County food-access profile · Ohio
Pickaway County, OH
Pickaway 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.
- 15.6%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 12.0%
- on SNAP
- 60K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
15.6% of Pickaway County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 6.7%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.5%
- 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).
Pickaway County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 15.6% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 13 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 8,705 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,689 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 Pickaway County compares nationally
Pickaway County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 15.6% low-access share that beats 34% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,071).
Pickaway County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 13 census tracts in Pickaway County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Pickaway County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Pickaway
Pickaway County, OH
15.6 % 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 | 13 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 55,698 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,705 |
| Low-Access Share | 15.6%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,689 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 60,131 |
| Median Household Income | $74,040 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.5%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,630 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 12.0%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.7%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.7% |
About 12.0% of Pickaway County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 15.6% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 12.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,630 households here.
- 6.7% 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 Pickaway County
near the national share
1 of Pickaway County's 13 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 7.7% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 8,705 residents, roughly 15.6% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,689 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (76.9%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Pickaway County
Pickaway County has 44 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 25 locations (57% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 25
- 56 mini mart, circleville
- am carryout inc, circleville
- american classic carry out, circleville
- bubba's corner, orient
- circle k 5357, south bloomfield
- circleville duchess 1219, circleville
- circleville petroleum, circleville
- dhrumi food & gas llc, circleville
- glpettit llc dt3, orient
- laxmi mart llc 1, orient
- little bear market, circleville
- love's travel stop 690, circleville
- ohio market, circleville
- pilot travel center 8, circleville
- sheetz 706, circleville
- sheetz 740, ashville
- speedway 1402 1402, circleville
- speedway 3737 3737, circleville
- speedway 9756, south bloomfield
- stp petro & food inc, circleville
- sunoco gas station, south bloomfield
- tarlton market, tarlton
- the goody nook, circleville
- the rustic harvest, l.l.c., circleville
- vics, laurelville
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs 6195, circleville
- dollar general 18265, new holland
- dollar general 6354, circleville
- dollar general 8359, circleville
- dollar tree 3705, circleville
- dollar general 17434, ashville
- dollar general 30924, circleville
- dollar general 31175, orient
- dollar general 5819, south bloomfield
- family dollar 11636, williamsport
- train station meats and market llc, circleville
Large Grocery Store · 2
- pettit's markets, llc, williamsport
- pettit's market llc, commercial point
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- discount grocery, circleville
- new holland marathon iga express, new holland
Super Store · 2
- kroger n-844, circleville
- walmart supercenter 1427, circleville
Supermarket · 2
- aldi 61034 61034, circleville
- ashville iga, ashville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Pickaway County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Pickaway 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 Pickaway County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pickaway County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Pickaway County? ▼
Is Pickaway County a food desert? ▼
What share of Pickaway 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.