PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Lawrence County, OH

Lawrence 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.

12.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
21.0%
on SNAP
57K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

12.1% of Lawrence County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
3K
food-desert residents
6.8%
households, no vehicle
17.7%
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).

Lawrence County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 12.1% per the USDA Atlas. 5 of the county's 16 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,569 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,785 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 Lawrence County compares nationally

Lawrence County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 12.1% low-access share that beats 25% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,335).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Lawrence County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 16 census tracts in Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 11 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 16 tracts evaluated. 11 tracts adequate (68.8%) 4 tracts limited (25.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (6.3%) Adequate 69% Limited 25% Severe 6% Food-access tier distribution: Lawrence County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Lawrence 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 Lawrence County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts16
Atlas Population (2010 basis)62,450
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population7,569
Low-Access Share12.1%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,785

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Lawrence County
IndicatorValue
Population56,819
Median Household Income$58,325
Poverty Rate17.7%above the national average
SNAP Households4,751
SNAP Participation Rate21.0%well above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.8%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.1%
SNAP participation in Lawrence County 21.0%

About 21.0% of Lawrence County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 12.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 21.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,751 households here.
  • 6.8% 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 Lawrence County

near the national share

1 of Lawrence County's 16 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.3% of all its tracts.

A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 7,569 residents, roughly 12.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,785 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 11 tracts (68.8%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Lawrence County

Lawrence County has 59 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 26

  • clark's pump-n-shop 20, south point
  • clark's pump-n-shop 25, proctorville
  • clark's pump-n-shop 26, south point
  • clark's pump-n-shop 37, ironton
  • clark's pump-n-shop 38, proctorville
  • clark's pump-n-shop 46, ironton
  • clark's pump-n-shop 50, ironton
  • clark's pump-n-shop 60, ironton
  • clarks fastlane, pedro
  • dave's quick mart llc, chesapeake
  • fast point food stores, chesapeake
  • generations quick stop llc, ironton
  • gillispie's 93 carryout, llc, ironton
  • hughes carryout & grocery, ironton
  • kash stop 9, chesapeake
  • murphy express 8676, south point
  • phillips grocery inc, pedro
  • proctorville shell r & r takhar operations inc, proctorville
  • rich oil 3736 3736, ironton
  • speedway 9284, south point
  • speedway 9286, proctorville
  • speedway 9760, ironton
  • speedway 3718, ironton
  • speedway 9043, south point
  • speedway 9213, south point
  • speedway 9266, ironton

Combination Grocery/Other · 23

  • cvs 3403, chesapeake
  • cvs 3474, ironton
  • cvs 6349, ironton
  • dollar general 17889, ironton
  • dollar general 18842, proctorville
  • dollar general 2871, ironton
  • dollar general 3966, chesapeake
  • dollar general 8380, proctorville
  • dollartree 8965, chesapeake
  • dollar general 19920, ironton
  • dollar general 20178, south point
  • dollar general 24128, pedro
  • dollar general 24147, ironton
  • dollar general 30136, chesapeake
  • dollar tree 1428, ironton
  • dollar tree 473, south point
  • family dollar store 10690, south point
  • family dollar store 1206, ironton
  • family dollar store 1640, south point
  • family dollar store 5817, proctorville
  • family dollar store 6025, coal grove
  • fruth pharmacy 26, ironton
  • fruth pharmacy 8, proctorville

Super Store · 4

  • ironton foodfair 3419, ironton
  • kroger 781, proctorville
  • sam's club 8152, south pointe
  • walmart 1478, south point

Supermarket · 4

  • coal grove food center, coal grove
  • forth's foodfair, south point
  • ironton save-a-lot 23996, ironton
  • proctorville food fair, proctorville

Medium Grocery Store · 1

  • dickess market llc, kitts hill

Small Grocery Store · 1

  • r & r grocery, scottown

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 Lawrence County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Lawrence 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 Lawrence County has low food access? ▼
12.1% of residents in Lawrence 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 Lawrence County? ▼
21.0% of households in Lawrence County receive SNAP, covering 4,751 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Lawrence County? ▼
The poverty rate in Lawrence County, OH is 17.7%, with a median household income of $58,325 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Lawrence County a food desert? ▼
1 of Lawrence County's 16 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 Lawrence County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.8% of households in Lawrence 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.