PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Hancock County, OH

Hancock 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.

13.0%
low-access pop.
2
food-desert tracts
9.0%
on SNAP
75K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

13.0% of Hancock County residents live in a low-access area, and 2 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
5.1%
households, no vehicle
9.9%
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).

Hancock County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.0% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 9,734 residents who live far from a supermarket. 2 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,863 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 Hancock County compares nationally

Hancock County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.0% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,271).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Hancock County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 13 census tracts in Hancock 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 Hancock County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 2 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 13 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (69.2%) 2 tracts limited (15.4%) 2 tracts severe / food desert (15.4%) Adequate 69% Limited 15% Severe 15% Food-access tier distribution: Hancock County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Hancock 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 Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts13
Atlas Population (2010 basis)74,782
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)2
Low-Access Population9,734
Low-Access Share13.0%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,863

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Hancock County
IndicatorValue
Population74,866
Median Household Income$73,141
Poverty Rate9.9%below the national average
SNAP Households2,838
SNAP Participation Rate9.0%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.4%
SNAP participation in Hancock County 9.0%

About 9.0% of Hancock County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.0% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 9.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,838 households here.
  • 5.1% 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 Hancock County

near the national share

2 of Hancock County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.4% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 9,734 residents, roughly 13.0% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,863 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (69.2%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Hancock County

Hancock County has 58 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 31

  • 5 k carryout & grill, findlay
  • b & t's asian market, findlay
  • bellstores 1145, findlay
  • casey's 3778, findlay
  • circle k 4705646, bluffton
  • circle k 4705666, findlay
  • circle k 4705684, findlay
  • circle k 5569, findlay
  • circle k 5657, findlay
  • danny food mart 12, mccomb
  • gas & express mart, findly
  • hilton food mart, fostoria
  • luceros mexican store, findlay
  • marathon vanlue, vanlue
  • meijer gas station 51, findlay
  • murphy usa 7347, findlay
  • pilot travel center 360, findlay
  • racetrac 2652, findlay
  • s and g stores llc 64, findlay
  • sheetz 873, findlay
  • sheetz 892, findlay
  • shell 465 r & r takhar operations inc, bluffton
  • som carry out, findlay
  • speedway 1217, findlay
  • speedway 5263, findlay
  • speedway 5282, findlay
  • speedway 8502, findlay
  • thunderbird drive thru, findlay
  • turkey hill midwest 850729, findlay
  • westside carryout, findlay
  • wolfies carry out, findlay

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • cvs 5813, findlay
  • d&h meats, vanlue
  • dollar general 2119, findlay
  • dollar general 4661, findlay
  • dollartree 10753, findlay
  • dollar general 14773, mccomb
  • dollar general 20998, findlay
  • dollar general 21084, findlay
  • dollar general 21119, arlington
  • dollar tree 119, findlay
  • dollar tree 6670, findlay
  • family dollar store 10641, findlay
  • walgreens 7683, findlay

Super Store · 6

  • great scot 80, findlay
  • kroger n-327, findlay
  • kroger n-510, findlay
  • meijer inc 51, findlay
  • walmart supercenter 1718, findlay
  • walmart supercenter 3840, findlay

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 63041 63041, findlay
  • brinkman's country corner, findlay
  • gordon food service store mp069, findlay
  • great scot 40, findlay

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2

  • hurdwell, arlington
  • miller's meat bbq and catering, findlay

Farmers' Market · 1

  • hancock county farmers market nafmnp, findlay

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • jin & dave's asian grocery, findlay

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 Hancock County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Hancock 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 Hancock County has low food access? ▼
13.0% of residents in Hancock 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 Hancock County? ▼
9.0% of households in Hancock County receive SNAP, covering 2,838 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Hancock County? ▼
The poverty rate in Hancock County, OH is 9.9%, with a median household income of $73,141 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Hancock County a food desert? ▼
2 of Hancock 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 Hancock County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.1% of households in Hancock 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.