County food-access profile · Ohio
Richland County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Richland 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).
- 36.4%
- low-access pop.
- 10
- food-desert tracts
- 14.8%
- on SNAP
- 125K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
36.4% of Richland County residents live in a low-access area, and 10 of its 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 19
- low-access tracts
- 17K
- food-desert residents
- 7.2%
- households, no vehicle
- 13.8%
- 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).
USDA data puts Richland County's low-access share at 36.4%, above the national share. 19 of the county's 30 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 45,295 people. 10 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 16,966 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 Richland County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Richland County's 36.4% low-access share is elevated, higher than 83% of them and ranked #539 most-affected nationwide.
Richland County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 30 census tracts in Richland County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Richland County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Richland
Richland County, OH
36.4 % 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 | 30 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 124,475 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 19 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 10 |
| Low-Access Population | 45,295 |
| Low-Access Share | 36.4%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 16,966 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 125,099 |
| Median Household Income | $59,509 |
| Poverty Rate | 13.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 7,440 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.8%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.2%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 5.4% |
About 14.8% of Richland County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 36.4% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 7,440 households here.
- 7.2% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 10 tracts 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 Richland County
above the national share
10 of Richland County's 30 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 33.3% of all its tracts.
A further 9 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 19.
An estimated 45,295 residents, roughly 36.4% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 16,966 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (36.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Richland County
Richland County has 122 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 10 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 62 locations (51% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 62
- 24 store ashland, mansfield
- 7-eleven store 36178a, mansfield
- 7-eleven 36174a, mansfield
- 7-eleven store no. 36173a 36173a, mansfield
- 7-eleven, inc. (a texas corporation) & pria, inc. 36177a, mansfield
- ashland rd 1103, mansfield
- baba1313 inc, mansfield
- bellstores 1112, ontario
- bellville 1205, bellville
- big fish general store & bait llc, perrysville
- butler duchess 1209, butler
- circle k 4705374, mansfield
- circle k 4705705, mansfield
- dulce amor davalos mercado, mansfield
- food land, mansfield
- friendship 68, mansfield
- friends convience mart, ontario
- friends food mart, mansfield
- in-n-out mart, mansfield
- joe & marys market, mansfield
- lex food mart, mansfield
- longview & main duchess 1183, mansfield
- love's travel stop 711, belleville
- maan 2904 llc, mansfield
- magnuson hotels, mansfield
- mansfield duchess 1230, mansfield
- mansfield marathon, mansfield
- mansfield moto 4128, ontario
- marion ave drive thru, mansfield
- meijer gas station 126, mansfield
- mickey mart 17, shelby
- mickey mart 21, bellville
- mickey mart 22, plymouth
- mickey mart 32, bellville
- mickey's #73 73, shelby
- moutain drive thru, mansfield
- national parkway duchess 1186, mansfield
- ohio food mart llc, mansfield
- olivesburg general store, ashland
- on way gas ontario 1, ontario
- ontario duchess shop 1249, ontario
- papa johnnys drive thru, mansfield
- par mar store 230, shelby
- quick mart, mansfield
- quick stop drive through, mansfield
- rebel 903, mansfield
- rt. 97 duchess 1188, bellville
- s and g stores llc s&g #109, mansfield
- shelby 1206, shelby
- shelby clark, shelby
- shell 1357, mansfield
- shell gas station, mansfield
- shell mansfield, mansfield
- shiloh general store, shiloh
- speedway 1099, mansfield
- speedway 3535 3535, bellville
- speedway 3624 3624, mansfield
- speedway 3652 3652, mansfield
- speedway 9183 9183, mansfield
- speedway 9190 9190, mansfield
- sunshine market 1, mansfield
- whitaker's farm market, bellville
Combination Grocery/Other · 37
- cvs 6169, mansfield
- cvs 6175, mansfield
- cvs 6176, mansfield
- dollar general 11088, plymouth
- dollar general 14479, mansfield
- dollar general 14503, mansfield
- dollar general 14526, butler
- dollar general 18828, mansfield
- dollar general 19557, mansfield
- dollar general 324, mansfield
- dollar general 4188, shelby
- dollar general 4638, mansfield
- dollar general 4673, mansfield
- dollar general 9870, lexington
- dollar tree 0039, mansfield
- dollartree 10716, shelby
- dollartree 10786, mansfield
- dollartree 9438, crestline
- discount drug mart 59, mansfield
- discount drug mart 90, shelby
- dollar general 16636, lucas
- dollar general 19971, mansfield
- dollar general 20768, ontario
- dollar general 21056, mansfield
- dollar general 21644, mansfield
- dollar tree 4881, mansfield
- dollar tree 8469, mansfield
- family dollar 11353, mansfield
- family dollar 12772, mansfield
- family dollar 7925, shelby
- family dollar store 1617, mansfield
- family dollar store 2040, mansfield
- family dollar store 3599, mansfield
- family dollar store 3628, mansfield
- family dollar store 5884, mansfield
- walgreens 09047, mansfield
- wayne's country market, mansfield
Super Store · 8
- kroger 557, mansfield
- kroger n-518, mansfield
- kroger n-836 n836, mansfield
- meijer inc 126, mansfield
- sam's club 6407, ontario
- target store 1381, mansfield
- walmart 1539, ontario
- walmart supercenter 5471, mansfield
Supermarket · 6
- aldi 63048 63048, ontario
- gordon food service store mp084, mansfield
- ontario grocery outlet 759, ontario
- save a lot 21696, shelby
- save a lot 30053, mansfield
- stoodt's fresh market, bellville
Large Grocery Store · 2
- kv market llc., mansfield
- pinhook meats llc, lucas
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- gwirtz foods inc, shelby
- pumpkin seed market co., mansfield
Small Grocery Store · 2
- locust corners bulk food & deli llc, bellville
- springmill corner market, mansfield
Bakery Specialty · 1
- schwebel's bakery outlet 21, ontario
Farmers' Market · 1
- north end farmers market, mansfield
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- mary anne's meat market, mansfield
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Richland County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Richland 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 Richland County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Richland County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Richland County? ▼
Is Richland County a food desert? ▼
What share of Richland 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.