market, charleroi
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 69051, washington
- aldi 69078, mcmurray
- canonsburg shop n save, canonsburg
- save a lot millsboro 21609, millsboro
Large Grocery Store · 3
- cox grocery, monongahela
- fredericktown butcher shop, fredericktown
- petrucci's iga, burgettstown
Small Grocery Store · 3
- global mart, charleroi
- global mart llc, canonsburg
- tienda la nueva jerusalem, washington
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- cheplic's, finleyville
- pennsylvania packinghouse, washington
Seafood Specialty · 2
- western edge seafood, washington
- western edge seafood outlet, canonsburg
Farmers' Market · 1
- main street farmers market, inc., washington
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Washington County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Washington 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 Washington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Washington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Washington County? ▼
Is Washington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Washington 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.