Signature · 7.5% SNAP (14th pct in OH)
Van Wert County, OH
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Van Wert 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).
- 20.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 7.5%
- on SNAP
- 29K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Van Wert County, OH
LA-ELEVATED · BELOW-NATIONAL · LILA-SINGLE · SNAP-LIGHT · VEH-OK · DENSITY-MIXED
- LA-ELEVATED 20.2% low-access
- BELOW-NATIONAL -1.9 pts vs US
- LILA-SINGLE 1 food-desert tract
- SNAP-LIGHT 7.5% SNAP
- VEH-OK 3.6% no vehicle
- DENSITY-MIXED 11% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Clark County (+ 0.1 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Van Wert County ranks #1,675 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #42 of 88 counties in OH (20.2% low-access; 1 food-desert tracts).
- #1,675
- national by low-access %
- #42
- in OH
- 2
- low-access tracts
- 2K
- food-desert residents
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).
Signature read: 7.5% SNAP (14th pct in OH) (-4.6 pts vs U.S. SNAP) .
How Van Wert County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Van Wert County's 20.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 47% of them and ranked #1,675 most-affected nationwide.
Van Wert County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
9 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 1 LILA.
Van Wert County is mostly urban by USDA tract type (5 urban, 4 rural), so most of its low-access count comes from the 1-mile test; the 4 rural tracts are held to 10 miles.
Van Wert County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Ohio, not a full county-board reprint
- Warren
Warren 45.7%
45.7 % low-access
- Ashtabula
Ashtabula 21.9%
21.9 % low-access
- Clark
Clark 20.3%
20.3 % low-access
- Knox
Knox 20.3%
20.3 % low-access
- Van Wert
Van Wert 20.2%
20.2 % low-access
- Paulding
Paulding 19.5%
19.5 % low-access
- Morrow 2.2
Morrow 2.2%
2.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 9 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 28,744 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 2 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 5,816 |
| Low-Access Share | 20.2%near the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,966 |
ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 28,826 |
| Median Household Income | $67,917 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.0%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 867 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 7.5%below the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 3.6%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.1% |
SNAP retailers in Van Wert County
Van Wert County has 20 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 4 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (55% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
6 towns share the 20 authorized stores; Van Wert holds 65% of them. 5 of the 6 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Convoy, Ohio City, Delphos, Grover Hill, Willshire.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Van Wert | 13 | 4 |
| Convoy | 2 | none |
| Ohio City | 2 | none |
| Delphos | 1 | none |
| Grover Hill | 1 | none |
| Willshire | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 11
- brookside convenience store, van wert
- casey's 3742, van wert
- danny food mart 010, convoy
- lassus handy dandy 557, van wert
- marathon gas station, grover hill
- ohio city express, ohio city
- one stop shop, van wert
- partee shop 1, van wert
- speedway 1507 1507, delphos
- tyler's short stop, van wert
- willshire road dog 107, willshire
Combination Grocery/Other · 5
- cvs 3312, van wert
- dollar general 3030, van wert
- dollar general 21510, convoy
- dollar general 30507, ohio city
- dollar tree 4824, van wert
Super Store · 2
- ruler's 243, van wert
- walmart 1333, van wert
Supermarket · 2
- chief supermarket 71, van wert
- save a lot 30138, van wert
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Ohio
One of 87 counties in Ohio, 6 are shown here.
Compare Van Wert County vs Adams County → · All Ohio counties →
Nationwide peers for Van Wert County's low-access or SNAP share
SNAP-led peer set first for Van Wert County (7.5%), with low-access neighbours deduped against it, both outside Ohio.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside OH (20.2% here).
- Jackson County, TX · 20.2% low-access
- Smith County, TX · 20.2% low-access
- Montgomery County, VA · 20.2% low-access
- Jackson County, OR · 20.1% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside OH (7.5% here).
- Stark County, ND · 7.5% SNAP
- Watauga County, NC · 7.5% SNAP
- Cape May County, NJ · 7.5% SNAP
- Horry County, SC · 7.5% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Ohio among East North Central states
Ohio ranks 2nd of 5 East North Central states by population-weighted low-access (25.1%). Van Wert County, at 20.2%, runs 4.9 pts below the Ohio rate.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Van Wert County, OH are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 39161. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.