County food-access profile · Ohio
Summit County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Summit 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).
- 31.1%
- low-access pop.
- 19
- food-desert tracts
- 14.1%
- on SNAP
- 538K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
31.1% of Summit County residents live in a low-access area, and 19 of its 135 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 66
- low-access tracts
- 41K
- food-desert residents
- 7.9%
- households, no vehicle
- 12.8%
- 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 Summit County's low-access share at 31.1%, above the national share. 66 of the county's 135 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 168,339 people. 19 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 41,226 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 Summit County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Summit County's 31.1% low-access share is elevated, higher than 72% of them and ranked #873 most-affected nationwide.
Summit County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 135 census tracts in Summit County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Summit County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Summit
Summit County, OH
31.1 % 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 | 135 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 541,781 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 66 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 19 |
| Low-Access Population | 168,339 |
| Low-Access Share | 31.1%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 41,226 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 537,864 |
| Median Household Income | $71,622 |
| Poverty Rate | 12.8%near the national average |
| SNAP Households | 32,721 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 14.1%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.9%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.6% |
About 14.1% of Summit County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 31.1% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 14.1% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 32,721 households here.
- 7.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 19 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 Summit County
above the national share
19 of Summit County's 135 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 14.1% of all its tracts.
A further 47 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 66.
An estimated 168,339 residents, roughly 31.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 41,226 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 69 tracts (51.1%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Summit County
Summit County has 449 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 3 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 148 locations (33% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 148
- 2 live music n/a, akron
- 224 brew thru 1, akron
- 7-eleven, inc. store #36222a, cuyahoga falls
- 7-eleven, inc. & narinderpal singh corporation 36225, twinsburg
- 7-eleven, inc. (a texas corporation) & 3npli llc 36241a, stow
- 7-eleven, inc. store #36210, stow
- a plus quick mart, northfield
- adam klein's seafood, akron
- aj station inc., akron
- akron 813 petroleum llc, akron
- akron fuel mart, akron
- alley grocery llc, cuyahoga falls
- arco east avenue 002, akron
- arlington convenience & drive thru, akron
- arlington gas inc, akron
- arlington marathon 448, akron
- barberton marathon, barberton
- bp food mart, akron
- bae bae's drive thru, akron
- baho convenience store, akron
- barberton mini mart, barberton
- barberton mini mart, barberton
- bellstores 1024, akron
- bellstores 1049, akron
- bellstores 1156, new franklin
- best stop, twinsburg
- bills place, akron
- bobs mini mart, akron
- borders drive thru, akron
- bp 433, akron
- bp grant and south, akron
- circle k 4705739, akron
- copley discount drive thru, akron
- carnegie pantry, akron
- carry'n'goooo, akron
- ciceros pizza & chichen, akron
- ciggy's outlet, akron
- circle k 4705402, cuyahoga falls
- circle k 4705404, akron
- circle k 4705407, barberton
- circle k 4705411, cuyahoga falls
- circle k 4705412, akron
- circle k 4705417, stow
- circle k 4705418, akron
- circle k 4705567, twinsburg
- circle k 4705575, akron
- circle k 4705581, copley
- circle k 4705588, akron
- circle k 4705601, akron
- circle k 4705605, akron
- circle k 4705607, akron
- circle k 4705617, akron
- circle k 4705627, northfield
- circle k 4705702, akron
- circle k 5410, hudson
- circle k 5576, akron
- circle k 5583, akron
- circle k 5584, akron
- circle k 5590, akron
- circle k 5591, akron
- circle k 5592, akron
- circle k 5594, barberton
- circle k 5595, copley
- circle k 5596, akron
- circle k 5597, akron
- circle k 5598, akron
- circle k 5600, akron
- circle k 5603, akron
- circle k 5604, akron
- circle k 5606, akron
- circle k 5608, akron
- circle k 5609, barberton
- circle k 5610, norton
- circle k 5611, twinsburg
- circle k 5612, akron
- circle k 5613, akron
- circle k 5615, cuyahoga falls
- circle k 5619, cuyahoga falls
- circle k 5620, akron
- circle k 5625, cuyahoga falls
- circle k 5628, norton
- convenient food mart, akron
- copley foodmart bp bp 434, akron
- copley mini mart, akron
- delia market, akron
- dairy more, akron
- dollars plus and more llc, akron
- east side market, akron
- ella oil llc, cuyahoga falls
- exxon gas, northfield
- ez carry out, akron
- fairlawn 378, akron
- falls convenience llc, akron
- firestone mini mart, akron
- first choice convenient foods, akron
- gas & save, akron
- getgo 3029, akron
- getgo 3036, cuyahoga falls
- getgo 3224, twinsburg
- getgo 3279, macedonia
- getgo 3392, akron
- getgo 3396, stow
- getgo 3425, fairlawn
- getgo 3703, akron
- ghalley & mangar, llc, akron
- glenwood valero, akron
- hlk & sons inc., northfield
- heights market, akron
- hudson food mart, hudson
- j & j windsor inc, akron
- j & m bp, peninsula
- jack's deli, akron
- kenmore mini mart, akron
- lake mini mart, akron
- lepcha and basnet llc, akron
- liberty food center, akron
- lo boy gas - 2, barberton
- loboygas, new franklin
- lovers lane drive-thru, akron
- lucky food mart, barberton
- mapco 1929, akron
- mapco 1930, cuyahoga falls
- mapco 1931, munroe falls
- mapco 1932, akron
- mapco 980, uniontown
- mapco 981, stow
- mapco 982, akron
- mapco 983, fairlawn
- mapco 984, cuyahoga falls
- mapco 985, barberton
- mapco 987, twinsburg
- mapco 991, tallmadge
- minit mart #5, barberton
- mjs drive thru, akron
- mr7 northfield c-mart, northfield
- marathon gasstation, akron
- meijer gas station 307, stow
- midwest market inc, akron
- mikes food & beverage, akron
- more convenient mart, akron
- more than a convenient market, akron
- mr pantry copley, akron
- new convenience food mart, akron
- north hill convenience store, akron
- northfield sunoco, northfield
- norton bp food mart, barberton
- norton duchess 1169, norton
- oakwood convenience store, cuyahoga falls
Combination Grocery/Other · 101
- ally moe ti pa ti asain grocery, akron
- asian food market, cuyahoga falls
- big lots 3015, akron
- bins2bargainsenterprises, llc, twinsburg
- cvs 3041, akron
- cvs 3092, copley
- cvs 3306, akron
- cvs 3320, barberton
- cvs 3355, norton
- cvs 4301, northfield
- cvs 4333, akron
- cvs 4336, northfield
- cvs 4359, hudson
- cvs 4437, twinsburg
- cvs 4572, cuyahoga falls
- cvs 4800, akron
- cvs pharmacy 4309, cuyahoga falls
- cvs pharmacy 10209, uniontown
- cvs pharmacy 3360, stow
- cvs pharmacy 8932, twinsburg
- cornerstone market & deli, munroe falls
- country market, akron
- dollar general 10472, twinsburg
- dollar general 13569, lakemore
- dollar general 13958, akron
- dollar general 14219, akron
- dollar general 14618, akron
- dollar general 2327, akron
- dollar general 3709, northfield
- dollar general 4115, stow
- dollar general 5864, akron
- dollar general 6168, akron
- dollar general 7790, uniontown
- dollar general 8521, copley
- dollar general 9395, barberton
- dollar general 979, norton
- dollar general 9973, tallmadge
- dollar tree 2067, barberton
- dollartree 10761, cuyahoga falls
- dollartree 9128, twinsburg
- dhimals mini mart, akron
- discount drug mart 32, stow
- discount drug mart 33, cuyahoga falls
- discount drug mart 45, akron
- discount drug mart 64, hudson
- discount drug mart 80, twinsburg
- dollar general 11028, munroe falls
- dollar general 11083, cuyahoga falls
- dollar general 11853, akron
- dollar general 14740, cuyahoga falls
- dollar general 14853, norton
- dollar general 16599, akron
- dollar general 16668, stow
- dollar general 19247, akron
- dollar general 2, akron
- dollar general 20358, norton
- dollar general 20569, akron
- dollar general 21922, akron
- dollar general 22402, akron
- dollar general 2347, akron
- dollar general 24026, akron
- dollar general 25271, cuyahoga falls
- dollar general 7158, akron
- dollar general 7360, akron
- dollar general 9173, akron
- dollar tree 190, akron
- dollar tree 192, stow
- dollar tree 2096, tallmadge
- dollar tree 2355, stow
- dollar tree 279, fairlawn
- dollar tree 3698, akron
- dollar tree 5760, akron
- dollar tree 6150, akron
- dollar tree 6379, akron
- dollar tree 7421, akron
- dollar tree 7992, cuyahoga falls
- dollar tree 8300, akron
- family dollar 11190, cuyahoga falls
- family dollar 13583, akron
- family dollar 8290, barberton
- family dollar 8616, akron
- family dollar store 1040, akron
- family dollar store 4683, akron
- family dollar store 5164, akron
- family dollar store 5303, akron
- family dollar store 5612, akron
- family dollar store 6319, barberton
- janga mini mart llc, akron
- mama b east africa market, akron
- morris's international market, akron
- walgreens 03276, akron
- walgreens 03278, akron
- walgreens 03572, cuyahoga falls
- walgreens 03741, akron
- walgreens 04295, stow
- walgreens 04776, barberton
- walgreens 4775, twinsburg
- walgreens 07719, macedonia
- walgreens 11143, fairlawn
- walgreens 11748, akron
- zaiqa indian grocery, twinsburg
Bakery Specialty · 1
- schwebel bakery outlet 20, cuyahoga falls
Showing 250 of 449 authorized retailers, largest categories first.
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Summit County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Summit 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 Summit County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Summit County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Summit County? ▼
Is Summit County a food desert? ▼
What share of Summit 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.