H-Ind. 1.4: % of residents in Story County who receive SNAP
H-Ind. 1.4: % of Story County households that receive SNAP (DISAGGREGATED DATA AVAILABLE)
Current Value
5.0%
Definition
To view SNAP data by race/ethnicity, please select "Show Comparison Chart" in the top-right corner of the graph. You can select to see the data in either bar or line-graph form by selecting that in the drop-down menu. For help accessing this data, please contact amundel@uwstory.org.
Story Behind the Curve
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to eligible low-income individuals and households in need. Their reports examine SNAP participation rates, which estimate the proportion of people eligible for benefits under Federal income and asset rules who actually participate in the program. The USDA notes that "participation rates for the elderly and for individuals in households with incomes above poverty (but still eligible) were much lower – 48 percent and 41 percent, respectively” than for households with children and individuals living in poverty. (Source)
United Way of Story County's partners work to connect eligible households with SNAP as one way of reducing household costs and freeing up money for other necessities. Our partners work with the Food Bank of Iowa's Food Assistance Outreach Coordinator, among others, to increase SNAP participation rates.
FY20-22 Note: The typical data was not available for 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Per the Census Bureau, "The Census Bureau will not release its standard 2020 ACS 1-year estimates because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on data collection. Experimental estimates, developed from 2020 ACS 1-year data, will be available." The only data provided for 2021 was the ACS 1-Year Estimate.
SNAP Enrollments by Month, by County: The Iowa Hunger Coalition's "SNAP Map" provides real-time information on households receiving SNAP. To view this data, go to: https://www.iowahungercoalition.org/snap-map/ and hover over Story County.