County food-access profile · Ohio
Jackson County, OH
Most of Jackson 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).
- 5.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 20.0%
- on SNAP
- 33K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
5.7% of Jackson County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 858
- food-desert residents
- 7.6%
- households, no vehicle
- 18.5%
- 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, Jackson County fares better than most: just 5.7% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 2 of the county's 7 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,898 people who live far from a supermarket, and 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 858 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 Jackson County compares nationally
Food access in Jackson County compares favorably nationally: its 5.7% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 11% of them (rank #2,778).
Jackson County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Jackson County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Jackson County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Jackson 5.7
Jackson County, OH
5.7 % 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) | 33,225 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,898 |
| Low-Access Share | 5.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 858 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 32,650 |
| Median Household Income | $57,106 |
| Poverty Rate | 18.5%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,588 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 20.0%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 20.0% of Jackson County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 5.7% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 20.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,588 households here.
- 7.6% 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 Jackson County
below the national share
1 of Jackson County's 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.3% of all its tracts.
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 1,898 residents, roughly 5.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 858 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 Jackson County
Jackson County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 22 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 22
- candy's country store & carryout, oak hill
- circle m meats llc, jackson
- clark's pump-n-shop 10, jackson
- clark's pump-n-shop 7, oak hill
- coalton express, coalton
- coalton food mart llc, coalton
- exxon jackson food mart 277, jackson
- handy mart, jackson
- jackson food mart 287, jackson
- liberty general, jackson
- lkb main express, llc, oak hill
- main express #6, jackson
- midway quick mart, jackson
- murphy usa 6851, jackson
- par mar store 31, jackson
- speedway 9239, jackson
- speedway 9335, wellston
- super quik, wellston
- ta jackson, jackson
- the detour, wellston
- wellston 1st stop 78, wellston
- wellston sunoco, wellston
Combination Grocery/Other · 13
- cvs 3419, jackson
- cvs 3612, oak hill
- dollar general 4669, wellston
- dollar general 7342, oak hill
- dollar general 20410, wellston
- dollar general 22498, jackson
- dollar general 8588, jackson
- dollar tree 5462, jackson
- dollar tree 6198, wellston
- family dollar store 1765, oak hill
- family dollar store 2098, wellston
- fruth pharmacy 4, wellston
- walgreens 12476, jackson
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- homestead country market, llc, wellston
- jerrys jamestown market, jackson
Super Store · 2
- kroger n-590, jackson
- walmart superctr 1519, jackson
Supermarket · 2
- piggly wiggly, wellston
- piggly wiggly, oak hill
Farmers' Market · 1
- misty valley farms, jackson
Large Grocery Store · 1
- jackson save-a-lot 22958, jackson
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- dave's custom butchering, wellston
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Jackson County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Jackson 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 Jackson County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Jackson County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Jackson County? ▼
Is Jackson County a food desert? ▼
What share of Jackson 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.