County food-access profile · Ohio
Sandusky County, OH
Sandusky 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.
- 10.7%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 13.5%
- on SNAP
- 59K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
10.7% of Sandusky County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
- 3.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 15.0%
- 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).
Sandusky County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 10.7% per the USDA Atlas. 3 of the county's 15 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,532 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,991 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 Sandusky County compares nationally
Sandusky County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 10.7% low-access share that beats 22% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,433).
Sandusky County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 15 census tracts in Sandusky County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Sandusky County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Sandusky
Sandusky County, OH
10.7 % 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 | 15 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 60,944 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,532 |
| Low-Access Share | 10.7%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,991 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 58,778 |
| Median Household Income | $62,295 |
| Poverty Rate | 15.0%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 3,340 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 13.5%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.5%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.9% |
About 13.5% of Sandusky County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 10.7% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 13.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,340 households here.
- 3.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract 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 Sandusky County
near the national share
1 of Sandusky County's 15 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 6.7% of all its tracts.
A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 3.
An estimated 6,532 residents, roughly 10.7% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,991 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 12 tracts (80.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Sandusky County
Sandusky County has 53 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 5 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 24 locations (45% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 24
- 104 broadway, green springs
- bellevue beverage center, bellevue
- certified oil 400352, clyde
- chud's inc., fremont
- cidermill carryout, bellevue
- circle k 4705378, fremont
- circle k 4705570, bellevue
- circle k 5654, clyde
- fishers drive thru carry out, fremont
- friendship 80, fremont
- friendship 94, fremont
- friendship 73, fremont
- hd travel center, clyde
- hayes carry out, fremont
- hy-miler 2244, fremont
- hy-miler 2245, fremont
- lindsey village market, lindsey
- mickey mart 29, fremont
- sheetz 874, fremont
- southridge market, clyde
- speedway 1405 1405, fremont
- speedway 3606 3606, clyde
- speedway 9691, fremont
- woodville market, llc 1, woodville
Combination Grocery/Other · 17
- bubba rock meat co., bellevue
- cvs 3471, fremont
- cvs 6177, bellevue
- dollar general 14063, woodville
- dollar general 1612, fremont
- dollar general 4694, bellevue
- dollar general 7014, clyde
- dollar general 9831, gibsonburg
- discount drug mart 72, clyde
- dollar general 14837, green springs
- dollar general 21183, fremont
- dollar general 25107, clyde
- dollar tree 2332, fremont
- dollar tree 8935, fremont
- family dollar store 3449, fremont
- family dollar store 3733, clyde
- walgreens 12159, fremont
Medium Grocery Store · 4
- el aguila bakery, fremont
- hasselbach meats, fremont
- root's poultry, fremont
- the prairie market, fremont
Super Store · 4
- bassett's market 1074, bellevue
- kroger 536, fremont
- miller's newmarket, clyde
- walmart 1429, fremont
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 63003 63003, fremont
- ballville e-z shop,inc., fremont
- hogue's iga, bellevue
- r p kirwen & sons inc, gibsonburg
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Sandusky County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Sandusky 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 Sandusky County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Sandusky County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Sandusky County? ▼
Is Sandusky County a food desert? ▼
What share of Sandusky 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.