County food-access profile · Ohio
Athens County, OH
Athens 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.
- 17.0%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 14.4%
- on SNAP
- 62K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
17.0% of Athens County residents live in a low-access area, and 5 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 6.8%
- households, no vehicle
- 21.5%
- 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).
Athens County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 17.0% per the USDA Atlas. 6 of the county's 15 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 10,983 residents who live far from a supermarket. 5 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 7,110 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 Athens County compares nationally
Athens County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 17.0% low-access share that beats 38% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,948).
Athens County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 15 census tracts in Athens County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Athens County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Athens
Athens County, OH
17 % low-access
- Adams
Adams County, OH
22 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, OH
17.4 % low-access
- Ashland 5
Ashland County, OH
5 % low-access
- Ashtabula
Ashtabula County, OH
21.9 % low-access
- Auglaize
Auglaize County, OH
9.9 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 64,757 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 5 |
| Low-Access Population | 10,983 |
| Low-Access Share | 17.0%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 7,110 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 61,737 |
| Median Household Income | $56,001 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.5%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,314 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.8%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 12.3% |
About 14.4% of Athens County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 17.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,314 households here.
- 6.8% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 5 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 Athens County
near the national share
5 of Athens County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.
An estimated 10,983 residents, roughly 17.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 7,110 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Athens County
Athens County has 61 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 30 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 30
- buchtel food mart 283, buchtel
- canal carryout, nelsonville
- cee dee handymart, chauncey
- certified oil corp 400474, glouster
- certified oil corp 400474, glouster
- chauncey food mart 233, chauncey
- coonskin crossing inc., amesville
- cornerstone, glouster
- gilchrist conv. store, sharpsburg
- go mart 111, athens
- go mart 112, athens
- go mart 113, nelsonville
- go mart 116, coolville
- guysville food mart 261, guysville
- jefferson marketplace, athens
- jerry's panda supermarket inc, athens
- little general store 4500, albany
- lodi general store, shade
- marathon food center 237, albany
- par mar store 118, hockingport
- par mar store 153, athens
- par mar store 166, athens
- par mar store 167, athens
- par mar store 168, the plains
- postons carry out, stewart
- speedway 9242, athens
- shrivers pharmacy 4, nelsonville
- speedway 9224 9224, nelsonville
- speedway 9235, athens
- union street market llc, athens
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- cvs 6184, athens
- cvs 6193, athens
- dollar general 2000, nelsonville
- dollar general 8619, athens
- dollar general 8876, athens
- dollartree 9547, the plains
- dollar general 20046, albany
- dollar general 25337, nelsonville
- dollar general 8620, glouster
- dollar general store 18095, the plains
- dollar tree 2897, athens
- family dollar 12400, athens
- family dollar 1803, glouster
- family dollar 1839, nelsonville
- family dollar store 7687, albany
- family dollar store 8022, coolville
- family dollar store 859, athens
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 61014 61014, athens
- grants supermarket 19, the plains
- piggly wiggly of the plains, the plains
- seamans of athens inc, athens
- save a lot 21717, athens
Super Store · 4
- kroger n-529, nelsonville
- kroger n-831, trimble
- kroger n-901 n901, athens
- walmart 3486, athens
Farmers' Market · 2
- athens farmers market, athens
- nelsonville farmers market 2, nelsonville
Bakery Specialty · 1
- athens bread company, athens
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- the local butcher 1, athens
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- kindred market, llc, athens
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Athens County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Athens 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 Athens County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Athens County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Athens County? ▼
Is Athens County a food desert? ▼
What share of Athens 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.