County food-access profile · Ohio
Clark County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Clark County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 20.3%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 18.0%
- on SNAP
- 135K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
20.3% of Clark County residents live in a low-access area, and 10 of its 44 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 17
- low-access tracts
- 11K
- food-desert residents
- 7.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.2%
- 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).
USDA data puts Clark County's low-access share at 20.3%, above the national share. 17 of the county's 44 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 28,145 people. 10 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 11,110 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 Clark County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Clark County's 20.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,668 most-affected nationwide.
Clark County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 44 census tracts in Clark County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Clark County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Clark
Clark County, OH
20.3 % 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
- Athens
Athens County, OH
17 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 44 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 138,333 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 17 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 28,145 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.3%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 11,110 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 135,158 |
| Median Household Income | $63,132 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.2%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 10,097 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 18.0%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 18.0% of Clark County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 20.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 18.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 10,097 households here.
- 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 10 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 Clark County
above the national share
10 of Clark County's 44 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.7% of all its tracts.
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 17.
An estimated 28,145 residents, roughly 20.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 11,110 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 27 tracts (61.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Clark County
Clark County has 123 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 55 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 55
- 235 food mart 1, new carlisle
- all-in-one market, new carlisle
- amoco, springfield
- beverage oasis 1, springfield
- cash & carry food mart, springfield
- candy drivethru, springfield
- casey's 3708, new carlisle
- certified oil 400431, springfield
- certified oil corp 400202, springfield
- corner market, springfield
- county line food & beverage llc, springfield
- crownmarket, springfield
- docs on west north llc, springfield
- fsk prtroleum inc, enon
- fuel mart 764, south vienna
- gnr market, springfield
- gskland llc 0, springfield
- harmony farm market, springfield
- home road sunoco, springfield
- lakeview quick mart, new carlisle
- little joe's mini mart, springfield
- love's travel stop 605, springfield
- madersmarket, springfield
- marathon gas station, springfield
- marathon gas station, springfield
- nagla food market, springfield
- plum food mart, springfield
- park lane mart, new carlisle
- pit stop pizza & drive thru, springfield
- quiktrip 7098, springfield
- rhj llc, springfield
- richie corner stop, medway
- sunshine sunoco., springfield
- selma road fruit mkt, springfield
- sheetz 772, springfield
- shell 1533, springfield
- silver swan marathon, springfield
- speedway 1005 1005, springfield
- speedway 1015 1015, springfield
- speedway 1025 1025, springfield
- speedway 1035 1035, springfield
- speedway 1156 1156, springfield
- speedway 1157, new carlisle
- speedway 1260 1260, springfield
- speedway 3369, springfield
- speedway 4131 4131, springfield
- speedway 5073, new carlisle
- speedway 5215, south vienna
- speedway 8574, enon
- speedway 8916 8916, springfield
- springfield 808, springfield
- springfield shell 37, springfield
- sunco 416122, springfield
- valero gas station, springfield
- west main bp, springfield
Combination Grocery/Other · 38
- cvs 03468, springfield
- cvs 3457, new carlisle
- cvs 6183, springfield
- cvs 6186, springfield
- dollar general 14172, springfield
- dollar general 18656, springfield
- dollar general 2141, springfield
- dollar general 2862, springfield
- dollar general 3526, new carlisle
- dollartree 10682, new carlisle
- dollartree 10797, springfield
- discount drug mart 73, fairborn
- dollar general 10692, s charleston
- dollar general 14644, springfield
- dollar general 15274, springfield
- dollar general 20904, south vienna
- dollar general 24341, springfield
- dollar general 24617, new carlisle
- dollar general 4314, new carlisle
- dollar tree 6376, springfield
- dollar tree 7284, springfield
- dollar tree 8031, springfield
- dollar tree 9063, springfield
- family dollar 13144, south charleston
- family dollar 9054, springfield
- family dollar store 2158, springfield
- family dollar store 3723, springfield
- family dollar store 6015, springfield
- family dollar store 7159, springfield
- family dollar store 796, springfield
- lavie caribbean market, springfield
- roses 540, springfield
- shoemaker's market, south charleston
- the fink meat company, springfield
- tikeenanm grocery store, springfield
- walgreens 6521, springfield
- walgreens 6522, springfield
- walgreens 07884, springfield
Super Store · 9
- groceryland springfield, springfield
- hometown iga 437, new carlisle
- hometown iga 438, enon
- kroger 741, springfield
- kroger 832, springfield
- kroger 835, springfield
- meijer inc 66, springfield
- walmart 2429, springfield
- walmart supercenter 3641, springfield
Medium Grocery Store · 8
- adasa fresh market inc, springfield
- adasa latin market inc, springfield
- el paso caribbean market llc, springfield
- gill's quality meat market, springfield
- la condesa grocery store 1 llc, springfield
- milton & ricky piyay market llc, springfield
- mr. mac's discount grocery outlet, new carlisle
- russ & joe catanzaro fruit markets, springfield
Supermarket · 5
- aldi 61066 61066, springfield
- copey's butcher shop, medway
- gordon food service store mp090, springfield
- market at the ridge, springfield
- save-a-lot 348, springfield
Small Grocery Store · 3
- creations market multi-services, springfield
- friendly bakery & groceries, springfield
- la condesa grocery store 2, new carlisle
Farmers' Market · 2
- new carlisle farmer's market, new carlisle
- springfield farmers market, springfield
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- evans family ranch general store, new carlisle
Large Grocery Store · 1
- la michoacana mexican market 11, springfield
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- sparks meats, new carlisle
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Clark County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Clark 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 Clark County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Clark County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Clark County? ▼
Is Clark County a food desert? ▼
What share of Clark 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.