County food-access profile · Kentucky
Ohio County, KY
Most of Ohio 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).
- 6.9%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.4%
- on SNAP
- 24K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
6.9% of Ohio County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 7 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 687
- food-desert residents
- 5.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.5%
- 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, Ohio County fares better than most: just 6.9% 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 1,635 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 687 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 Ohio County compares nationally
Food access in Ohio County compares favorably nationally: its 6.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 14% of them (rank #2,710).
Ohio County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 7 census tracts in Ohio County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Ohio County vs. other Kentucky counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Kentucky
- Ohio 6.9
Ohio County, KY
6.9 % low-access
- Adair 6.5
Adair County, KY
6.5 % low-access
- Allen
Allen County, KY
21.7 % low-access
- Anderson 7.8
Anderson County, KY
7.8 % low-access
- Ballard 0
Ballard County, KY
0 % low-access
- Barren
Barren County, KY
15.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 23,842 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,635 |
| Low-Access Share | 6.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 687 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 23,735 |
| Median Household Income | $57,798 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,223 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.2% |
About 13.4% of Ohio County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 6.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,223 households here.
- 5.1% 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 Ohio County
below the national share
1 of Ohio 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 1,635 residents, roughly 6.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 687 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 Ohio County
Ohio County has 24 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 12 locations (50% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 12
- aarya inc, fordsville
- casey's 3393, beaver dam
- doolin's grocery 3, utica
- fivestar 4455, hartford
- horse branch general store, horse branch
- huck's 305, beaver dam
- marathon hartford, hartford
- maysville fastrac inc, mc henry
- minit mart 4410, beaver dam
- murphy usa 6558, beaver dam
- valero hartford, hartford
- vik's mart, utica
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- dollar general 0013, beaver dam
- dollar general 0761, hartford
- dollar general 18661, beaver dam
- dollar general 11544, fordsville
- dollar general 20013, hartford
- dollar general 20553, centertown
- dollar general 21088, rosine
- dollar general 23200, cromwell
- dollar general 24459, rockport
- dollar tree 5393, beaver dam
Farmers' Market · 1
- beaver dam community farmers market, beaver dam
Super Store · 1
- walmart supercenter 333, beaver dam
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Kentucky
Compare Ohio County vs Adair County → · All Kentucky counties →
Food access nationally, Kentucky in context
Ohio County sits inside Kentucky (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 Ohio County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ohio County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Ohio County? ▼
Is Ohio County a food desert? ▼
What share of Ohio 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.