County food-access profile · Ohio
Medina County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Medina County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 23.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 6.5%
- on SNAP
- 184K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.2% of Medina County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 18
- low-access tracts
- 7K
- food-desert residents
- 4.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 6.3%
- 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).
USDA data puts Medina County's low-access share at 23.2%, above the national share. 18 of the county's 37 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 40,021 people. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 6,670 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 Medina County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Medina County's 23.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 54% of them and ranked #1,430 most-affected nationwide.
Medina County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 37 census tracts in Medina County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Medina County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Medina
Medina County, OH
23.2 % 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 | 37 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 172,332 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 18 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 40,021 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 6,670 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 183,660 |
| Median Household Income | $94,968 |
| Poverty Rate | 6.3%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 4,760 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.5%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 6.5% of Medina County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 6.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 4,760 households here.
- 4.0% 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 Medina County
above the national share
1 of Medina County's 37 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 2.7% of all its tracts.
A further 17 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 18.
An estimated 40,021 residents, roughly 23.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 6,670 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 19 tracts (51.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Medina County
Medina County has 118 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 58 locations (49% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 58
- 7-eleven, inc. (a texas corporation) 36239, medina
- a 1 convenient store, wadsworth
- bellstores 1033, wadsworth
- brunswick 302, brunswick
- caps n cork fill n chill, brunswick
- chippewa lake beverage llc, chippewa lake
- circle k 4705333, lodi
- circle k 4705338, medina
- circle k 4705339, brunswick
- circle k 4705614, brunswick
- circle k 4705630, wadsworth
- circle k 5624, seville
- friendly express 3 3, lodi
- getgo 3285, medina
- getgo 3390, brunswick
- getgo 3393, wadsworth
- lodi duchess 1109, lodi
- love's travel stop 332, burbank
- mapco 976, wadsworth
- mapco 977, brunswick
- minit mart 600789, wadsworth
- marathon on the square, wadsworth
- medina 377, medina
- medina marathon, medina
- meijer gas station 323, brunswick
- minit mart 600791, chippewa lake
- minit mart 600792, medina
- minit mart 600793, medina
- minit mart 600795, valley city
- minit mart 600796, medina
- par mar store 154, hinckley
- par mar store 98, brunswick
- pilot travel center 13, seville
- pilot travel center 287, burbank
- prosam unlimited, lodi
- quick food mart, medina
- rg fuel llc, medina
- ram petroleum llc, medina
- seville pantry, seville
- sheetz 324, wadsworth
- sheetz 648, brunswick
- sheetz 741, burbank
- sheetz 753, seville
- sheetz 875, wadsworth
- sky mart boston, brunswick
- sleepy hollow market, brunswick
- speedway 1168, medina
- speedway 3650, wadsworth
- speedway 3691, brunswick
- speedway 3999, brunswick
- speedway 9294, medina
- sunview petroleum inc, medina
- ta lodi 015, seville
- true north energy 380, brunswick
- true north energy 381, litchfield
- true north energy 382, medina
- true north energy 393, brunswick
- vip mini mart, medina
Combination Grocery/Other · 33
- cvs 3088, wadsworth
- cvs 3377, brunswick
- cvs 4057, hinckley
- cvs 4360, medina
- dollar general 5873, medina
- dollar general 9864, medina
- dollar general 9886, lodi
- dollar tree 3361, medina
- dollartree 10266, seville
- discount drug mart 3, brunswick
- discount drug mart 40, wadsworth
- discount drug mart 69, lodi
- discount drug mart 7, medina
- discount drug mart 83, medina
- discount drug mart 85, brunswick
- discount drug mart 86, copley
- dollar general 12404, seville
- dollar general 15380, litchfield
- dollar general 15489, brunswick
- dollar general 16234, wadsworth
- dollar general 18168, spencer
- dollar general 20984, medina
- dollar general 23475, valley city
- dollar general 23527, burbank
- dollar general 23976, medina
- dollar general 8522, brunswick
- dollar general store 17245, medina
- dollar tree 3212, wadsworth
- dollar tree 5402, brunswick
- dollar tree 7904, medina
- european specialty food mart llc, brunswick
- walgreens 5431, brunswick
- walgreens 06458, medina
Super Store · 15
- acme fresh market 22, medina
- buehler's fresh foods 05, medina
- buehler's fresh foods 08, wadsworth
- buehler's fresh foods 11, medina
- dollar general market 12022, brunswick
- giant eagle 0229, brunswick
- giant eagle 4601, medina
- giant eagle 5839, medina
- meijer 335, medina
- meijer store 323, brunswick
- miller bros super valu, lodi
- target store 2119, wadsworth
- target store 984, medina
- walmart store 1894, medina
- walmart supercenter 2966, wadsworth
Supermarket · 8
- aldi 63018 63018, medina
- aldi 63072 63072, brunswick
- aldi 63073 63073, wadsworth
- aldi 63004, medina
- gordon food service store mp098, medina
- marc's 25, medina
- marc's 65, brunswick
- save a lot 30063, wadsworth
Farmers' Market · 3
- farmers market of medina county, medina
- farmers market of medina county, medina
- medina county farmers market, medina
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- acme farm market, wadsworth
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Medina County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Medina 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 Medina County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Medina County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Medina County? ▼
Is Medina County a food desert? ▼
What share of Medina 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.