Signature · 5 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts)
Athens County, OH
Athens County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 5 LILA tracts (33.3% of the book) alongside 17.0% low-access.
- 17.0%
- low-access pop.
- 5
- food-desert tracts
- 14.4%
- on SNAP
- 62K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Athens County, OH
LA-MODERATE · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-MODERATE 17.0% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -5.1 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 5 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 14.4% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.8% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 33% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Cuyahoga County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Athens County ranks #1,938 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #49 of 88 counties in OH (17.0% low-access; 5 food-desert tracts).
- #1,938
- national by low-access %
- #49
- in OH
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 5 LILA tracts (33.3% of tracts) .
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
15 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 5 LILA.
By USDA urbanicity classification, Athens County has 5 urban and 10 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.
Athens County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Ohio, not a full county-board reprint
- Warren
Warren 45.7%
45.7 % low-access
- Allen 17.4
Allen 17.4%
17.4 % low-access
- Defiance 17.3
Defiance 17.3%
17.3 % low-access
- Athens 17
Athens 17%
17 % low-access
- Cuyahoga 16.8
Cuyahoga 16.8%
16.8 % low-access
- Wayne 16.5
Wayne 16.5%
16.5 % low-access
- Morrow 2.2
Morrow 2.2%
2.2 % 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 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| 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% |
Thick SNAP store book 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 stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Ohio
One of 87 counties in Ohio, 6 are shown here.
Compare Athens County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Nationwide peers for Athens County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Athens County, both outside Ohio so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside OH (17.0% here).
- Montgomery County, NC · 17.0% low-access
- Montgomery County, NC · 17.0% low-access
- Lancaster County, NE · 17.0% low-access
- Lancaster County, NE · 17.0% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside OH (14.4% here).
- Onondaga County, NY · 14.4% SNAP
- Onondaga County, NY · 14.4% SNAP
- New York County, NY · 14.4% SNAP
- New York County, NY · 14.4% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Athens County sits inside Ohio (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Athens County, OH are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 39009. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.