County food-access profile · Ohio
Muskingum County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Muskingum 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).
- 23.7%
- low-access pop.
- 6
- food-desert tracts
- 19.3%
- on SNAP
- 86K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
23.7% of Muskingum County residents live in a low-access area, and 6 of its 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 10
- low-access tracts
- 9K
- food-desert residents
- 7.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.1%
- 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 Muskingum County's low-access share at 23.7%, above the national share. 10 of the county's 19 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,373 people. 6 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 9,172 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 Muskingum County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Muskingum County's 23.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,387 most-affected nationwide.
Muskingum County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 19 census tracts in Muskingum County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Muskingum County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Muskingum
Muskingum County, OH
23.7 % 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 | 19 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 86,074 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 10 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 6 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,373 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.7%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 9,172 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 86,411 |
| Median Household Income | $60,780 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.1%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 6,638 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 19.3%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.7%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.1% |
About 19.3% of Muskingum County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 23.7% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 19.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 6,638 households here.
- 7.7% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 6 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 Muskingum County
above the national share
6 of Muskingum County's 19 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 31.6% of all its tracts.
A further 4 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 10.
An estimated 20,373 residents, roughly 23.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 9,172 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 9 tracts (47.4%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Muskingum County
Muskingum County has 93 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 9 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 50 locations (54% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 50
- aj's fuel and foodmart #22, zanesville
- asams mart llc, adamsville
- baba petroleum, zanesville
- bellstores 1071, zanesville
- bellstores 1162, roseville
- blue and adair duchess 1122, zanesville
- c-plus market, zanesville
- certified oil co 400084, zanesville
- certified oil co 400084, zanesville
- certified oil corp 400170, zanesville
- certified oil corp 400170, zanesville
- certified oil corp 400268, dresden
- certified oil corp 400268, dresden
- circle k 4705351, new concord
- circle k 4705353, dresden
- dillon 1236, nashport
- dillon sunoco, nashport
- east pike duchess 1071, zanesville
- frazeysburg duchess 1123, frazeysburg
- gp mart 2 llc, zanesville
- gp mart llc, hopewell
- jj's drive thru, zanesville
- loves travel stops 221, zanesville
- lp nashport exxon, nashport
- maple ave duchess 1222, zanesville
- maysville duchess 1224, zanesville
- mother tuckers, zanesville
- murphy usa 6934, zanesville
- northpointe duchess 1275, zanesville
- par mar store 239, zanesville
- par mar store 47, zanesville
- par mar store 48, zanesville
- par mar store 49, zanesville
- patton grocery and pizza, east fultonham
- pleasant grove 1125, zanesville
- ridge drive thru, zanesville
- riverside cruise in, zanesville
- sheetz 406, zanesville
- sheetz 774, new concord
- south 60 market, zanesville
- speedway 9153, zanesville
- speedway 9279 9279, zanesville
- speedway 9795, zanesville
- state street market, zanesville
- tajekam llc, zanesville
- ultimate stop llc, blue rock
- zane food mart, zanesville
- zanesviile 1070, zanesville
- zanesville motomart 4108, zanesville
- zanesville shell, zanesville
Combination Grocery/Other · 26
- cvs 3427, zanesville
- cvs 4810, zanesville
- dollar general 13924, zanesville
- dollar general 4754, zanesville
- dollar general 6283, zanesville
- dollar general 672, dresden
- dollar general 8806, duncan falls
- dollar general 14820, new concord
- dollar general 16550, zanesville
- dollar general 17187, nashport
- dollar general 20832, zanesville
- dollar general 23514, zanesville
- dollar general 24047, zanesville
- dollar general 25495, nashport
- dollar general 30364, roseville
- dollar general 31400, zanesville
- dollar general store 13042, nashport
- dollar general store 16095, zanesville
- dollar tree 1048, zanesville
- dollar tree 3160, zanesville
- family dollar 11419, roseville
- family dollar 1368, zanesville
- family dollar 2933, zanesville
- family dollar 7762, frazeysburg
- family dollar store 11114, zanesville
- walgreens 7392, zanesville
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 61008 61008, zanesville
- campbells foodtown, s zanesville
- riesbeck's food markets 14, south zanesville
- riesbeck's food markets 18, new concord
- riesbeck's food markets 8, zanesville
- save a lot zanesville 24041, zanesville
Super Store · 4
- kroger n-891, zanesville
- sam's club 4947, zanesville
- walmart 3581, zanesville
- walmart supercenter 2209, zanesville
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- olde village meats, frazeysburg
- phillips meats, zanesville
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- countryside bulk foods llc, zanesville
- rittberger north market, zanesville
Farmers' Market · 1
- duncan falls farmers market, duncan falls
Large Grocery Store · 1
- duncan falls market, duncan falls
Small Grocery Store · 1
- shrivers pharmacy, zanesville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Muskingum County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Muskingum 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 Muskingum County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Muskingum County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Muskingum County? ▼
Is Muskingum County a food desert? ▼
What share of Muskingum 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.