Signature · 7.8% SNAP (17th pct in OH)
Ottawa County, OH
Ottawa County sits in the upper national band on low-access (31.0%, +8.9 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.
- 31.0%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.8%
- on SNAP
- 40K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Ottawa County, OH
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-THIN
- LA-ELEVATED 31.0% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +8.9 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.5% no vehicle
- DENSITY-THIN 8% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Hamilton County (+ 0.1 pts)
Upper-band low-access
Ottawa County sits in the upper national band (31.0%, #877 of 3,079) with 1 LILA tracts.
- #877
- national by low-access %
- #18
- in OH
- 6
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.
Signature read: 7.8% SNAP (17th pct in OH) (-4.3 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Ottawa County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Ottawa County's 31.0% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #877 most-affected nationwide.
Ottawa County's elevated USDA tier split
13 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Ottawa County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (7 rural, 6 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 6 urban tracts face the 1-mile one.
Ottawa County vs nearby high low-access peers
Poles + nearest peers in Ohio, not a full county-board reprint
- Warren
Warren 45.7%
45.7 % low-access
- Crawford
Crawford 31.5%
31.5 % low-access
- Hamilton
Hamilton 31.1%
31.1 % low-access
- Summit
Summit 31.1%
31.1 % low-access
- Ottawa
Ottawa 31%
31 % low-access
- Wood
Wood 30.8%
30.8 % low-access
- Morrow 2.2
Morrow 2.2%
2.2 % low-access
FARA 2019 · elevated low-access
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 41,428 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 6 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 12,833 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.0%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,711 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 39,994 |
| Median Household Income | $76,101 |
| Poverty Rate | 8.4%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,441 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.8%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.4% |
Thick SNAP store book in Ottawa County
Ottawa County has 32 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 14 locations (44% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 32 authorized stores; Port Clinton holds 53% of them. 1 of the 6 towns has no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Curtice.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Port Clinton | 17 | 4 |
| Genoa | 5 | 1 |
| Oak Harbor | 4 | 1 |
| Elmore | 3 | 1 |
| Lakeside Marblehead | 2 | 1 |
| Curtice | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 14
- countyline one stop center, port clinton
- curtice carryout, curtice
- express stop 4669, elmore
- friendship 70, port clinton
- friendship 72, oak harbor
- friendship 76, port clinton
- genoa mini mart, genoa
- heilman's brew thru, genoa
- hy-miler 2241, port clinton
- hy-miller 2237, port clinton
- pc party mart, port clinton
- pat's party mart, port clinton
- rich's drive thru & conv store, port clinton
- speedway 5410 5410, port clinton
Combination Grocery/Other · 10
- dollar general 14390, port clinton
- dollar general 19577, elmore
- dollar general 19697, oak harbor
- dollar general 4779, port clinton
- dollar general 8331, oak harbor
- dollar general 994, genoa
- dollar general 15713, lakeside marblehead
- dollar general 17230, port clinton
- dollar tree 6770, port clinton
- family dollar 12980, genoa
Super Store · 5
- bassett's market, port clinton
- community markets 240, oak harbor
- kroger n-641, port clinton
- miller's newmarket, genoa
- walmart supercenter 1445, port clinton
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- erie food market, lakeside marblehead
- tank's meats, inc, elmore
Large Grocery Store · 1
- bassett's hardware & city market, port clinton
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Ohio
One of 87 counties in Ohio, 6 are shown here.
Compare Ottawa County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Counties near Ottawa County's elevated low-access or SNAP band
SNAP-led peer set first for Ottawa County (7.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Ohio.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside OH (31.0% here).
- Jefferson County, MO · 31.0% low-access
- Morrison County, MN · 31.0% low-access
- Sanders County, MT · 31.1% low-access
- Madison County, TX · 30.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside OH (7.8% here).
- McClain County, OK · 7.8% SNAP
- Bucks County, PA · 7.8% SNAP
- Cumberland County, PA · 7.8% SNAP
- Custer County, NE · 7.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Ohio among East North Central states
Ohio ranks 2nd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (25.1%). Ottawa County, at 31.0%, runs 5.9 pts above the Ohio rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Ottawa County, OH are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 39123. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.