PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Ashland County, OH

Most of Ashland 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).

5.0%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.9%
on SNAP
52K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

5.0% of Ashland County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

3
low-access tracts
804
food-desert residents
6.5%
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).

By the USDA's measure, Ashland County fares better than most: just 5.0% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 3 of the county's 11 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,646 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 804 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 Ashland County compares nationally

Food access in Ashland County compares favorably nationally: its 5.0% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,815).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Ashland County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 11 census tracts in Ashland 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 Ashland County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 11 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (72.7%) 2 tracts limited (18.2%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (9.1%) Adequate 73% Limited 18% Severe 9% Food-access tier distribution: Ashland County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Ashland County vs. other Ohio counties

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

% 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 Ashland County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts11
Atlas Population (2010 basis)53,139
Low-Access Tracts3
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population2,646
Low-Access Share5.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population804

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Ashland County
IndicatorValue
Population52,256
Median Household Income$69,860
Poverty Rate13.3%near the national average
SNAP Households1,854
SNAP Participation Rate8.9%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.5%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.7%
SNAP participation in Ashland County 8.9%

About 8.9% of Ashland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 5.0% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,854 households here.
  • 6.5% 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 Ashland County

below the national share

1 of Ashland County's 11 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 9.1% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.

An estimated 2,646 residents, roughly 5.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 804 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (72.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Ashland County

Ashland County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • ashland mobil, ashland
  • ashland motomart 4116, ashland
  • bellstores 1056, ashland
  • bellstores 1059, ashland
  • bellstores 1132, ashland
  • circle k 4705742, ashland
  • circle k 4705201, ashland
  • circle k 4705202, ashland
  • circle k 4705680, ashland
  • friendly express 6 6, ashland
  • goasis ashland 701, ashland
  • jeromesville market, jeromesville
  • jay laxmi ashland corp, ashland
  • main and union duchess 1182, ashland
  • mickey mart 25, loudonville
  • par mar store 236, loudonville
  • perrysville c store llc, perrysville
  • shayona 5 corp ( dba - mifflin market), ashland
  • troy road market, ashland

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs pharmacy 6167, ashland
  • dollar general 1542, ashland
  • dollar general 6729, ashland
  • discount drug mart 44, ashland
  • dollar general 15585, sullivan
  • dollar general 15638, savannah
  • dollar general 21418, perrysville
  • dollar general 24046, ashland
  • dollar general 8413, loudonville
  • dollar tree 3619, ashland
  • dollar tree 8045, ashland
  • family dollar 8266, loudonville
  • family dollar store 7382, ashland

Super Store · 3

  • buehler's fresh foods 03, ashland
  • skico inc - hawkins market, ashland
  • walmart supercenter 1448, ashland

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 63028 63028, ashland
  • save a lot 21695, ashland
  • stake's iga, loudonville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • heffelfinger meat market, inc, ashland

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • turk bros custom meats, ashland

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • beyond measure market, greenwich

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • sullivan market, sullivan

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Ohio

Adams County
22.0% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Allen County
17.4% low-access · 13.8% SNAP
Ashtabula County
21.9% low-access · 18.2% SNAP
Athens County
17.0% low-access · 14.4% SNAP
Auglaize County
9.9% low-access · 6.8% SNAP
Belmont County
22.3% low-access · 15.2% SNAP

Compare Ashland County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Ashland County sits inside Ohio (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 Ashland County has low food access? ▼
5.0% of residents in Ashland County, OH 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 Ashland County? ▼
8.9% of households in Ashland County receive SNAP, covering 1,854 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Ashland County? ▼
The poverty rate in Ashland County, OH is 13.3%, with a median household income of $69,860 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Ashland County a food desert? ▼
1 of Ashland County's 11 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 Ashland County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.5% of households in Ashland 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.