Signature · 6.8% SNAP (8th pct in OH)
Putnam County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Putnam County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 23.9%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 6.8%
- on SNAP
- 34K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Putnam County, OH
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-NONE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-CLEAR
- LA-ELEVATED 23.9% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +1.8 pts vs US
- LILA-NONE 0 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-LIGHT 6.8% SNAP
- VEH-OK 2.1% no vehicle
- DENSITY-CLEAR 0% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Muskingum County ( -0.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Putnam County ranks #1,375 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #32 of 88 counties in OH (23.9% low-access).
- #1,375
- national by low-access %
- #32
- in OH
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 6.8% SNAP (8th pct in OH) (-5.3 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Putnam County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Putnam County's 23.9% low-access share is elevated, higher than 56% of them and ranked #1,375 most-affected nationwide.
Putnam County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
7 census tracts grouped by USDA classification .
Putnam County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (6 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Putnam County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Ohio, not a full county-board reprint
- Warren
Warren 45.7%
45.7 % low-access
- Franklin
Franklin 24.4%
24.4 % low-access
- Geauga
Geauga 24.4%
24.4 % low-access
- Seneca
Seneca 24.1%
24.1 % low-access
- Putnam
Putnam 23.9%
23.9 % low-access
- Muskingum
Muskingum 23.7%
23.7 % low-access
- Morrow 2.2
Morrow 2.2%
2.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 7 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 34,499 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 8,254 |
| Low-Access Share | 23.9%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,680 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 34,314 |
| Median Household Income | $84,928 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.5%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 898 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 6.8%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.1%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Putnam County
Putnam County has 17 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 8 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 8 locations (47% of the total), followed by convenience store.
Where the store book sits, by town
7 towns share the 17 authorized stores; Ottawa holds 41% of them. 4 of the 7 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Leipsic, Pandora, Columbus Grove, Ottoville.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 7 | 2 |
| Continental | 2 | 1 |
| Kalida | 2 | 1 |
| Leipsic | 2 | none |
| Pandora | 2 | none |
| Columbus Grove | 1 | none |
| Ottoville | 1 | none |
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- dollar general 10222, continental
- dollar general 10404, leipsic
- dollar general 14211, kalida
- dollar general 7029, ottawa
- dollar general 16691, columbus grove
- dollar general 20816, pandora
- dollar general store 16891, ottoville
- dollar tree 8252, ottawa
Convenience Store · 2
- aj's carryout, leipsic
- casey's general store 3568, ottawa
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 2
- leap meats, ottawa
- rodabaugh bros. meats, llc, pandora
Farmers' Market · 1
- ottawa farmers market, ottawa
Large Grocery Store · 1
- kalida market, llc, kalida
Medium Grocery Store · 1
- r & b meats, continental
Super Store · 1
- walmart 2542, ottawa
Supermarket · 1
- community markets 350, ottawa
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 Putnam County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Nationwide peers for Putnam County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Putnam County (6.8%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Ohio.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside OH (23.9% here).
- Otero County, NM · 23.9% low-access
- Hood County, TX · 23.9% low-access
- Crawford County, WI · 23.9% low-access
- Ford County, KS · 23.9% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside OH (6.8% here).
- Ellis County, TX · 6.8% SNAP
- Erath County, TX · 6.8% SNAP
- Fort Bend County, TX · 6.8% SNAP
- Hutchinson County, TX · 6.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Ohio among East North Central states
Ohio ranks 2nd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (25.1%). Putnam County, at 23.9%, runs 1.2 pts below the Ohio rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
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 Putnam County, OH are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 39137. 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.