PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Ohio

Shelby County, OH

Shelby 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.

14.8%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
8.8%
on SNAP
48K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 OH

The food-access picture

14.8% of Shelby County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
4.1%
households, no vehicle
11.6%
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).

Shelby County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 14.8% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 10 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 7,294 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 2,053 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 Shelby County compares nationally

Shelby County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 14.8% low-access share that beats 32% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,135).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Shelby County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 10 census tracts in Shelby 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 Shelby County, OH USDA-defined food-access tiers: 6 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 10 tracts evaluated. 6 tracts adequate (60.0%) 3 tracts limited (30.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (10.0%) Adequate 60% Limited 30% Severe 10% Food-access tier distribution: Shelby County, OH
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Shelby 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 Shelby County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts10
Atlas Population (2010 basis)49,423
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population7,294
Low-Access Share14.8%below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population2,053

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Shelby County
IndicatorValue
Population47,929
Median Household Income$73,978
Poverty Rate11.6%below the national average
SNAP Households1,657
SNAP Participation Rate8.8%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle4.1%well below the national average
Group-Quarters Population1.0%
SNAP participation in Shelby County 8.8%

About 8.8% of Shelby County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 14.8% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 8.8% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,657 households here.
  • 4.1% 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 Shelby County

near the national share

1 of Shelby County's 10 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 10.0% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 7,294 residents, roughly 14.8% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 2,053 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 6 tracts (60.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Shelby County

Shelby County has 42 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 23 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.

Convenience Store · 23

  • anna food center llc 1, anna
  • casey's general store 3552, fort loramie
  • casey's general store 3553, jackson center
  • circle k 4705681, botkins
  • clark 4861, sidney
  • court street express llc, sidney
  • db petroleum, inc., sidney
  • east 47 marathon, sidney
  • fair rd sunoco, sidney
  • love's travel stop 747, sidney
  • marathon #14262 8, anna
  • pasco grocery 1, sidney
  • s and g stores llc 110, sidney
  • s and g stores llc 75, sidney
  • schafer market 8016, fort loramie
  • sheetz 883, sidney
  • shivbhumillc, sidney
  • sidney arco, sidney
  • sidney foodmart, sidney
  • speedway 1261, sidney
  • speedway 5135, sidney
  • speedway 8012, anna
  • speedway 8018, sidney

Combination Grocery/Other · 12

  • cvs 6179, sidney
  • dollar general 14382, botkins
  • dollar general 1920, sidney
  • dollar general 5810, fort loramie
  • dollar general 6013, sidney
  • dollar general 20464, houston
  • dollar general 22545, sidney
  • dollar tree 4986, wauseon
  • dollar tree 78, sidney
  • family dollar 10321, jackson center
  • family dollar 11234, anna
  • walgreens 07941, sidney

Super Store · 2

  • kroger 913, sidney
  • walmart supercenter 1331, sidney

Supermarket · 2

  • aldi 61046 61046, sidney
  • sidney grocery store llc, sidney

Bakery Specialty · 1

  • aunt millie's bakery outlet 50080, sidney

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • anna market, anna

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • curly's custom meats, inc., jackson center

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 Shelby County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →

Food access nationally, Ohio in context

Shelby 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 Shelby County has low food access? ▼
14.8% of residents in Shelby 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 Shelby County? ▼
8.8% of households in Shelby County receive SNAP, covering 1,657 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Shelby County? ▼
The poverty rate in Shelby County, OH is 11.6%, with a median household income of $73,978 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Shelby County a food desert? ▼
1 of Shelby County's 10 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 Shelby County households lack a vehicle? ▼
4.1% of households in Shelby 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.