County food-access profile · Pennsylvania
Wayne County, PA
Most of Wayne 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).
- 2.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.0%
- on SNAP
- 51K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
2.0% of Wayne County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 462
- food-desert residents
- 6.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.1%
- 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, Wayne County fares better than most: just 2.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 14 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,033 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 462 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 Wayne County compares nationally
Food access in Wayne County compares favorably nationally: its 2.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 5% of them (rank #2,961).
Wayne County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Wayne County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Wayne County vs. other Pennsylvania counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Pennsylvania
- Wayne 2
Wayne County, PA
2 % 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 | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 52,822 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,033 |
| Low-Access Share | 2.0%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 462 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 51,262 |
| Median Household Income | $62,381 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,708 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.9%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.2% |
About 13.0% of Wayne County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 2.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,708 households here.
- 6.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Wayne County
below the national share
1 of Wayne County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.1% of all its tracts.
An estimated 1,033 residents, roughly 2.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 462 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 13 tracts (92.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Wayne County
Wayne County has 39 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (46% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 18
- cvs pharmacy 748, hamlin
- cvs pharmacy 1587, honesdale
- dollar general 1151, lake ariel
- dollar general 4843, honesdale
- dollar general 7526, waymart
- dollartree 10261, lake ariel
- dollar general 11592, newfoundland
- dollar general 15636, beach lake
- dollar general 16158, hawley
- dollar general 16445, jefferson township
- dollar general 17638, lakeville
- dollar general 17664, lake ariel
- dollar general 20883, honesdale
- dollar general 30015, gouldsboro
- dollar general store 16301, lake ariel
- dollar tree 1585, honesdale
- family dollar 13574, lake ariel
- romans famous none251, honesdale
Convenience Store · 8
- al's quick stop 7, newfoundland
- country trail, south canaan
- gouldsboro travel plaza 1, gouldsboro
- hawley sunoco, hawley
- joe's kwik mart 161, lake ariel
- joe's kwik mart 172, waymart
- preston country market, preston park
- turkey hill minit markets 950255, honesdale
Supermarket · 4
- lake region iga 260, hawley
- the alpine wurst and meat house inc., honesdale
- weis markets 106, hamlin
- weis markets 170, honesdale
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- jorob's naturals, honesdale
- ritters farm market llc, lake ariel
- south canaan farm market, waymart
Large Grocery Store · 2
- smokin joes qual meats & deli, mt cobb
- sunrise mkt inc, honesdale
Super Store · 2
- daves superduper, honesdale
- walmart supercenter 2480, honesdale
Farmers' Market · 1
- main street farmer's market, honesdale
Small Grocery Store · 1
- spolem deli, newfoundland
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Pennsylvania
Compare Wayne County vs Adams County → · All Pennsylvania counties →
Food access nationally, Pennsylvania in context
Wayne 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 Wayne County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Wayne County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Wayne County? ▼
Is Wayne County a food desert? ▼
What share of Wayne 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.