PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Seneca County, OH

Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Seneca 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).

24.1%
low-access pop.
3
food-desert tracts
13.5%
on SNAP
55K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

24.1% of Seneca County residents live in a low-access area, and 3 of its 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

5
low-access tracts
5K
food-desert residents
6.1%
households, no vehicle
11.9%
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 Seneca County's low-access share at 24.1%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 13,684 people. 3 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 4,760 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 Seneca County compares nationally

Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Seneca County's 24.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 57% of them and ranked #1,362 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Seneca County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 14 census tracts in Seneca County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Seneca County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 9 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 2 limited, 3 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 14 tracts evaluated. 9 tracts adequate (64.3%) 2 tracts limited (14.3%) 3 tracts severe / food desert (21.4%) Adequate 64% Limited 14% Severe 21% Food-access tier distribution: Seneca County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Seneca County vs. other Ohio counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio

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

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Seneca County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts14
Atlas Population (2010 basis)56,745
Low-Access Tracts5
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)3
Low-Access Population13,684
Low-Access Share24.1%near the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population4,760

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Seneca County
IndicatorValue
Population54,770
Median Household Income$66,025
Poverty Rate11.9%below the national average
SNAP Households3,001
SNAP Participation Rate13.5%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.1%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population4.9%
SNAP participation in Seneca County 13.5%

About 13.5% of Seneca County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 24.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 13.5% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 3,001 households here.
  • 6.1% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 3 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 Seneca County

above the national share

3 of Seneca County's 14 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 21.4% of all its tracts.

A further 2 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.

An estimated 13,684 residents, roughly 24.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 4,760 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 9 tracts (64.3%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Seneca County

Seneca County has 52 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 31 locations (60% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 31

  • a-one mccutchenville food and gas mart, mc cutchenville
  • al's convenience store, tiffin
  • b & b foodmart, tiffin
  • casey's 4501, fostoria
  • circle k 4705711, tiffin
  • certified oil 400334, fostoria
  • circle k 4705379, fostoria
  • circle k 4705380, tiffin
  • circle k 4705381, tiffin
  • d & d mini mart, fostoria
  • fostoria food mart, fostoria
  • fostoria sunoco, fostoria
  • friendship 71, attica
  • friendship 77, bettsville
  • hy-miler 2222, tiffin
  • jack's carry out, fostoria
  • molyet farm markets inc, tiffin
  • mickey mart 53, tiffin
  • mickey mart 56, republic
  • mickey mart 65, green springs
  • pit stop convenience stores, tiffin
  • pit stop convenience stores, inc, tiffin
  • point drive thru, tiffin
  • s and g stores llc 77, alvada
  • sai traders llc, tiffin
  • seneca carry out, fostoria
  • southside carry out, fostoria
  • speedway 3620, tiffin
  • sunoco, alvada
  • the drive thru, tiffin
  • whistle stop deli, fostoria

Combination Grocery/Other · 13

  • bassett's market, tiffin
  • cvs 7997, tiffin
  • dollar general 11027, attica
  • dollar general 6824, fostoria
  • dollar general 14997, bettsville
  • dollar general 21053, fostoria
  • dollar general 21252, tiffin
  • dollar general 23481, republic
  • dollar general 30701, bellevue
  • dollar tree 3933, tiffin
  • dollar tree 6637, fostoria
  • family dollar store 5663, tiffin
  • smith family foods, tiffin

Small Grocery Store · 3

  • rock run bulk foods, tiffin
  • tj's drive thru, bloomville
  • yesenia's mexican store, fostoria

Super Store · 3

  • kroger n-594, tiffin
  • kroger n-856, fostoria
  • walmart 1622, tiffin

Farmers' Market · 1

  • tiffin seneca farmers market, tiffin

Supermarket · 1

  • aldi 63051 63051, tiffin

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Ohio

Adams County
22.0% low-access · 20.7% SNAP
Allen County
17.4% low-access · 13.8% SNAP
Ashland County
5.0% low-access · 8.9% SNAP
Ashtabula County
21.9% low-access · 18.2% SNAP
Athens County
17.0% low-access · 14.4% SNAP
Auglaize County
9.9% low-access · 6.8% SNAP

Compare Seneca County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

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

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

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

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Seneca County has low food access? ▼
24.1% of residents in Seneca County, OH live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Seneca County? ▼
13.5% of households in Seneca County receive SNAP, covering 3,001 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Seneca County? ▼
The poverty rate in Seneca County, OH is 11.9%, with a median household income of $66,025 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Seneca County a food desert? ▼
3 of Seneca County's 14 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Seneca County households lack a vehicle? ▼
6.1% of households in Seneca County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
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.