County food-access profile · Ohio
Union County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Union 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).
- 38.3%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 4.9%
- on SNAP
- 67K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
38.3% of Union County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 5
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
- 2.4%
- households, no vehicle
- 5.0%
- 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).
USDA data puts Union County's low-access share at 38.3%, above the national share. 5 of the county's 10 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 20,013 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
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 Union County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Union County's 38.3% low-access share is elevated, higher than 85% of them and ranked #469 most-affected nationwide.
Union County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 10 census tracts in Union County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Union County vs. other Ohio counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Ohio
- Union
Union County, OH
38.3 % 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 | 10 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 52,300 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 5 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 20,013 |
| Low-Access Share | 38.3%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,383 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 67,324 |
| Median Household Income | $112,322 |
| Poverty Rate | 5.0%well below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 1,177 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 4.9%well below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 2.4%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 3.8% |
About 4.9% of Union County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 38.3% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 4.9% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 1,177 households here.
- 2.4% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $112,322 with a 5.0% poverty rate.
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 Union County
above the national share
A further 5 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 5.
An estimated 20,013 residents, roughly 38.3% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,383 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 5 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Union County
Union County has 29 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (38% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 11
- broadway express, broadway
- corner carry out, marysville
- friendship 81, marysville
- kc's carryout, milford center
- north main short stop, marysville
- pit stop, marysville
- sheetz 771, marysville
- turkey hill midwest 850715, marysville
- village pantry 5712, marysville
- village pantry 5716, marysville
- village pantry 5722, marysville
Combination Grocery/Other · 9
- cvs 3481, marysville
- dollar general 18819, milford center
- dollar general 4740, marysville
- dollar general 12274, marysville
- dollar general 12328, richwood
- dollar tree 3570, marysville
- family dollar store 7177, richwood
- united dairy farmers 661, marysville
- walgreens 11966, marysville
Super Store · 4
- kroger 385, plain city
- kroger 549, marysville
- meijer 235, marysville
- walmart 1595, marysville
Farmers' Market · 2
- richwood farmer's market, richwood
- union county farmers market marysville, marysville
Large Grocery Store · 1
- mosier's market llc, raymond
Small Grocery Store · 1
- amish heritage country market, llc 0, marysville
Supermarket · 1
- aldi 61020, marysville
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Ohio
Compare Union County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Food access nationally, Ohio in context
Union 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 Union County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Union County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Union County? ▼
Is Union County a food desert? ▼
What share of Union 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.