County food-access profile · Oklahoma
Ottawa County, OK
Ottawa 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.
- 15.9%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 17.6%
- on SNAP
- 30K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.9% of Ottawa County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 3K
- food-desert residents
- 6.1%
- households, no vehicle
- 20.9%
- 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).
Ottawa County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.9% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 9 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,068 residents who live far from a supermarket. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,851 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 Ottawa County compares nationally
Ottawa County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.9% low-access share that beats 35% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,046).
Ottawa County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 9 census tracts in Ottawa County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Ottawa County vs. other Oklahoma counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Oklahoma
- Ottawa 15.9
Ottawa County, OK
15.9 % low-access
- Adair 9.7
Adair County, OK
9.7 % low-access
- Alfalfa
Alfalfa County, OK
58.5 % low-access
- Atoka
Atoka County, OK
34.7 % low-access
- Beaver
Beaver County, OK
38.2 % low-access
- Beckham
Beckham County, OK
26.5 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 31,848 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,068 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.9%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 2,851 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 30,341 |
| Median Household Income | $49,947 |
| Poverty Rate | 20.9%above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,096 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 17.6%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.1%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.7% |
About 17.6% of Ottawa County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.9% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 17.6% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,096 households here.
- 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 3 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 Ottawa County
near the national share
3 of Ottawa County's 9 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 5,068 residents, roughly 15.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 2,851 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 6 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Ottawa County
Ottawa County has 33 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 16 locations (48% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Combination Grocery/Other · 16
- braum's 252, miami
- dollar general 10335, commerce
- dollar general 11633, afton
- dollar general 13111, wyandotte
- dollar general 13216, afton
- dollar general 21579, miami
- dollar general 22019, cleora
- dollar general 22240, miami
- dollar general 22587, fairland
- dollar general 24680, quapaw
- dollar general 25443, miami
- dollar general 3447, miami
- dollar tree 2375, miami
- family dollar 12939, wyandotte
- supermarket don pale, commerce
- walgreens 07889, miami
Convenience Store · 10
- buffalo ranch, afton
- four corners, miami
- grand slam 1, commerce
- love's travel stops & country stores inc 73, miami
- miami mart, miami
- murphy usa 6867, miami
- petes 17, miami
- pete's 10, miami
- petes 43, miami
- petes 44, miami
Farmers' Market · 2
- ottawa county farmers market, miami
- quapaw farmers market, quapaw
Super Store · 2
- harps food store 503, miami
- walmart 28, miami
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- m&m custom butchering, miami
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- nott's grocery, miami
Small Grocery Store · 1
- route 66 express, quapaw
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Oklahoma
Compare Ottawa County vs Adair County → · All Oklahoma counties →
Food access nationally, Oklahoma in context
Ottawa County sits inside Oklahoma (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 Ottawa County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Ottawa County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Ottawa County? ▼
Is Ottawa County a food desert? ▼
What share of Ottawa 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.