PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Darke County, OH

Darke 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.

9.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.1%
on SNAP
52K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

9.8% of Darke County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

2
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.2%
households, no vehicle
11.0%
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).

Darke County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.8% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,167 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,850 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 Darke County compares nationally

Darke County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.8% low-access share that beats 20% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,504).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Darke County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Darke 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 Darke County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 10 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 1 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 10 tracts adequate (83.3%) 1 tracts limited (8.3%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (8.3%) Adequate 83% Limited 8% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Darke County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Darke 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 Darke County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)52,959
Low-Access Tracts2
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population5,167
Low-Access Share9.8%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,850

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Darke County
IndicatorValue
Population51,594
Median Household Income$64,486
Poverty Rate11.0%below the national average
SNAP Households1,728
SNAP Participation Rate8.1%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Darke County 8.1%

About 8.1% of Darke County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 9.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,728 households here.
  • 5.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract 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 Darke County

near the national share

1 of Darke County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% of all its tracts.

A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.

An estimated 5,167 residents, roughly 9.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,850 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 10 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Darke County

Darke County has 35 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 14 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 14

  • cvs 6134, greenville
  • dollar general 14085, bradford
  • dollar general 2573, greenville
  • dollar general 7406, versailles
  • dollar general 12319, ansonia
  • dollar general 12322, new madison
  • dollar general 15405, arcanum
  • dollar general 20027, new weston
  • dollar general 25852, greenville
  • dollar general store 16308, greenville
  • dollar tree 6410, greenville
  • family dollar 12758, arcanum
  • family dollar store 6810, greenville
  • walgreens 10327, greenville

Convenience Store · 11

  • casey's general store 3607, versailles
  • casey's general store 3556, union city
  • casey's general store 3706, greenville
  • caseys general store 3551, ansonia
  • greenville sunoco, greenville
  • lavy's corner mart, gettysburg
  • palestine community store, palestine
  • s and g stores llc 69, versailles
  • s and g stores llc 78, greenville
  • speedway 6327 6327, greenville
  • speedway 9654 9654, greenville

Supermarket · 3

  • aldi 61061 61061, greenville
  • eikenberrys south towne foodliner, greenville
  • johns foodliner inc, versailles

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • ketring meat., new madison
  • winner's meat farm, greenville

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • becks' market, greenville
  • new madison super valu, new madison

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 833, greenville
  • walmart supercenter 2035, greenville

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • osgood supermarket, osgood

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 Darke County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Darke 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 Darke County has low food access? ▼
9.8% of residents in Darke 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 Darke County? ▼
8.1% of households in Darke County receive SNAP, covering 1,728 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Darke County? ▼
The poverty rate in Darke County, OH is 11.0%, with a median household income of $64,486 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Darke County a food desert? ▼
1 of Darke County's 12 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 Darke County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.2% of households in Darke 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.