County food-access profile · Ohio
Franklin County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Franklin 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).
- 24.4%
- low-access pop.
- 42
- food-desert tracts
- 10.9%
- on SNAP
- 1.3M
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
24.4% of Franklin County residents live in a low-access area, and 42 of its 284 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 112
- low-access tracts
- 76K
- food-desert residents
- 7.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 14.7%
- 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 Franklin County's low-access share at 24.4%, above the national share. 112 of the county's 284 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 283,762 people. 42 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 76,129 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 Franklin County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Franklin County's 24.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,341 most-affected nationwide.
Franklin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 284 census tracts in Franklin County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Franklin County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Franklin
Franklin County, OH
24.4 % 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 | 284 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 1,163,414 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 112 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 42 |
| Low-Access Population | 283,762 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.4%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 76,129 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,333,048 |
| Median Household Income | $75,176 |
| Poverty Rate | 14.7%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 60,349 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.9%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.4%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.2% |
About 10.9% of Franklin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 24.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 60,349 households here.
- 7.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 42 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 Franklin County
above the national share
42 of Franklin County's 284 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.8% of all its tracts.
A further 70 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 112.
An estimated 283,762 residents, roughly 24.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 76,129 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 172 tracts (60.6%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Franklin County
Franklin County has 1,008 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 222 locations (22% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 222
- afrique foods warehouse, inc., columbus
- addisu bakery & carryout, columbus
- asian grocery mart, reynoldsburg
- berekum african market, columbus
- big lots 3027, columbus
- big lots 3029, grove city
- bantama market llc, columbus
- bazyani market and bakery llc, columbus
- bellawood farm, canal winchester
- cvs 1223, grove city
- cvs 2518, columbus
- cvs 2540, hilliard
- cvs 2677, new albany
- cvs 2735, columbus
- cvs 3381, hilliard
- cvs 3407, worthington
- cvs 3410, columbus
- cvs 3484, columbus
- cvs 3992, westerville
- cvs 4483, columbus
- cvs 4621, galloway
- cvs 5434, columbus
- cvs 5436, columbus
- cvs 5458, grove city
- cvs 5717, canal winchester
- cvs 5918, columbus
- cvs 5949, columbus
- cvs 6147, columbus
- cvs 6149, upper arlington
- cvs 6150, dublin
- cvs 6153, columbus
- cvs 6155, westerville
- cvs 6158, columbus
- cvs 6161, columbus
- cvs 6192, grove city
- cvs 6198, columbus
- cvs 6411, upper arlington
- cvs 6946, whitehall
- cvs 6949, columbus
- cvs 6950, columbus
- cvs 6953, reynoldsburg
- cvs 7097, hilliard
- cvs 7247, gahanna
- cvs pharmacy 06162, westerville
- cvs pharmacy 4223, columbus
- cvs pharmacy 5060, columbus
- cvs pharmacy 6182, columbus
- cvs pharmacy 9898, columbus
- cecilou african market 1, columbus
- clintonville natural foods 1, columbus
- dollar general 10181, columbus
- dollar general 13865, groveport
- dollar general 14153, columbus
- dollar general 14771, columbus
- dollar general 18705, reynoldsburg
- dollar general 3235, columbus
- dollar general 3341, columbus
- dollar general 7381, columbus
- dollar general 7676, columbus
- dollar general 8184, columbus
- dollar general 8351, columbus
- dollar general 8357, columbus
- dollar general 8422, columbus
- dollar general 9923, columbus
- dollar tree 1086, columbus
- dollar tree 1975, columbus
- dollar tree 2226, dublin
- dollar tree 3367, westerville
- dollar tree 4646, columbus
- dollar tree 806, columbus
- dollartree 10789, westerville
- dollartree 5512, westerville
- dollartree 6938, galloway
- dollartree 8028, columbus
- dollartree 8450, hilliard
- dollartree 8637, columbus
- dollartree 8716, columbus
- dollartree 9092, columbus
- dollartree 9210, grove city
- darshan mart, columbus
- discount drug mart 76, grove city
- dollar general 10722, columbus
- dollar general 10953, columbus
- dollar general 11851, columbus
- dollar general 11972, westerville
- dollar general 12259, columbus
- dollar general 12721, columbus
- dollar general 14198, columbus
- dollar general 16090, grove city
- dollar general 16888, orient
- dollar general 17278, columbus
- dollar general 17396, columbus
- dollar general 19258, columbus
- dollar general 19263, whitehall
- dollar general 20240, columbus
- dollar general 20932, columbus
- dollar general 21592, columbus
- dollar general 22898, columbus
- dollar general 22948, columbus
- dollar general 23287, columbus
- dollar general 30414, hilliard
- dollar general 30505, hilliard
- dollar general 30639, columbus
- dollar general 30929, columbus
- dollar general 6024, columbus
- dollar general 6035, columbus
- dollar general store 13063, columbus
- dollar general store 16681, canal winchester
- dollar general store 17176, grove city
- dollar general store 17280, columbus
- dollar tree 1092, columbus
- dollar tree 1774, canal winchester
- dollar tree 2218, columbus
- dollar tree 2478, columbus
- dollar tree 3350, whitehall
- dollar tree 3393, reynoldsburg
- dollar tree 4147, columbus
- dollar tree 5336, hilliard
- dollar tree 561, reynoldsburg
- dollar tree 5980, grove city
- dollar tree 6225, reynoldsburg
- dollar tree 6625, columbus
- dollar tree 6748, columbus
- dollar tree 6907, columbus
- dollar tree 7446, columbus
- dollar tree 7597, columbus
- dollar tree 7636, columbus
- dollar tree 7869, westerville
- dollar tree 8449, westerville
- dollar tree 8659, columbus
- dorceline international market llc, reynoldsburg
- family dollar store 10064, canal winchester
- family dollar 0973, columbus
- family dollar 10703, columbus
- family dollar 11024, columbus
- family dollar 11767, grove city
- family dollar 12242, columbus
- family dollar 1264, columbus
- family dollar 1304, columbus
- family dollar 13958, columbus
- family dollar 2244, columbus
- family dollar 2738, grove city
- family dollar 3018, columbus
- family dollar 3601, westerville
- family dollar 3980, columbus
- family dollar 4540, columbus
- family dollar 4764, columbus
- family dollar 4932, reynoldsburg
- family dollar 5765, columbus
- family dollar 6750, columbus
- family dollar 7108, columbus
- family dollar 7745, columbus
- family dollar 8375, columbus
- family dollar 8449, reynoldsburg
- family dollar store 10063, columbus
- family dollar store 10095, columbus
- family dollar store 2481, columbus
- family dollar store 6200, hilliard
- family dollar store 7934, columbus
- gihon grocery llc, reynoldsburg
- happy market llc 1, columbus
- hiwot bakery & deli, hiwot injera llc, columbus
- kanchi mart llc, reynoldsburg
- kumasi kejetia african market, inc, columbus
- lalibela spices, meats, & bakery, llc, columbus
- mbulizaga grocery store, columbus
- mecca mall market and bakery llc 1, columbus
- roses 497, columbus
- russian home, columbus
- santiago supermarket llc, hilliard
- tiirow llc, columbus
- united dairy farmers 610, hilliard
- united dairy farmers 612, columbus
- united dairy farmers 613, columbus
- united dairy farmers 614, grove city
- united dairy farmers 615, columbus
- united dairy farmers 616, reynoldsburg
- united dairy farmers 622, columbus
- united dairy farmers 624, dublin
- united dairy farmers 628, columbus
- united dairy farmers 631, grove city
- united dairy farmers 632, columbus
- united dairy farmers 634, columbus
- united dairy farmers 635, columbus
- united dairy farmers 638, whitehall
- united dairy farmers 646, columbus
- united dairy farmers 652, worthington
- united dairy farmers 653, columbus
- united dairy farmers 654, reynoldsburg
- united dairy farmers 656, columbus
- united dairy farmers 659, dublin
- united dairy farmers 660, westerville
- united dairy farmers 663, columbus
- united dairy farmers 667, columbus
- united dairy farmers 669, galloway
- united dairy farmers 670, columbus
- united dairy farmers 671, gahanna
- united dairy farmers 676, columbus
- united dairy farmers 677, columbus
- united dairy farmers 678, gahanna
- united dairy farmers 679, reynoldsburg
- united dairy farmers 680, dublin
- walgreens #6981 06981, columbus
- walgreens 06119, blacklick
- walgreens 09540, columbus
- walgreens 6273, columbus
- walgreens 6378, columbus
- walgreens 7523, galloway
- walgreens 7942, whitehall
- walgreens 7973, grove city
- walgreens 01317, columbus
- walgreens 06115, dublin
- walgreens 07368, columbus
- walgreens 07524, canal winchester
- walgreens 07525, columbus
- walgreens 09093, columbus
- walgreens 09541, new albany
- walgreens 09904, hilliard
- walgreens 10050, columbus
- walgreens 10053, upper arlington
- walgreens 12083, columbus
- walgreens 21398, columbus
Convenience Store · 27
- 1019 west broad street inc, columbus
- 1615 e main inc, columbus
- 215 rich inc, columbus
- 23 lucky mart, lockbourne
- 3 c food mart, dublin
- 3 c plus food mart, columbus
- 3327 maize road llc, columbus
- 3c food & beverage, columbus
- 4341 e main llc, columbus
- 5600 alkire inc, galloway
- 5th ave mobil, columbus
- 5th avenue valero, columbus
- 786 livingston llc, reynoldsburg
- 920 shaden inc, columbus
- 99 cents plus beauty discount, columbus
- a & b market, columbus
- a and n cafe & grocery 1, columbus
- abbas azizi llc, columbus
- abdullah mart inc, columbus
- agg petroleum inc, columbus
- airport duchess 1250, columbus
- al safa halal meat and grocery inc, columbus
- alex market, columbus
- alfaa 21 21, columbus
- alfaa 22 22, hilliard
- ali gul market, columbus
- alma food inc, columbus
Bakery Specialty · 1
- columbus thrift bakery, columbus
Showing 250 of 1,008 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Franklin County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Franklin 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 Franklin County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Franklin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Franklin County? ▼
Is Franklin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Franklin 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.