County food-access profile · Ohio
Lucas County, OH
Lucas 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.
- 18.3%
- low-access pop.
- 20
- food-desert tracts
- 16.4%
- on SNAP
- 428K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
18.3% of Lucas County residents live in a low-access area, and 20 of its 127 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 38
- low-access tracts
- 30K
- food-desert residents
- 8.6%
- 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).
Lucas County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 18.3% per the USDA Atlas. 38 of the county's 127 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 80,754 residents who live far from a supermarket. 20 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 30,248 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 Lucas County compares nationally
Lucas County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 18.3% low-access share that beats 41% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #1,834).
Lucas County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 127 census tracts in Lucas County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Lucas County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Lucas
Lucas County, OH
18.3 % 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 | 127 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 441,815 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 38 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 20 |
| Low-Access Population | 80,754 |
| Low-Access Share | 18.3%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 30,248 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 428,018 |
| Median Household Income | $62,224 |
| Poverty Rate | 17.7%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 29,998 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 16.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 8.6%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.0% |
About 16.4% of Lucas County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 18.3% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 16.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 29,998 households here.
- 8.6% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 20 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 Lucas County
near the national share
20 of Lucas County's 127 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 15.7% of all its tracts.
A further 18 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 38.
An estimated 80,754 residents, roughly 18.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 30,248 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 89 tracts (70.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Lucas County
Lucas County has 415 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 2 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 171 locations (41% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 171
- 3 pyramids llc, toledo
- 419 brands co, toledo
- 5 star mini market, toledo
- 7-eleven 19774m, toledo
- 7-eleven 17534, toledo
- 7-eleven 19775-d, toledo
- 7-eleven store no. 19776e, toledo
- 7th heaven, toledo
- 7th heaven 2, toledo
- a dollar saved is a dollar earned, toledo
- airport market, toledo
- airport mini mart, toledo
- al nur market & grill, toledo
- alexis carryout, toledo
- alexis express, toledo
- american petroleum, toledo
- american petroleum, toledo
- andy's carry out, toledo
- arrowhead 505, maumee
- assel llc, toledo
- azar mini market, toledo
- beer dock, toledo
- berdan mini mart 1, toledo
- big market llc, toledo
- bush quick stop, toledo
- butter roll's & carryout, toledo
- central market, toledo
- circle k 4705727, toledo
- captains carryout, toledo
- cigarette outlet, toledo
- circle k 4705322, toledo
- circle k 4705571, holland
- circle k 4705671, waterville
- circle k 4705720, oregon
- circle k 4705721, toledo
- circle k 4705722, toledo
- circle k 5634, oregon
- circle k 5635, toledo
- circle k 5638, toledo
- circle k 5639, toledo
- circle k 5648, toledo
- circle k 5651, toledo
- clark gas station, toledo
- convenience express, toledo
- crissey rd marketplace llc, monclova
- crosstown carry out, toledo
- discount beer and cigarettes, toledo
- dollar dollar plus, toledo
- dairy mart 5480, toledo
- daridi inc 121, maumee
- daridi inc 4, toledo
- daridi inc 6, toledo
- deano's mini-mart too 1, toledo
- dearborn carryout, toledo
- douglas carryout, toledo
- downtown 518, toledo
- east side mini mart, toledo
- eastborn mini mart, toledo
- eastgate carry out, toledo
- ebroadway cash & go, toledo
- erie market & deli llc, toledo
- express food mart, toledo
- expressway convenience, toledo
- ez 4, toledo
- ez mart, toledo
- family pantry, toledo
- family pantry ii, toledo
- fassett carryout, toledo
- friendship 79, oregon
- friendship foods stores 74, toledo
- friendship kitchen 69, maumee
- gm food mart, toledo
- gas & express marts, toledo
- gas & express marts, toledo
- gas & express marts bp, toledo
- gas & express marts ottawa, toledo
- gas & express marts suder, toledo
- gas express, toledo
- gas express 1921, toledo
- gas express marts, toledo
- gas express marts monroe, toledo
- gas-n-go, toledo
- gass express and marts, toledo
- gayatri317 inc., toledo
- glass city food market, toledo
- holland 519, holland
- holland carryout, holland
- howard's-n-co. n/a, toledo
- island variety, toledo
- in & out mart, toledo
- jai maa umiya llc, toledo
- jb's food mart, toledo
- jennifer snack, toledo
- johnny's mini mart, toledo
- kt mart, toledo
- l w market 1, toledo
- la mexicana, toledo
- lincoln market, toledo
- la paloma - toledo, ltd, toledo
- lewis food mart, toledo
- lucky dollar, toledo
- moe's market, toledo
- madison market, toledo
- magnolia & huron inc..dba huron market, toledo
- malik and malik enterprise inc., toledo
- max mart, toledo
- meijer gas station 116, oregon
- meijer gas station 117, toledo
- meijer gas station 118, toledo
- midtown food mart 3, toledo
- midtown food mart ii, toledo
- mike's place, toledo
- mike's vip mini mart, toledo
- mikes corner store, toledo
- mikes corner store, toledo
- miles c-stores 2446, toledo
- monroe 511, toledo
- monroe carryout, toledo
- new gold star market, toledo
- nala inc, toledo
- neapolis market, neapolis
- new king blvd ltd, toledo
- nidos carryout, toledo
- o z mart, toledo
- our time carryout, toledo
- ozzie's general market, sylvania
- point stop, toledo
- pilot travel center 15, toledo
- qusra of ohio llc, holland
- rainbow market, toledo
- raed of ohio llc 45, toledo
- reynold mini mart, toledo
- reynold's carryout, toledo
- reynolds 501, toledo
- reynolds mart, toledo
- ridis #19 19, toledo
- ridis 16, maumee
- rocket fuel, toledo
- rocket mart, toledo
- s & g #46, toledo
- s and g dl ltd, holland
- s and g stores llc 55, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 104, oregon
- s and g stores ii llc 120, holland
- s and g stores ii llc 122, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 123, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 124, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 125, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 126, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 80, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 81, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 82, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 83, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 84, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 85, monclova
- s and g stores ii llc 86, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 88, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 93, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 94, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 95, toledo
- s and g stores ii llc 96, maumee
- s and g stores ii llc 97, maumee
- s and g stores ii llc 98, maumee
- s and g stores llc 17, toledo
- s and g stores llc 20, toledo
- s and g stores llc 26, toledo
- s and g stores llc 3, toledo
- s and g stores llc 32, toledo
- s and g stores llc 33, oregon
- s and g stores llc 34, toledo
- s and g stores llc 35, toledo
Combination Grocery/Other · 79
- cvs pharmacy 10246, toledo
- cvs pharmacy 10457, sylvania
- cvs pharmacy 11155, toledo
- dollar general 11173, toledo
- dollar general 11225, toledo
- dollar general 11236, toledo
- dollar general 11321, toledo
- dollar general 13723, toledo
- dollar general 13826, toledo
- dollar general 13988, toledo
- dollar general 140, oregon
- dollar general 18764, oregon
- dollar general 3037, oregon
- dollar general 3479, toledo
- dollar general 6853, toledo
- dollar general 8890, sylvania
- dollar general 9865, toledo
- dollar tree 0699, toledo
- dollartree 10190, toledo
- dollartree 8078, sylvania
- dollartree 9287, maumee
- dollartree 9528, sylvania twp.
- dollar general 14590, toledo
- dollar general 19261, toledo
- dollar general 19262, toledo
- dollar general 20936, toledo
- dollar general 21050, toledo
- dollar general 21055, toledo
- dollar general 21067, oregon
- dollar general 21182, toledo
- dollar general 21523, toledo
- dollar general 21599, neapolis
- dollar general 22188, toledo
- dollar general 22242, toledo
- dollar general 22920, sylvania
- dollar general 2430, toledo
- dollar general 25157, toledo
- dollar general 4697, toledo
- dollar general 8975, whitehouse
- dollar tree 164, holland
- dollar tree 173, toledo
- dollar tree 243, sylvania
- dollar tree 4936, toledo
- dollar tree 5226, oregon
- dollar tree 5410, toledo
- dollar tree 6373, toledo
- dollar tree 697, toledo
- dollar tree 7252, toledo
- dollar tree 7423, maumee
- dollartree 3394, toledo
- dollartree 6421, toledo
- family dollar 10075, toledo
- family dollar 13922, toledo
- family dollar 2410, toledo
- family dollar 3239, toledo
- family dollar store 10369, toledo
- family dollar store 1450, toledo
- family dollar store 2183, toledo
- family dollar store 2238, toledo
- family dollar store 2428, toledo
- family dollar store 3793, toledo
- family dollar store 3990, toledo
- family dollar store 4493, maumee
- family dollar store 5268, toledo
- family dollar store 6348, toledo
- family dollar store 7079, toledo
- haas bakery, oregon
- jack's superette, curtice
- jay clay industries, toledo
- kirin asian mart, toledo
- la perla, toledo
- lees oriental market, toledo
- tex-mex tortillas, toledo
- walgreens 06168, toledo
- walgreens 5319, toledo
- walgreens 05323, toledo
- walgreens 05324, toledo
- walgreens 05906, oregon
- walgreens 09337, toledo
Showing 250 of 415 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Lucas County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Lucas 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 Lucas County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Lucas County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Lucas County? ▼
Is Lucas County a food desert? ▼
What share of Lucas 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.