450,000 People Live in Food Deserts in the Cleveland Area

A new map reveals the scale of the food desert challenge in Cleveland and environs.

1 minute read

October 6, 2017, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Ginger Christ reports that as many as 450,000 people in Cuyahoga County, Ohio live in a food desert, lacking convenient access to healthy food and suffering from higher risks of chronic disease.

The recently released Cuyahoga County Supermarket Assessment mapped the county's food deserts to illustrate the scale of the problem, including neighborhoods in the city of Cleveland and its suburbs, and overlays the food desert map with demographic data. According to Christ, the project identifies "about 20 spots in the county, in areas such as Glenville and Bedford Heights, where access to healthy food is the most difficult."

While the article is able to report the recent opening of a supermarket in Euclid, details about the efforts of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health's Creating Healthy Communities program are lacking in the article. The county's program is made possible by funding from the Ohio Department of Health, and more information is available online and in the video found below.

Thursday, October 5, 2017 in The Plain Dealer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Bird's eye view of half-circle suburban street with large homes.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City

If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

1 hour ago - Investopedia

Color-coded map of labor & delivery departments and losses in United States.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace

In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.

June 15 - Maine Morning Star

Street scene in Kathmandu, Nepal with yellow minibuses and other traffic.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs

Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

June 15 - Fast Company