Signature · 34.7% low-access (80th pct)

Portage County, OH

Portage County sits in the upper national band on low-access (34.7%, +12.6 pts vs U.S.), with SNAP/vehicle context from ACS 2024.

34.7%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
10.2%
on SNAP
162K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

USDA FARA access plate

County Portage County, OH

LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED

  • LA-ELEVATED 34.7% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +12.6 pts vs US
  • LILA-CLUSTER 6 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-LIGHT 10.2% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.6% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-MIXED 17% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: Licking County (+ 0.4 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Portage County sits in the upper national band (34.7%, #610 of 3,079) with 6 LILA tracts.

#610
national by low-access %
#12
in OH
17
low-access tracts
16K
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: 34.7% low-access (80th pct) (+12.6 pts vs U.S. low-access).

How Portage County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Portage County's 34.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 80% of them and ranked #612 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Portage County's elevated USDA tier split

35 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 6 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Portage County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 18 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 11 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 35 tracts evaluated. 18 tracts adequate (51.4%) 11 tracts limited (31.4%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (17.1%) Adequate 51% Limited 31% Severe 17% Food-access tier distribution: Portage County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Portage County has 22 urban and 13 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Portage County vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Ohio, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Portage County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts35
Atlas Population (2010 basis)161,419
Low-Access Tracts17
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population56,048
Low-Access Share34.7%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population15,554

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Portage County
IndicatorValue
Population161,956
Median Household Income$75,766
Poverty Rate11.7%below the national average
SNAP Households6,649
SNAP Participation Rate10.2%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.6%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.4%

Thick SNAP store book in Portage County

Portage County has 125 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 48 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 48

  • a & n mantua inc, mantua
  • aurora 125, aurora
  • avenue market and deli, mogadore
  • certified oil corp 400410, ravenna
  • chestnut convenient no, ravenna
  • circle k 4705360, rootstown
  • circle k 4705363, randolph
  • circle k 4705364, ravenna
  • circle k 4705366, streetsboro
  • circle k 4705368, streetsboro
  • circle k 4705369, kent
  • circle k 4705371, atwater
  • circle k 4705683, windham
  • circle k 5568, ravenna
  • clark ravenna, ravenna
  • freedom sunoco, ravenna
  • gas usa & hanini grubbs, kent
  • getgo 3327, ravenna
  • gr424, ravenna
  • haylett's save 4 store, mantua
  • jag mini mart, garrettsville
  • jimmy d's lil store, mantua
  • love's travel stop 881, diamond
  • mapco 978, streetsboro
  • mapco 979, ravenna
  • mantua petroleum llc, mantua
  • mantua quick mart, mantua
  • marathon gas and beverage, mantua
  • meijer gas station 317, kent
  • murphy usa 7515, kent
  • on the fly bp, ravenna
  • palmyra little village shopper llc, diamond
  • par mar store 170, mogadore
  • ravenna mini mart, llc, ravenna
  • rebel 909, kent
  • safeway kent, kent
  • sheetz 266, streetsboro
  • sheetz 301, ravenna
  • sheetz 390, kent
  • sheetz 452, kent
  • sheetz 864, kent
  • speedway 3390, streetsboro
  • speedway 3505, garrettsville
  • speedway 3632, kent
  • speedway 9175, ravenna
  • wafa market, ravenna
  • westside food mart, kent
  • windham gas station, windham

Combination Grocery/Other · 45

  • cvs 3090, mogadore
  • cvs 3358, ravenna
  • cvs 3393, aurora
  • cvs 3980, kent
  • cvs 4807, streetsboro
  • dollar general 14559, windham
  • dollar general 18765, ravenna
  • dollar general 18985, ravenna
  • dollar general 6232, kent
  • dollar general 6679, rootstown
  • dollar general 9266, windham
  • dollartree 8607, ravenna
  • discount drug mart 55, kent
  • dollar general 11731, atwater
  • dollar general 11935, ravenna
  • dollar general 17614, mogadore
  • dollar general 20047, deerfield
  • dollar general 20219, garrettsville
  • dollar general 20279, mogadore
  • dollar general 21133, ravenna
  • dollar general 21231, kent
  • dollar general 2260, ravenna
  • dollar general 22645, mantua
  • dollar general 23057, ravenna
  • dollar general 25029, suffield
  • dollar general 2775, streetsboro
  • dollar general 31235, kent
  • dollar general 31418, ravenna
  • dollar general 6748, mantua
  • dollar tree 3509, streetsboro
  • dollar tree 3732, raveena
  • dollar tree 3854, aurora
  • dollar tree 3876, kent
  • dollar tree 5922, kent
  • family dollar store 1246, ravenna
  • family dollar store 4140, garrettsville
  • family dollar store 7204, deerfield
  • kent food market, kent
  • rufener hilltop farms, mogadore
  • sammy's food mart #1, streetsboro
  • stahl's farm market, inc, ravenna
  • walgreens 05639, kent
  • walgreens 09346, streetsboro
  • walgreens 10567, aurora
  • walgreens 10784, ravenna

Super Store · 10

  • acme 7, kent
  • duma meats, inc, mogadore
  • giant eagle 4095, rootstown
  • giant eagle 5863, streetsboro
  • giant eagle 6348, ravenna
  • meijer 317, kent
  • target store 2157, streetsboro
  • walmart supercenter 3722, kent
  • walmart supercenter 2313, streetsboro
  • walmart supercenter 2506, ravenna

Supermarket · 10

  • aldi 63007 63007, streetsboro
  • aldi 63053, ravenna
  • aldi 63083, kent
  • aldi 63091, streetsboro
  • heinen's inc 8, aurora
  • marc's 45, aurora
  • marc's 56, ravenna
  • marc's 72kt, kent
  • save a lot 30057, garrettsville
  • sky plaza iga, garrettsville

Small Grocery Store · 5

  • bonner farms meats llc, garrettsville
  • fruitlands farm market llc, deerfield
  • kent natural foods, kent
  • portage meats & deli, rootstown
  • scott farm market & greenhouse, kent

Farmers' Market · 4

  • garrettsville farmers market, garrettsville
  • haymaker farmers' market, kent
  • kent state farmers market, kent
  • thrive together farmers market ffab, ravenna

Large Grocery Store · 2

  • buckeye quality meats, llc, streetsboro
  • edinburg corner store, rootstown

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • c & c custom meats, ravenna

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 Portage County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Counties near Portage County's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Portage County, both outside Ohio so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside OH (34.7% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside OH (10.2% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Portage County inside a higher low-access state context

Portage County sits inside Ohio (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

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 Portage County, OH are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 39133. 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.