PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Crawford County, OH

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

31.5%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
13.8%
on SNAP
42K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

31.5% of Crawford County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

6
low-access tracts
6K
food-desert residents
5.3%
households, no vehicle
11.8%
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 Crawford County's low-access share at 31.5%, above the national share. 6 of the county's 13 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,802 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 5,966 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 Crawford County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Crawford County's 31.5% low-access share is elevated, higher than 73% of them and ranked #847 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Crawford County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Crawford 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 Crawford County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 7 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 7 tracts adequate (53.8%) 3 tracts limited (23.1%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (23.1%) Adequate 54% Limited 23% Severe 23% Food-access tier distribution: Crawford County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Crawford 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 Crawford County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)43,784
Low-Access Tracts6
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population13,802
Low-Access Share31.5%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population5,966

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Crawford County
IndicatorValue
Population41,711
Median Household Income$58,044
Poverty Rate11.8%below the national average
SNAP Households2,496
SNAP Participation Rate13.8%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.3%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Crawford County 13.8%

About 13.8% of Crawford County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 31.5% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,496 households here.
  • 5.3% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Crawford County

above the national share

3 of Crawford County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 23.1% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 6.

An estimated 13,802 residents, roughly 31.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 5,966 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 7 tracts (53.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Crawford County

Crawford County has 40 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 18

  • 7-eleven, inc 36176a, crestline
  • bellstores 1154, galion
  • bucyrus 1116, bucyrus
  • circle k 4705238, galion
  • circle k 5653, bucyrus
  • eastside carryout, galion
  • ehrhart's drive thru, bucyrus
  • galion 1228, galion
  • galion motomart 4126, galion
  • hy-miler 2225, bucyrus
  • hy-miler 2254, crestline
  • j&l nursery llc, galion
  • jen-cor food store, galion
  • mickey mart 45, new washington
  • northside fuel stop, llc, bucyrus
  • s and g stores ii llc 127, galion
  • speedway 3187, galion
  • speedway 8493, bucyrus

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs 3406, bucyrus
  • cooper's mill & market, bucyrus
  • dollar general 10401, galion
  • dollar general 13304, crestline
  • dollar general 14046, new washington
  • dollar general 2167, bucyrus
  • dollar general 3586, galion
  • dollar general 7387, bucyrus
  • discount drug mart 79, galion
  • dollar general 21859, bucyrus
  • dollar tree 2057, bucyrus
  • dollar tree 6613, galion
  • family dollar store 1234, bucyrus
  • united dairy farmers 633, bucyrus

Super Store · 3

  • buehler's fresh foods 17, galion
  • kroger n-506, bucyrus
  • walmart supercenter 2613, bucyrus

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 63079, bucyrus
  • save a lot 30058, galion

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • link's country meats, crestline

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • gochenour meats, new washington

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • phils deli, galion

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 Crawford County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Crawford 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 Crawford County has low food access? ▼
31.5% of residents in Crawford 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 Crawford County? ▼
13.8% of households in Crawford County receive SNAP, covering 2,496 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Crawford County? ▼
The poverty rate in Crawford County, OH is 11.8%, with a median household income of $58,044 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Crawford County a food desert? ▼
3 of Crawford County's 13 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 Crawford County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.3% of households in Crawford 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.