PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Clinton County, OH

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Clinton 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).

29.3%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
11.3%
on SNAP
42K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

29.3% of Clinton County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
4.8%
households, no vehicle
12.9%
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 Clinton County's low-access share at 29.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 9 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 12,314 people. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,182 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 Clinton County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Clinton County's 29.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 69% of them and ranked #978 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Clinton County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 9 census tracts in Clinton 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 Clinton County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 4 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 9 tracts evaluated. 4 tracts adequate (44.4%) 3 tracts limited (33.3%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (22.2%) Adequate 44% Limited 33% Severe 22% Food-access tier distribution: Clinton County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Clinton 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 Clinton County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts9
Atlas Population (2010 basis)42,040
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population12,314
Low-Access Share29.3%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,182

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Clinton County
IndicatorValue
Population42,012
Median Household Income$70,407
Poverty Rate12.9%near the national average
SNAP Households1,888
SNAP Participation Rate11.3%near the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.8%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.8%
SNAP participation in Clinton County 11.3%

About 11.3% of Clinton County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 29.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 11.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,888 households here.
  • 4.8% 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 Clinton County

above the national share

2 of Clinton County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 22.2% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 12,314 residents, roughly 29.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,182 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 4 tracts (44.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Clinton County

Clinton County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 19 locations (48% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 19

  • agi petroleum inc, new vienna
  • blanchester drive thru, blanchester
  • corner market, clarksville
  • falcon sunoco, clarksville
  • i shree khodiyar, inc, blanchester
  • main and clark inc, wilmington
  • marathon gas station, wilmington
  • midland 1st stop 71, midland
  • murphy usa 6875, wilmington
  • new vienna 1st stop 65, new vienna
  • pilot travel center 16, wilmington
  • quick stop, wilmington
  • route 68 724, wilmington
  • speedway 8021, wilmington
  • speedway 9599 9599, wilmington
  • stop and go, wilmington
  • wildcat express, blanchester
  • wilmington 1245, wilmington
  • xenia avenue market, wilmington

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs 6098, wilmington
  • cvs 6105, blanchester
  • dollar general 1555, wilmington
  • dollar general 18948, sabina
  • dollar general 20321, wilmington
  • dollar general 23570, midland
  • dollar tree 2276, wilmington
  • family dollar 7685, new vienna
  • family dollar 8961, wilmington
  • family dollar store 7268, clarksville
  • family dollar store 987, blanchester
  • sams meats llc, wilmington
  • united dairy farmers 108, wilmington
  • united dairy farmers 192, blanchester

Super Store · 3

  • kroger 817, wilmington
  • kroger 395, blanchester
  • walmart 1289, wilmington

Farmers' Market · 1

  • clinton county farmer's market, wilmington

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • sabina iga, sabina

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • rich family meat shoppe, llc, port william

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 61049 61049, wilmington

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
Ashland County
5.0% low-access · 8.9% 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

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

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Clinton 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 Clinton County has low food access? ▼
29.3% of residents in Clinton 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 Clinton County? ▼
11.3% of households in Clinton County receive SNAP, covering 1,888 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Clinton County? ▼
The poverty rate in Clinton County, OH is 12.9%, with a median household income of $70,407 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Clinton County a food desert? ▼
2 of Clinton County's 9 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 Clinton County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.8% of households in Clinton 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.