Introduction
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”), previously known as food stamps, is a safety net program that provides assistance to low and no-income people to purchase food. SNAP is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), although benefits are distributed by specific departments of the U.S. states.
In 1964 the Food Stamp Act was passed and appropriated $75 million to 350,000 individuals in 40 counties and three cities. The Act intended to strengthen the agricultural economy and improve the levels of nutrition amongst low income households. This was a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty”.
As of August 2021, approximately 42 million people received SNAP benefits. The amount of money one receives through SNAP depends on the size, income, and expenses of the household.
Learn for yourself how food stamp benefits differ by state by looking at the data in the charts.
| # | State | SNAP Households | Number of Welfare Recipients | Social Security Tax Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,911,000 | 237,614 | No |
| 2 | Florida | 1,632,000 | 38,115 | No |
| 3 | Texas | 1,595,000 | 18,181 | No |
| 4 | New York | 1,520,000 | 75,121 | No |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 946,000 | 27,157 | No |
| 6 | Illinois | 904,000 | 10,538 | No |
| 7 | Georgia | 699,000 | 7,656 | No |
| 8 | Ohio | 698,000 | 48,056 | No |
| 9 | Michigan | 672,000 | 9,372 | No |
| 10 | North Carolina | 634,000 | 13,571 | No |
| 11 | Washington | 495,000 | 28,150 | No |
| 12 | Tennessee | 463,000 | 14,272 | No |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 447,000 | 25,272 | No |
| 14 | Louisiana | 401,000 | 3,358 | No |
| 15 | Arizona | 377,000 | 6,985 | No |
| 16 | New Jersey | 376,000 | 8,923 | No |
| 17 | Oregon | 358,000 | 14,390 | No |
| 18 | Alabama | 354,000 | 6,268 | No |
| 19 | Virginia | 342,000 | 15,680 | No |
| 20 | Maryland | 341,000 | 22,063 | No |
| 21 | Missouri | 331,000 | 6,806 | No |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 323,000 | 14,991 | No |
| 23 | South Carolina | 301,000 | 7,305 | No |
| 24 | Kentucky | 279,000 | 13,136 | No |
| 25 | Indiana | 270,000 | 7,636 | No |
| 26 | Oklahoma | 260,000 | 4,964 | No |
| 27 | Mississippi | 230,000 | 1,681 | No |
| 28 | Nevada | 226,000 | 5,719 | No |
| 29 | Colorado | 219,000 | 11,622 | Yes |
| 30 | Connecticut | 219,000 | 5,713 | Yes |
| 31 | New Mexico | 214,000 | 11,574 | Yes |
| 32 | Minnesota | 208,000 | 19,250 | Yes |
| 33 | West Virginia | 163,000 | 5,628 | Yes |
| 34 | Arkansas | 161,000 | 1,691 | No |
| 35 | Iowa | 161,000 | 6,215 | No |
| 36 | Kansas | 99,000 | 3,146 | Yes |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 92,000 | 2,305 | Yes |
| 38 | Maine | 85,000 | 3,281 | No |
| 39 | Hawaii | 82,000 | 6,587 | No |
| 40 | Utah | 76,000 | 2,374 | Yes |
| 41 | Nebraska | 75,000 | 3,451 | Yes |
| 42 | Idaho | 69,000 | 1,677 | No |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 68,000 | 6,354 | |
| 44 | Delaware | 67,000 | 2,655 | No |
| 45 | Montana | 55,000 | 2,178 | Yes |
| 46 | New Hampshire | 43,000 | 2,990 | No |
| 47 | Vermont | 41,000 | 1,688 | Yes |
| 48 | South Dakota | 40,000 | 2,559 | No |
| 49 | Alaska | 39,000 | 1,775 | No |
| 50 | North Dakota | 24,000 | 1,055 | Yes |
| 51 | Wyoming | 13,000 | 478 | No |
SNAP Households by State
Alabama
SNAP Households
354,000
Ranked in the US
#18
Ranked in the US
#29
Alaska
SNAP Households
39,000
Ranked in the US
#49
Ranked in the US
#45
Arizona
SNAP Households
377,000
Ranked in the US
#15
Ranked in the US
#25
Arkansas
SNAP Households
161,000
Ranked in the US
#34
Ranked in the US
#46
California
SNAP Households
1,911,000
Ranked in the US
#1
237,614
Ranked in the US
#1
Colorado
SNAP Households
219,000
Ranked in the US
#29
Ranked in the US
#17
Connecticut
SNAP Households
219,000
Ranked in the US
#30
Ranked in the US
#32
Delaware
SNAP Households
67,000
Ranked in the US
#44
Ranked in the US
#40
District of Columbia
SNAP Households
68,000
Ranked in the US
#43
Ranked in the US
#28
Florida
SNAP Households
1,632,000
Ranked in the US
#2
Ranked in the US
#4
Georgia
SNAP Households
699,000
Ranked in the US
#7
Ranked in the US
#22
Hawaii
SNAP Households
82,000
Ranked in the US
#39
Ranked in the US
#27
Idaho
SNAP Households
69,000
Ranked in the US
#42
Ranked in the US
#49
Illinois
SNAP Households
904,000
Ranked in the US
#6
Ranked in the US
#19
Indiana
SNAP Households
270,000
Ranked in the US
#25
Ranked in the US
#23
Iowa
SNAP Households
161,000
Ranked in the US
#35
Ranked in the US
#30
Kansas
SNAP Households
99,000
Ranked in the US
#36
Ranked in the US
#38
Kentucky
SNAP Households
279,000
Ranked in the US
#24
Ranked in the US
#16
Louisiana
SNAP Households
401,000
Ranked in the US
#14
Ranked in the US
#36
Maine
SNAP Households
85,000
Ranked in the US
#38
Ranked in the US
#37
Maryland
SNAP Households
341,000
Ranked in the US
#20
Ranked in the US
#8
Massachusetts
SNAP Households
447,000
Ranked in the US
#13
Ranked in the US
#7
Michigan
SNAP Households
672,000
Ranked in the US
#9
Ranked in the US
#20
Minnesota
SNAP Households
208,000
Ranked in the US
#32
Ranked in the US
#9
Mississippi
SNAP Households
230,000
Ranked in the US
#27
Ranked in the US
#48
Missouri
SNAP Households
331,000
Ranked in the US
#21
Ranked in the US
#26
Montana
SNAP Households
55,000
Ranked in the US
#45
Ranked in the US
#44
Nebraska
SNAP Households
75,000
Ranked in the US
#41
Ranked in the US
#35
Nevada
SNAP Households
226,000
Ranked in the US
#28
Ranked in the US
#31
New Hampshire
SNAP Households
43,000
Ranked in the US
#46
Ranked in the US
#39
New Jersey
SNAP Households
376,000
Ranked in the US
#16
Ranked in the US
#21
New Mexico
SNAP Households
214,000
Ranked in the US
#31
Ranked in the US
#18
New York
SNAP Households
1,520,000
Ranked in the US
#4
Ranked in the US
#2
North Carolina
SNAP Households
634,000
Ranked in the US
#10
Ranked in the US
#15
North Dakota
SNAP Households
24,000
Ranked in the US
#50
Ranked in the US
#50
Ohio
SNAP Households
698,000
Ranked in the US
#8
Ranked in the US
#3
Oklahoma
SNAP Households
260,000
Ranked in the US
#26
Ranked in the US
#34
Oregon
SNAP Households
358,000
Ranked in the US
#17
Ranked in the US
#13
Pennsylvania
SNAP Households
946,000
Ranked in the US
#5
Ranked in the US
#6
Rhode Island
SNAP Households
92,000
Ranked in the US
#37
Ranked in the US
#43
South Carolina
SNAP Households
301,000
Ranked in the US
#23
Ranked in the US
#24
South Dakota
SNAP Households
40,000
Ranked in the US
#48
Ranked in the US
#41
Tennessee
SNAP Households
463,000
Ranked in the US
#12
Ranked in the US
#14
Texas
SNAP Households
1,595,000
Ranked in the US
#3
Ranked in the US
#10
Utah
SNAP Households
76,000
Ranked in the US
#40
Ranked in the US
#42
Vermont
SNAP Households
41,000
Ranked in the US
#47
Ranked in the US
#47
Virginia
SNAP Households
342,000
Ranked in the US
#19
Ranked in the US
#11
Washington
SNAP Households
495,000
Ranked in the US
#11
Ranked in the US
#5
West Virginia
SNAP Households
163,000
Ranked in the US
#33
Ranked in the US
#33
Wisconsin
SNAP Households
323,000
Ranked in the US
#22
Ranked in the US
#12
Wyoming
SNAP Households
13,000
Ranked in the US
#51
Ranked in the US
#51