15 States Where the Most People Rely on SNAP for Their Groceries
The food stamp program we know today, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- aka SNAP -- was created by the U.S. federal government to end hunger and move people forward to self-sufficiency. SNAP was built on the foundation of the first Food Stamp Program, which was established in 1939. The initial program, which has evolved over many decades, began to be referred to as SNAP in 2008.
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Over 42 million qualifying people in the U.S. currently use SNAP benefits to purchase fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages and seeds and plants that produce food. However, items such as cleaning supplies, pet foods, hygiene products, cosmetics and ready-to-eat hot foods are not eligible to be purchased with these government-issued benefits.
To qualify for SNAP benefits, you must not exceed SNAP gross and net monthly income limits or the program's resource limits. For example, a family of four cannot exceed a gross monthly income of $2,871, a net monthly income of $2,209 or $2,500 in countable resources, such as cash or money in a bank account. It's important to note that if one member of the family is at least 60 or disabled, different limits will apply.
To determine the 15 states where the most people rely on SNAP for their groceries, GOBankingRates referred to the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Number of Person's Participating" report from the United States Department of Agriculture, specifically the data for December 2020 and December 2021. To help gain perspective, the total population for each state is included, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest estimates dated July 2021.
Some of the states listed have experienced an increase in SNAP participation since December 2020 and some have experienced a decrease. However, what all 15 states have in common is that their populations have the most people relying on SNAP for their groceries, compared to other states.
1. California
The state of California has a population of 39,237,836.
Persons participating in SNAP in December 2021: 4,465,861
Persons participating in SNAP in December 2020: 4,234,649
Percent change: 5.5%
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2. Texas
In Texas, the population is 29,947,521.
Persons participating in December 2021: 3,532,220
Persons participating in December 2020: 3,644,422
Percent change: -3.1%
3. Florida
Florida has a population of 21,781,128.
Persons participating in December 2021: 2,903,034
Persons participating in December 2020: 3,462,997
Percent change: -16.2%
4. New York
The state of New York has 19,835,913 people.
Persons participating in December 2021: 2,782,455
Persons participating in December 2020: 2,742,577
Percent change: 1.5%
5. Illinois
Illinois has 12,671,469 people.
Persons participating in December 2021: 1,949,042
Persons participating in December 2020: 1,897,371
Percent change: 2.7%
6. Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, the population is 12,964,056.
Persons participating in December 2021: 1,852,459
Persons participating in December 2020: 1,447,615
Percent change: 28%
7. North Carolina
North Carolina's population is 10,551,162.
Persons participating in December 2021: 1,720,044
Persons participating in December 2020: 1,449,615
Percent change: 18.7%
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8. Georgia
The state of Georgia's population is10,799,566.
Persons participating in December 2021: 1,624,871
Persons participating in December 2020: 1,694,533
Percent change: -4.1%
9. Ohio
Ohio has 11,780,017 people.
Persons participating in December 2021: 1,491,183
Persons participating in December 2020: 1,456,030
Percent change: 2.4%
10. Michigan
The population in Michigan is 10,050,811.
Persons participating in December 2021: 1,289,293
Persons participating in December 2020: 1,288,627
Percent change: 0.0%
11. Massachusetts
The state of Massachusetts has 6,984,723 people.
Persons participating in December 2021: 996,444
Persons participating in December 2020: 900,624
Percent change: 10.6%
12. New Jersey
New Jersey's population is 9,267,130.
Persons participating in December 2021: 901,025
Persons participating in December 2020: 785,604
Percent change: 14.7%
13. Maryland
The population of Maryland is 6,165,129.
Persons participating in December 2021: 881,719
Persons participating in December 2020: 797,909
Percent change: 10.5%
14. Louisiana
The state of Louisiana has a population of 4,624,047.
Persons participating in December 2021: 880,904
Persons participating in December 2020: 961,545
Percent change: -8.4%
15. Washington
Washington has a population of 7,738,692.
Persons participating in December 2021: 858,555
Persons participating in December 2020: 960,448
Percent change: -10.6%
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 15 States Where the Most People Rely on SNAP for Their Groceries
