County food-access profile · Ohio
Allen County, OH
Allen 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.
- 17.4%
- low-access pop.
- 2
- food-desert tracts
- 13.8%
- on SNAP
- 101K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.4% of Allen County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 33 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 8
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 7.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.3%
- 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).
Allen County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.4% per the USDA Atlas. 8 of the county's 33 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 18,548 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,256 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 Allen County compares nationally
Allen County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.4% low-access share that beats 39% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,917).
Allen County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 33 census tracts in Allen County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Allen County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Allen
Allen County, OH
17.4 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, OH
22 % low-access
- Ashland 5
Ashland County, OH
5 % low-access
- Ashtabula
Ashtabula County, OH
21.9 % low-access
- Athens
Athens County, OH
17 % low-access
- Auglaize
Auglaize County, OH
9.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 33 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 106,331 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 8 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 2 |
| Low-Access Population | 18,548 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.4%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,256 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 101,348 |
| Median Household Income | $64,038 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.3%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 5,691 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.1% |
About 13.8% of Allen County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.4% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 5,691 households here.
- 7.5% 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 Allen County
near the national share
2 of Allen County's 33 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.1% of all its tracts.
A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 8.
An estimated 18,548 residents, roughly 17.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,256 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 25 tracts (75.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Allen County
Allen County has 101 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 47 locations (47% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 47
- alenda international multi-services, lima
- allentown duchess 1192, lima
- amazing clark llc 1493, lima
- belleview clark, lima
- big boys general store, lima
- casey's 3608, lima
- casey's 3779, elida
- canal pharmacy, spencerville
- circle k 4705655, lima
- circle k 5649, delphos
- circle k 5652, lima
- circle k 5656, lima
- corner store, lima
- d & g mini mart, lima
- danny food mart 009, lima
- ft. amanda duchess 1191, lima
- fuel stop, lima
- g and g foodmart 002, lima
- g mart inc, lima
- grandview drive thru, lima
- gurunanak petroleum, lima
- j & e hatian caribbean stores multi services 02053317, lima
- love's travel stop 555, delphos
- marathon, lima
- meijer gas station 110, lima
- murphy usa 6816, lima
- neu clark, lima
- pilot travel center 457, beaverdam
- pilot travel center 695, beaverdam
- seven star eleven lima llc, lima
- shawnee clark, lima
- slix mini mart, lima
- speedway 1195 1195, lima
- speedway 3547 3547, lima
- speedway 3548 3548, lima
- speedway 3609, lima
- speedway 3610, lima
- speedway 3617, lima
- speedway 5236 5236, lima
- speedway 6345 6345, delphos
- st. johns drive thru, lima
- star gas, lima
- the dairy market, lima
- the point marathon, delphos
- the pony keg, lima
- vine grocery inc, lima
- vinnies drive thru, lima
Combination Grocery/Other · 31
- cvs 11213, bluffton
- cvs 4445, lima
- dollar general 13979, spencerville
- dollar general 18818, lima
- dollar general 2013, lima
- dollar general 3753, cridersville
- dollar general 4705, lima
- dollar general 6141, elida
- dollar general 7134, delphos
- dollar general 9769, bluffton
- dollartree 10870, lima
- dollar general 11039, lima
- dollar general 13487, lima
- dollar general 14807, beaverdam
- dollar general 16853, lima
- dollar general 19765, lima
- dollar general 21063, lima
- dollar general 21885, harrod
- dollar general 22220, lima
- dollar general 23772, lima
- dollar general 30367, lima
- dollar general 3710, lima
- dollar tree 197, lima
- dollar tree 3395, lima
- dollar tree 8267, delphos
- dollar tree 8823, lima
- family dollar 9313, lima
- family dollar store 1466, lima
- family dollar store 3975, delphos
- walgreens 7441, lima
- walgreens 7684, lima
Super Store · 9
- chief supermarket 106, lima
- chief supermarket 107, lima
- chief supermarket 114, delphos
- meijer inc 110, lima
- ruler 335, lima
- rulers 238, lima
- sam's club 6375, lima
- walmart supercenter 3206, lima
- walmart supercenter 1330, lima
Supermarket · 7
- aldi 61070 61070, lima
- aldi 61071, lima
- community markets 5, bluffton
- gordon food service store mp092, lima
- save a lot 21734, lima
- save a lot 21735, lima
- stites grocery, lima
Small Grocery Store · 3
- daleys discount groceries inc, lima
- jbusventures llc, lima
- reference international mini market, lima
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- keystone brand meats, lima
- the olde thyme pantry llc, elida
Farmers' Market · 1
- downtown lima farmers market, lima
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- rode's meats, delphos
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Allen County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Allen County sits inside Ohio (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 Allen County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Allen County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Allen County? ▼
Is Allen County a food desert? ▼
What share of Allen 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.