PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Geauga County, OH

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Geauga 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.
1
food-desert tracts
4.4%
on SNAP
95K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

24.4% of Geauga County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

7
low-access tracts
4K
food-desert residents
8.1%
households, no vehicle
5.6%
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 Geauga County's low-access share at 24.4%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 21 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 22,826 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 3,781 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 Geauga County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Geauga County's 24.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,341 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Geauga County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 21 census tracts in Geauga 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 Geauga County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 14 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 6 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 21 tracts evaluated. 14 tracts adequate (66.7%) 6 tracts limited (28.6%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (4.8%) Adequate 67% Limited 29% Severe 5% Food-access tier distribution: Geauga County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Geauga 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 Geauga County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts21
Atlas Population (2010 basis)93,389
Low-Access Tracts7
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population22,826
Low-Access Share24.4%above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population3,781

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Geauga County
IndicatorValue
Population95,481
Median Household Income$107,860
Poverty Rate5.6%well below the national average
SNAP Households1,572
SNAP Participation Rate4.4%well below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle8.1%near the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.2%
SNAP participation in Geauga County 4.4%

About 4.4% of Geauga 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.
  • 4.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,572 households here.
  • 8.1% 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 Geauga County

above the national share

1 of Geauga County's 21 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 4.8% of all its tracts.

A further 6 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.

An estimated 22,826 residents, roughly 24.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 3,781 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 14 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Geauga County

Geauga County has 62 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 22 locations (35% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 22

  • cvs 3317, chardon
  • cvs 4349, middlefield
  • cvs 4366, chesterland
  • cvs 4804, chagrin falls
  • dollar general 18803, chardon
  • dollar general 8232, middlefield
  • dollartree 7368, aurora
  • dollartree 8819, chesterland
  • discount drug mart 34, chesterland
  • discount drug mart 48, chagrin falls
  • dollar general 12516, west farmington
  • dollar general 17439, thompson
  • dollar general 19340, chardon
  • dollar general 20438, newbury
  • dollar general 20889, burton
  • dollar general 21638, montville
  • dollar general 22902, huntsburg
  • dollar general 25510, newbury township
  • dollar general 31603, chardon
  • dollar general store 16554, chesterland
  • dollar tree 5534, chardon
  • dollar tree 7463, middlefield

Convenience Store · 20

  • bainbridge 306, chagrin falls
  • bell market xpress llc, chagrin falls
  • burton quick stop llc, burton
  • caves road sunoco, chesterland
  • chardon gas mart, chardon
  • circle k 4705273, middlefield
  • circle k 4705277, novelty
  • circle k 5685, chardon
  • claridon market xpress, huntsburg
  • daffodil mart llc, chagrin falls
  • getgo 3383, chardon
  • getgo 3515, chagrin falls
  • hanini express newbury llc, newbury
  • mapco 974, middlefield
  • newburry petroleum llc, burton
  • parkman market xpress llc, parkman
  • redigo food mart 11, chardon
  • sheetz 435, chardon
  • speedway 3510, aurora
  • speedway 3512, newbury

Supermarket · 9

  • aldi 63019, chardon
  • aldi 63046 63046, aurora
  • aldi 63085, chagrin falls
  • aldi 63032, middlefield
  • heinen's inc 14, chagrin falls
  • heinen's inc 15, chardon
  • heritage meats, middlefield
  • kurtz discount grocery, middlefield
  • marc's 51, chardon

Super Store · 8

  • giant eagle 4098, chardon
  • giant eagle 0203, chesterland
  • giant eagle 0515, chagrin falls
  • giant eagle 4133, middlefield
  • target store 2161, aurora
  • walmart 3250, aurora
  • walmart supercenter 3293, chardon
  • walmart supercenter 5387, middlefield

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • geauga farms country meats, hiram

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • discount salvage llc 1, middlefield

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • el flamazo mexican supermarket llc, newbury

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 Geauga County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Geauga 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 Geauga County has low food access? ▼
24.4% of residents in Geauga 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 Geauga County? ▼
4.4% of households in Geauga County receive SNAP, covering 1,572 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Geauga County? ▼
The poverty rate in Geauga County, OH is 5.6%, with a median household income of $107,860 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Geauga County a food desert? ▼
1 of Geauga County's 21 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 Geauga County households lack a vehicle? ▼
8.1% of households in Geauga 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.