Story and Visualization by Mike Miciag | Updated by Melanie Kiper, 10/5/2020
Approximately 22 million U.S. households were participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as of April 2020. The program, formerly known as food stamps, provides assistance to low-income individuals to purchase food.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program enrollment varies significantly by state. States with the highest household participation rates in 2019 were West Virginia (16.9%), New Mexico (16.4%), and Rhode Island (14.5%), according to Census survey estimates. By comparison, fewer than 7% of households were enrolled in Wyoming, utah, New Hampshire, Colorado, and North Dakota.
Number of SNAP Participants by State
Note: Figures refer to numbers of persons. April 2020 data are initial data.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture data as of July 10, 2020.