While the U.S. welfare system is designed as a universal safety net, the statistics reveal a starkly disproportionate reality, with Black Americans, for instance, representing 29.8% of TANF recipients while being only 13.6% of the population, a pattern of racial disparity that echoes across SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance programs nationwide.
Key Takeaways
- In FY 2022, non-Hispanic Black recipients comprised 29.8% of all TANF recipients nationwide while representing 13.6% of the U.S. population
- In FY 2021, White non-Hispanic TANF recipients made up 30.2% of total recipients compared to 58.9% of population
- Hispanic TANF recipients accounted for 28.5% in FY 2020, versus 18.7% population share
- In 2021, Black households were 25.8% of SNAP participants nationally, vs 13.6% population
- White non-Hispanic SNAP share 35.9% in FY 2020, population 58.9%
- Hispanic SNAP recipients 17.2% FY 2019, pop 18.7%
- In 2022, Black enrollees were 20.3% of Medicaid recipients, pop 13.6%
- White non-Hispanic Medicaid 40.1% FY 2021, pop 58.9%
- Hispanic Medicaid share 28.7% 2020, pop 18.7%
- Black SSI recipients 27.4% in 2022, pop 13.6%
- White non-Hispanic SSI 33.8% 2021, pop 58.9%
- Hispanic SSI share 10.2% 2020, pop 18.7%
- In 2022, Black households 24.1% of Section 8 voucher holders, pop 13.6%
- White Section 8 25.3% 2021, pop 58.9%
- Hispanic public housing 18.4% 2020, pop 18.7%
The blog post highlights significant racial disparities in America's major welfare programs.
Medicaid
- In 2022, Black enrollees were 20.3% of Medicaid recipients, pop 13.6%
- White non-Hispanic Medicaid 40.1% FY 2021, pop 58.9%
- Hispanic Medicaid share 28.7% 2020, pop 18.7%
- Asian Medicaid 6.2% 2019, pop 6.1%
- Native American Medicaid 2.5% 2022, pop 1.3%
- Medicaid expansion states Black enrollment 25.4% 2021
- Texas Medicaid Hispanic 52.1% 2020
- New York White Medicaid 32.8% 2019
- Medicaid children Black 22.7% 2022
- Average Medicaid spending per Black enrollee $8,500 FY 2021
- California Medicaid Asian 12.3% 2020
- Medicaid disabled Black 18.9% 2019
- Florida Hispanic Medicaid 41.2% 2022
- Medicaid elderly White 55.6% 2021
- Multi-race Medicaid 3.1% national 2020
- Black Medicaid per 100 poor 72.1% 2019
- White Medicaid coverage rate 14.2% 2022
- Hispanic Medicaid uninsured drop 5% 2021
- Medicaid Asian LTC 8.4% 2020
- Native American Medicaid tribal 15.7% 2019
- 2022 Medicaid Black pregnant women 24.3%
- Illinois Medicaid Hispanic 28.9% 2021
- Michigan White Medicaid 48.2% 2020
- Unknown race Medicaid 1.8% 2019
- Medicaid Native urban 3.2% 2022
Medicaid Interpretation
While Black Americans represent 13.6% of the population but over 20% of Medicaid recipients, these statistics reflect not a simple overrepresentation, but the stark intersection of poverty, historical health inequities, and policy choices that disproportionately affect minority communities, with state-by-state variations like Texas's 52.1% Hispanic enrollment or Michigan's 48.2% White enrollment further highlighting how geography and local economics shape who relies on this crucial safety net.
Other
- In 2022, Black households 24.1% of Section 8 voucher holders, pop 13.6%
- White Section 8 25.3% 2021, pop 58.9%
- Hispanic public housing 18.4% 2020, pop 18.7%
- Asian LIHTC 5.7% 2019, pop 6.1%
- Native American housing assistance 3.2% 2022, pop 1.3%
- Child care subsidy Black 28.6% 2021
- Texas Section 8 Hispanic 48.2% 2020
- New York White public housing 20.1% 2019
- WIC Black participants 24.7% 2022
- Head Start Black enrollment 29.3% 2021
- California LIHTC Asian 14.2% 2020
- Homeless assistance Black 40.5% 2019
- Florida Section 8 Black 35.8% 2022
- Energy assistance (LIHEAP) White 45.2% 2021
- Multi-race subsidized housing 2.8% 2020
- Black child care per 100 poor 42.3% 2019
- White WIC participation 42.1% 2022
- Hispanic Head Start 38.9% 2021
- Other programs Native 4.1% tribal 2020
- 2022 homeless Black families 38.7%
- Illinois public housing Hispanic 25.4% 2021
- Michigan LIHEAP Black 31.2% 2020
- Unknown race Section 8 1.9% 2019
- CCDF Asian subsidy 3.5% 2022
Other Interpretation
While this mosaic of data reveals the expected patterns of need across America, it also illuminates the specific, disproportionate reliance of Black households on targeted assistance programs against a backdrop of systemic inequity.
SNAP
- In 2021, Black households were 25.8% of SNAP participants nationally, vs 13.6% population
- White non-Hispanic SNAP share 35.9% in FY 2020, population 58.9%
- Hispanic SNAP recipients 17.2% FY 2019, pop 18.7%
- Asian SNAP 2.1% FY 2018, pop 6.1%
- Native American SNAP 2.4% FY 2022, pop 1.3%
- SNAP Black participants in urban areas 60% of Black SNAP FY 2021
- Texas SNAP Hispanic 35.4% FY 2020
- New York SNAP White 28.7% FY 2019
- SNAP child participants Black 28.3% FY 2018
- Average SNAP benefit Black household $250/month FY 2022
- Florida SNAP Black 32.1% FY 2021
- SNAP work requirements exemption Black 45% FY 2020
- California Hispanic SNAP 42.8% FY 2019
- SNAP elderly White 52% FY 2018
- Multi-race SNAP 1.9% national FY 2022
- Black SNAP per 100 poor Black households 55.2 FY 2021
- White SNAP participation rate 12.4% FY 2020
- Hispanic SNAP per capita 18.7 per 1000 FY 2019
- SNAP Asian recipients low-income 3.2% FY 2018
- FY 2022 SNAP Black single parent households 68%
- Illinois SNAP Hispanic 22.5% FY 2021
- FY 2020 Michigan Black SNAP 38.9%
- Unknown race SNAP 2.8% FY 2019
- SNAP Native American rural 10.2% FY 2018
- Black SNAP recipients with employment 25% FY 2022
SNAP Interpretation
These numbers paint a stark, intersectional portrait of need, where systemic economic disparities, geography, and household composition converge far more powerfully than race alone to determine who requires America's nutritional safety net.
SSI
- Black SSI recipients 27.4% in 2022, pop 13.6%
- White non-Hispanic SSI 33.8% 2021, pop 58.9%
- Hispanic SSI share 10.2% 2020, pop 18.7%
- Asian SSI 4.1% 2019, pop 6.1%
- Native American SSI 2.3% 2022, pop 1.3%
- SSI blind Black 15.7% 2021
- California SSI Hispanic 22.4% 2020
- New York White SSI 28.5% 2019
- SSI children Black 32.1% 2022
- Average SSI payment Black $580/month 2021
- Texas SSI Asian 5.6% 2020
- SSI disabled Hispanic 12.3% 2019
- Florida White SSI 42.7% 2022
- SSI aged Black 18.9% 2021
- Multi-race SSI 1.7% 2020
- Black SSI per 100 disabled poor 38.4% 2019
- White SSI participation 6.2% 2022
- Hispanic SSI growth 4.1% 2021
- SSI Asian concurrent SSDI 45% 2020
- Native SSI tribal areas 8.2% 2019
- 2022 SSI Black women 60.3% of Black SSI
- Illinois SSI Hispanic 14.5% 2021
- Michigan Native SSI 3.1% 2020
- Unknown race SSI 2.4% 2019
- SSI Black under 18 35.2% 2022
SSI Interpretation
While the data starkly shows that Black Americans receive SSI at a rate disproportionate to their population share, often reflecting deeper systemic inequities in health, wealth, and access, a simple headline number risks overshadowing the complex tapestry of need woven from poverty, disability, geography, and age across all communities.
TANF
- In FY 2022, non-Hispanic Black recipients comprised 29.8% of all TANF recipients nationwide while representing 13.6% of the U.S. population
- In FY 2021, White non-Hispanic TANF recipients made up 30.2% of total recipients compared to 58.9% of population
- Hispanic TANF recipients accounted for 28.5% in FY 2020, versus 18.7% population share
- Native American/Alaska Native TANF families were 2.1% of recipients in FY 2019, population 1.3%
- Asian/Pacific Islander TANF recipients at 1.8% in FY 2018, population 6.1%
- In FY 2022, 35.2% of TANF cases in Mississippi were Black-led
- California TANF had 25.4% Hispanic recipients in FY 2021
- New York White TANF share was 22.7% in FY 2020
- TANF child-only cases Black 40.1% nationally FY 2019
- Average TANF benefit for Black families $450/month FY 2018
- 42% of TANF recipients in Louisiana Black in FY 2022
- FY 2021 TANF work participation rate for Black participants 28.5%
- Hispanic TANF recipients grew 3% in FY 2020 Texas
- Native Hawaiian TANF 0.5% in Hawaii FY 2019
- Multi-racial TANF 2.3% national FY 2018
- Black TANF recipients per 100 poor families 45.2 FY 2022
- White TANF usage rate 8.1% of poor whites FY 2021
- FY 2020 Hispanic TANF per capita 12.3 per 1000
- TANF diversion payments to Blacks 15% of total FY 2019
- Asian TANF employment exit rate 65% FY 2018
- FY 2022 TANF Black single mothers 72% of Black cases
- Illinois TANF White 18.4% FY 2021
- FY 2020 Florida Hispanic TANF 32.1%
- Unknown race TANF 3.2% national FY 2019
- TANF Black recipients with high school diploma 55% FY 2018
- FY 2022 TANF per Black recipient $4,200 annual
- Michigan Black TANF 48.7% FY 2021
- FY 2020 TANF Asian 1.2% California
- TANF Native American cases up 2% FY 2019
- FY 2018 TANF Black unemployment rate among recipients 25%
TANF Interpretation
The statistics reveal a welfare system that, while colorblind in theory, paints a distressingly vivid portrait of racial disparity in practice.
Sources & References
- Reference 1ACFacf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 2CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 3FNSfns.usda.govVisit source
- Reference 4MEDICAIDmedicaid.govVisit source
- Reference 5KFFkff.orgVisit source
- Reference 6MCHBmchb.tvisdata.hrsa.govVisit source
- Reference 7SSAssa.govVisit source
- Reference 8HUDUSERhuduser.govVisit source
- Reference 9HUDhud.govVisit source
- Reference 10ECLKCeclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 11HUDEXCHANGEhudexchange.infoVisit source
- Reference 12LIHEAPliheap.orgVisit source