County food-access profile · Ohio
Hardin County, OH
Hardin 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.
- 9.1%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 12.4%
- on SNAP
- 30K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
9.1% of Hardin County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 6.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 17.3%
- 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).
Hardin County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 9.1% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 7 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 2,931 residents who live far from a supermarket. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Hardin County compares nationally
Hardin County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 9.1% low-access share that beats 18% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,557).
Hardin County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Hardin County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Hardin County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Hardin
Hardin County, OH
9.1 % 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 | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 32,058 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,931 |
| Low-Access Share | 9.1%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,057 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 30,475 |
| Median Household Income | $62,484 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.3%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,448 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.4%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.6%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.1% |
About 12.4% of Hardin County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 9.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,448 households here.
- 6.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $62,484 with a 17.3% poverty rate.
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 Hardin County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 2,931 residents, roughly 9.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,057 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (71.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Hardin County
Hardin County has 27 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 15 locations (56% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 15
- ada express mart, ada
- alger carry out, alger
- kenton food mart, kenton
- kenton food mart, kenton
- kenton marathon gas station, kenton
- l.t. distributing, kenton
- martins meat mart, forest
- marathon food center, kenton
- mount victory drive thru, mount victory
- porterhouse drive thru & co, kenton
- s&k mini mart, ridgeway
- southside six, dunkirk
- speedway 45490, ada
- trident plazza, mount victory
- village pantry 5714, kenton
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs 6172, kenton
- dollar general 18072, mount victory
- dollar general 3096, kenton
- dollar general 7297, ada
- dollar general 12114, forest
- dollar general 20694, dunkirk
- dollar tree 7171, kenton
- family dollar store 5845, kenton
Supermarket · 2
- community markets 4, ada
- save a lot 21736, kenton
Small Grocery Store · 1
- the mouse house llc, kenton
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 5355, kenton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Hardin County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Hardin 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 Hardin County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Hardin County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Hardin County? ▼
Is Hardin County a food desert? ▼
What share of Hardin 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.