County food-access profile · Ohio
Holmes County, OH
Most of Holmes County sits within reach of a supermarket, better than most U.S. counties. This profile covers who, if anyone, qualifies as a food desert here, plus the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 5.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.8%
- on SNAP
- 44K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
5.2% of Holmes County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 932
- food-desert residents
- 30.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.3%
- 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).
By the USDA's measure, Holmes County fares better than most: just 5.2% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 8 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 2,197 people who live far from a supermarket, and 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 Holmes County compares nationally
Food access in Holmes County compares favorably nationally: its 5.2% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,805).
Holmes County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 8 census tracts in Holmes County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Holmes County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Holmes 5.2
Holmes County, OH
5.2 % 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 | 8 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 42,366 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 2,197 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 932 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 44,418 |
| Median Household Income | $76,140 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 645 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 30.9%well above the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.8% |
About 4.8% of Holmes County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 5.2% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 4.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 645 households here.
- 30.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $76,140 with a 9.3% 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 Holmes County
below the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 2,197 residents, roughly 5.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 932 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (87.5%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Holmes County
Holmes County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 10 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 10
- bellstores 1110, holmesville
- bellstores 1114, millersburg
- bellstores 1136, millersburg
- bellstores 1138, millersburg
- bellstores 1142, millersburg
- bellstores 1163, millersburg
- marathon killbuk, killbuck
- millersburg mart llc, millersburg
- par mar store 237, dundee
- speedway 6247, millersburg
Combination Grocery/Other · 7
- dollar general 211, millersburg
- dollar general 14775, berlin
- dollar general 21410, dundee
- dollar general 22508, big prairie
- dollar general store 17319, killbuck
- dollar tree 7118, millersburg
- walnut creek cheese, walnut creek
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- harvey's market, holmesville
- harveys market, big prairie
- killbuck valley market llc, killbuck
- trail side deli llc, millersburg
Super Store · 4
- rodhes iga foodliner, millersburg
- troyer a country market, millersburg
- walmart 1724, millersburg
- walnut creek cheese, millersburg
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- winesburg meats, inc., dundee
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Holmes County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Holmes 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 Holmes County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Holmes County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Holmes County? ▼
Is Holmes County a food desert? ▼
What share of Holmes 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.