County food-access profile · Ohio
Pike County, OH
Most of Pike 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).
- 4.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 23.8%
- on SNAP
- 27K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
4.9% of Pike County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 401
- food-desert residents
- 5.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 21.3%
- 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, Pike County fares better than most: just 4.9% of residents live in a low-access tract, below the national share. Still, 1 of the county's 6 tracts meet that threshold, covering about 1,406 people who live far from a supermarket, and none of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Pike County compares nationally
Food access in Pike County compares favorably nationally: its 4.9% low-access share is lower than the vast majority of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, higher than only 10% of them (rank #2,818).
Pike County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 6 census tracts in Pike County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Pike County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Pike 4.9
Pike County, OH
4.9 % 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 | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,709 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 1,406 |
| Low-Access Share | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 401 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 27,044 |
| Median Household Income | $52,736 |
| Poverty Rate | 21.3%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,583 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 23.8%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 5.4%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.5% |
About 23.8% of Pike County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 4.9% of residents are low-access, below the national share for U.S. counties.
- 23.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,583 households here.
- 5.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $52,736 with a 21.3% poverty rate.
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 Pike County
below the national share
A further 1 tract is low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 1.
An estimated 1,406 residents, roughly 4.9% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 401 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Pike County
Pike County has 41 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 26 locations (63% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 26
- beaver 1st stop 99, beaver
- bowman countyline carryout llc, latham
- clark's pump-n-shop 41, piketon
- clarks pump-n-shop 39, waverly
- cody's, latham
- corner market buchanan, waverly
- huckleberry's, waverly
- jasper 1st stop 93, piketon
- kenney's convenient mart, lucasville
- latham 1st stop 50, latham
- lucasville 1st stop 55, lucasville
- miller crossroads, waverly
- nimos one stop, beaver
- noel's carryout, waverly
- par mar store 114, waverly
- piketon 1240, piketon
- piketon 1st stop 30, piketon
- plaza 23, llc, piketon
- quick mart, piketon
- super quik #12, waverly
- shivam corner inc, piketon
- silo station llc, bainbridge
- speedway 9238 9238, waverly
- super quik 5, waverly
- waverly travel center, waverly
- zahns corner 1st stop 62, waverly
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs pharmacy 11086, waverly
- dollar general 19373, piketon
- dollar general 8555, waverly
- dollar general 10917, piketon
- dollar general 15016, beaver
- dollar general 23125, piketon
- dollar general 31426, lucasville
- dollar tree 6194, waverly
- family dollar store 1994, waverly
- family dollar store 5886, piketon
- fruth pharmacy 16, waverly
Super Store · 2
- kroger 363, waverly
- walmart supercenter 2572, waverly
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- southbound land company llc 1, piketon
Supermarket · 1
- ritchie's marketplace, llc, piketon
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Pike 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 Pike County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Pike County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Pike County? ▼
Is Pike County a food desert? ▼
What share of Pike 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.