Demographic SNAPshot: Not Everyone Eligible for Food Assistance Program Receives Benefits

Access and eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program varies county by county. Learn more in this America Counts story.

America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers Demographic SNAPshot: Not Everyone Eligible for Food Assistance Program Receives Benefits Who's eligible for and who actually accesses benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) varies from state to state, year to year, and county to county. SNAP, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is the nation's largest federal effort to reduce hunger. It reached 38 million people in fiscal year 2019 but a recent report estimates that about one in six of those eligible did not participate in the program. Read More Now, a new visualization produced by the U.S. Census Bureau with support from the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, the USDA's Economic Research Service, and data from multiple state partners shows estimates of SNAP eligibility and access rates at the state and county levels for 16 states for select years. The visualization, which uses American Community Survey (ACS) and state administrative records data, aims to increase understanding of access to SNAP and inform future outreach. Continue reading to learn more about: How data from the ACS was used in the visualization State and county-level eligibility rate estimates Eligibility and access patterns in selected states, over time, and across counties within states Demographic characteristics of eligible SNAP participants and nonparticipants at the state and county level Help us spread the word about America Counts. Share this story on social media or forward it to a friend. Share This You May Be Interested Most Families That Received SNAP Benefits in 2018 Had At Least One Person Working: Most families who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program bwnwfits had at least one worker and about a third included two or more workers. Learn More About America Counts America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It features stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, economy, emergency preparedness, health, population, income and poverty. Contact our Public Information Office for media inquiries or interviews. Don't miss an America Counts story! Subscribe here.

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