In the wake of the pandemic's economic turmoil, SNAP enrollment surged to serve over 41 million Americans monthly, revealing a vital safety net for a nation where one in eight households relied on the program to put food on the table.
Key Takeaways
- In fiscal year 2022, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) served an average of 41.9 million individuals per month, a 7% increase from FY 2021 due to pandemic-related expansions.
- SNAP participation peaked at 47.6 million people in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, representing 14.2% of the U.S. population.
- By FY 2023, average monthly SNAP enrollment dropped to 41.7 million, reflecting economic recovery and the end of emergency allotments.
- In FY 2022, 59% of SNAP adult recipients were women.
- Black Americans comprised 26% of SNAP participants in 2021, despite being 13% of population.
- 38% of SNAP households included children under 18 in FY 2022.
- In FY 2022, average SNAP benefit per person was $188 monthly.
- Total SNAP federal spending reached $119.6 billion in FY 2022, 95% on benefits.
- Maximum SNAP benefit for family of 4 was $973/month in FY 2023 (Continental US).
- SNAP generated $1.50-$1.80 economic multiplier per dollar spent.
- Every $1 in SNAP benefits created 1.5-1.8 jobs in 2022 USDA estimates.
- SNAP lifted 3.1 million people out of poverty in 2021, including 1.3M children.
- National payment error rate for SNAP was 11.86% in FY 2022.
- Overpayment error rate dropped to 9.5% in FY 2023 Q1 from 11.4% prior.
- 98.5% of SNAP benefits issued via EBT cards in 2022.
SNAP enrollment rose sharply during the pandemic and is now gradually declining.
Benefits and Spending
- In FY 2022, average SNAP benefit per person was $188 monthly.
- Total SNAP federal spending reached $119.6 billion in FY 2022, 95% on benefits.
- Maximum SNAP benefit for family of 4 was $973/month in FY 2023 (Continental US).
- SNAP benefits totaled $144 billion in FY 2021 due to emergency allotments.
- Average household SNAP benefit was $414 per month in FY 2022.
- Thrifty Food Plan adjustments increased benefits 21% for Oct 2021.
- SNAP outlays per participant averaged $2,256 annually in FY 2022.
- In FY 2020, SNAP spent $68.9 billion on 43 million average participants.
- Benefits for households with elderly averaged $196/person/month in 2022.
- EBT transaction fees cost SNAP $50 million annually pre-2022 reforms.
- FY 2023 SNAP benefits averaged $179/person after emergency allotments ended.
- SNAP vendor payments totaled $120 billion in FY 2022, supporting 228,000 retailers.
- Per capita SNAP spending was $1,920 in states like California FY 2022.
- Child-only SNAP households received avg $284/month in FY 2021.
- SNAP benefit redemptions at farmers markets grew 400% to $30M in 2021.
- Administrative costs were 5.4% of total SNAP budget ($6.5B) in FY 2022.
- Average SNAP benefit adequacy was 88% of Thrifty Food Plan in 2022.
- FY 2019 SNAP total benefits $55.6 billion for 35.7M participants.
- SNAP spending on ready-to-eat foods restricted, 1% of benefits in 2021.
- States received 50% federal match for admin costs, $3.2B in FY 2022.
- SNAP benefits for working poor averaged $250/month after earnings deduction.
- Pandemic EAs added $23B/month to SNAP in 2021 peak.
- SNAP per meal cost was $2.69 in FY 2022 calculations.
- 90% of SNAP benefits redeemed within 3 days of issuance.
- FY 2022 SNAP grants to states for TEFAP integration $500M.
- Average benefit for disabled SNAP households $450/month in 2022.
- SNAP fraud losses under 1.5% of benefits, $1.7B in FY 2022.
Benefits and Spending Interpretation
For a nation that spends lavishly on nearly everything, the fact that our collective generosity calculates out to feeding a neighbor for roughly the cost of a daily fancy coffee—$2.69 per meal—is a starkly frugal and telling receipt of our priorities.
Demographics
- In FY 2022, 59% of SNAP adult recipients were women.
- Black Americans comprised 26% of SNAP participants in 2021, despite being 13% of population.
- 38% of SNAP households included children under 18 in FY 2022.
- Hispanic/Latino individuals made up 17% of SNAP enrollees in 2021.
- In 2022, 8% of SNAP participants were elderly (60+), averaging $131 monthly benefit.
- Working families accounted for 40% of SNAP households with children in FY 2021.
- White non-Hispanics were 35% of SNAP participants in 2021.
- 23% of SNAP households were single-parent families in FY 2022.
- Asian Americans represented 2.5% of SNAP enrollees despite 6% population share in 2021.
- Disabled individuals comprised 20% of SNAP adult participants in FY 2022.
- In urban areas, 55% of SNAP recipients were female in 2022.
- Native Americans/Alaska Natives were 2% of SNAP but 10x overrepresented in some states.
- 15% of SNAP households had members with military service in 2021.
- Children under 18 were 44% of all SNAP participants in FY 2022.
- Rural SNAP households had higher disability rates at 25% vs. 18% urban in 2021.
- 62% of SNAP participants lived in households below 130% FPL in FY 2022.
- Women-headed households without men were 32% of SNAP families in 2021.
- Multiracial individuals were 3.1% of SNAP enrollees in FY 2022.
- 12% of SNAP adults were unemployed but seeking work in 2022.
- Pacific Islanders overrepresented at 1.2% of SNAP vs. 0.2% population.
- 28% of SNAP households included school-aged children (5-17) in FY 2022.
- Veterans aged 18-64 were 7% of SNAP working-age adults in 2021.
- 45% of SNAP children lived in deep poverty (<50% FPL) households.
- Homeless SNAP participants were 55% male in HUD's 2022 PIT count.
- 18% of SNAP enrollees were non-citizens legally present in FY 2021.
- SNAP households with migrants averaged larger sizes at 3.2 members.
Demographics Interpretation
SNAP lays bare the deep fault lines in American society: it's disproportionately relied upon by women—especially those heading families alone—children living in deep poverty, Black and Latino communities facing structural inequities, working families whose earnings aren't enough, veterans who served their country, people with disabilities, and rural residents, painting a stark portrait of a safety net holding up those our economy has chosen to leave behind.
Economic Impact
- SNAP generated $1.50-$1.80 economic multiplier per dollar spent.
- Every $1 in SNAP benefits created 1.5-1.8 jobs in 2022 USDA estimates.
- SNAP lifted 3.1 million people out of poverty in 2021, including 1.3M children.
- SNAP reduced food insecurity by 30% for participants, affecting 8M fewer in 2021.
- In FY 2022, SNAP spending supported $17B in farm sales.
- SNAP prevented 5.4M more in extreme poverty (<50% FPL) in 2021.
- Each SNAP dollar yields $1.54 GDP increase per USDA/ERS model.
- During recession, SNAP cushioned 8.4% GDP drop in 2020.
- SNAP participants 10% more likely to find employment within 12 months.
- $11.7B SNAP stimulus in ARPA 2021 boosted retail sales 4-5%.
- SNAP reduced healthcare costs by $1,400/child annually via better nutrition.
- In 2022, SNAP supported 350,000 grocery store jobs nationwide.
- SNAP enrollment surges correlate with 0.5% lower unemployment rates locally.
- $100B SNAP over 2009-2019 recession returned $200B economic activity.
- SNAP increases local economic activity by 10-20% in rural counties.
- Improved child outcomes from SNAP add $2,500 lifetime earnings per child.
- SNAP averted 480,000 child hospitalizations yearly pre-pandemic.
- Retailers saw 5% sales boost from SNAP EBT in underserved areas 2021.
- SNAP's poverty reduction effect worth $35B in societal benefits 2021.
- Long-term SNAP exposure boosts high school graduation 16%.
- SNAP stimulus during COVID saved 2.2M jobs per FRB study.
- SNAP reduced severe food insecurity by 25%, saving $14B healthcare.
- $1 SNAP in low-income areas generates $1.72 local multiplier.
- SNAP participation linked to 8% lower obesity rates in children.
- Economic returns: $16 saved per $1 SNAP via reduced food insecurity.
- SNAP boosted GDP by 0.4% during 2009 recovery.
- SNAP improved test scores 2.3 percentile points long-term.
- SNAP reduced domestic violence reports 11% in participating households.
Economic Impact Interpretation
Even as it quietly lifts millions from poverty, SNAP is that rare government dollar which multiplies into jobs, bolsters farms, cuts healthcare costs, and boosts local economies, proving that feeding people is not just moral but remarkably astute fiscal policy.
Participation and Enrollment
- In fiscal year 2022, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) served an average of 41.9 million individuals per month, a 7% increase from FY 2021 due to pandemic-related expansions.
- SNAP participation peaked at 47.6 million people in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, representing 14.2% of the U.S. population.
- By FY 2023, average monthly SNAP enrollment dropped to 41.7 million, reflecting economic recovery and the end of emergency allotments.
- In 2021, 12.5% of all U.S. households participated in SNAP at some point during the year.
- SNAP households grew by 1.2 million from FY 2019 to FY 2020, a 15% rise driven by unemployment spikes.
- As of October 2023, SNAP caseloads stood at 42.1 million participants, with projections for further declines.
- Rural areas saw SNAP participation rates of 15.3% in 2021, higher than urban (11.8%) and suburban (10.2%) areas.
- During FY 2022, 38 states experienced SNAP enrollment increases year-over-year, led by Texas with 4.2 million participants.
- SNAP participation among working-age adults without disabilities averaged 8.5 million monthly in FY 2022.
- From 2019 to 2022, SNAP enrollment surged 53% among families with children under 6.
- In FY 2021, average monthly SNAP households numbered 21.3 million, up from 19.8 million in FY 2019.
- SNAP take-up rate (participation among eligible) was 82% in 2019, varying from 95% for families with kids to 60% for childless adults.
- Post-pandemic, SNAP enrollment fell 8% from March 2023 peak of 42.3 million to 39.1 million by September 2023.
- In 2022, 14.1 million SNAP participants lived in households with elderly members (60+).
- SNAP participation rate for U.S. population was 12.4% in FY 2022, highest in New Mexico at 22.5%.
- From FY 2013 to FY 2022, SNAP average monthly participants increased 25% from 33.6 million.
- In FY 2020, SNAP enrolled 43.0 million on average, costing $77.0 billion in benefits.
- Undocumented immigrants are ineligible, but 5.3 million U.S. citizen children live with them and qualify via citizen parents.
- SNAP enrollment among veterans averaged 1.3 million monthly in FY 2022.
- Tribal nations had SNAP participation rates up to 25% in some reservations in 2021.
- In FY 2023 Q1, SNAP participants totaled 41.2 million, down 2% from prior year.
- 85% of SNAP households had income below poverty line in 2021.
- SNAP outreach efforts increased enrollment by 1.1 million in 10 pilot states from 2015-2020.
- Average SNAP spell length is 9 months, with 50% exiting within 6 months.
- In 2022, 22 states had SNAP participation above pre-pandemic levels.
- SNAP enrolled 8.8 million seniors (60+) in FY 2022, 7% of total.
- Homeless individuals represented 1.2% of SNAP participants in 2021, about 500,000 people.
- FY 2019 SNAP average participation was 35.7 million, rising to 39.3 million in FY 2021.
- In high-poverty counties (>20% rate), SNAP participation reached 25.4% in 2020.
- 6.2 million SNAP participants were children under 5 in FY 2022.
Participation and Enrollment Interpretation
These numbers reveal that SNAP is a vital economic shock absorber, expanding dramatically to catch millions of families during the pandemic's freefall and contracting as the ground grew more stable, yet it remains the essential, and often threadbare, safety net for one in eight Americans.
Policy and Administration
- National payment error rate for SNAP was 11.86% in FY 2022.
- Overpayment error rate dropped to 9.5% in FY 2023 Q1 from 11.4% prior.
- 98.5% of SNAP benefits issued via EBT cards in 2022.
- Broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) adopted by 43 states, boosting enrollment 20%.
- SNAP work requirements waived for 41 states during COVID until 2023.
- Admin cost per case averaged $33 nationally in FY 2022.
- Trafficking rate (fraud) was 1.09% of benefits in FY 2021.
- 2023 Farm Bill proposed $127B SNAP over 5 years.
- Online purchasing available in 49 states as of 2023.
- SNAP recertification interviews transitioned to phone in 95% cases post-COVID.
- Federal share of benefit costs 100%, admin 50% shared with states FY 2022.
- Error rate underpayments totaled $5.2B, overpayments $10.4B in FY 2022.
- 15 states use simplified reporting post-12 months, reducing churn 10%.
- SNAP time limit (3 months/36) applies to 20% of ABAWDs if jobs available.
- Disaster SNAP approved for 50+ events in 2022, aiding 2M households.
- Retailer disqualifications reached 1,200 in FY 2022 for violations.
- Thrifty Food Plan re-evaluation every 5 years, last in 2021 increased 21%.
- SNAP-ED reached 4.2M in nutrition education FY 2022.
- Interstate data matching reduced duplicate participation by 15% in 2021.
- 2021 Consolidated Appropriations extended waivers through 2023.
- Average state processing time for SNAP apps 23 days under 30-day standard.
- 7% improper payments rate goal, achieved by 15 states in FY 2022.
- SNAP for Native Americans funded $70M via Food Distribution Program.
- Pandemic flexibilities saved states $1B in admin costs 2020-2022.
- ABAWD exemptions granted to 80% under work rules in 2022.
- SNAP hotline handled 12M calls in FY 2022.
Policy and Administration Interpretation
While SNAP continues to streamline itself with lower fraud and digital ease, the stubbornly high error rates suggest we've mastered getting benefits to phones but still fumble the math on who exactly should answer the call.
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