County food-access profile · Ohio
Preble County, OH
Preble 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.
- 13.5%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 10.2%
- on SNAP
- 41K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
13.5% of Preble County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 4.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.6%
- 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).
Preble County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.5% per the USDA Atlas. 2 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 5,713 residents who live far from a supermarket. 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 Preble County compares nationally
Preble County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.5% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,242).
Preble County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 12 census tracts in Preble County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Preble County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Preble
Preble County, OH
13.5 % 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 | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 42,270 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,713 |
| Low-Access Share | 13.5%below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,261 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 40,765 |
| Median Household Income | $69,223 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.6%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,707 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 10.2%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 0.9% |
About 10.2% of Preble County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 13.5% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 10.2% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,707 households here.
- 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $69,223 with a 12.6% 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 Preble County
near the national share
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 2.
An estimated 5,713 residents, roughly 13.5% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,261 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 10 tracts (83.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Preble County
Preble County has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 18 locations (53% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 18
- american mini mart, college corner
- camden crossing bp, camden
- camden road dog llc 111, camden
- eaton food mart, eaton
- eaton shell, eaton
- gratis food center llc 0, gratis
- jr gas mart llc, west alexandria
- k foods inc, west alexandria
- kn gratis llc, gratis
- lewisburg food mart, lewisburg
- marathon 2, new paris
- maruti09 llc (marathon gas station east) gas statio, lewisburg
- nickel saver food center inc 0, lewisburg
- petro new paris 357, new paris
- pilot travel center 286, eaton
- riegel feed & grain inc, new paris
- speedway 1190, eaton
- ta dayton 11, eaton
Combination Grocery/Other · 11
- cvs 6145, eaton
- dollar general 14230, new paris
- dollar general 14563, lewisburg
- dollar general 1812, eaton
- dollar general 7077, eaton
- dollar general 10852, camden
- dollar general 14419, west alexandria
- dollar general 14665, gratis
- dollar general 20350, west manchester
- dollar tree 6515, eaton
- walgreens 11846, eaton
Super Store · 3
- kroger 828, eaton
- kroger 808, eaton
- walmart supercenter 5374, eaton
Large Grocery Store · 1
- steiner's country market, eaton
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- barnes butcher shop llc, camden
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Preble County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Preble 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 Preble County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Preble County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Preble County? ▼
Is Preble County a food desert? ▼
What share of Preble 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.