Since the 1960s, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been used as a social welfare program that provides food benefits to poorer Americans.
Today, over 40 million people in the U.S. rely on the government’s program. Republicans in the U.S. House are looking to trim that number and have fewer individuals and families reliant on the federal government.
Looking at the current USDA and Census Bureau numbers, Trace One, which helps companies deal with regulatory compliance, analyzed the latest numbers on those in the U.S. and in Floridians who are using SNAP.
Nationwide, the current SNAP participation is 41.7 million Americans (12.3% of the population) who rely on SNAP, with total annual costs at $93.8 billion, down from pandemic highs but still historically high.
Age & Sex of Recipients: Children (33%) and adults aged 30 to 49 years old (25.1%) make up the largest share of SNAP recipients, with women (54%) slightly outnumbering men (46%).
Racial & Ethnic Breakdown: Non-Hispanic Whites represent 36.1% of recipients, while Black (22.7%) and Hispanic (29.1%) individuals are disproportionately represented compared to their share of the general population.
Eligibility for SNAP is primarily based on income and household size, with federal guidelines setting limits on earnings and financial assets. Households typically must have a gross income at or below 130% of the federal poverty line, though certain groups may qualify under different criteria which include children, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and low-income workers.
Children make up the largest share of SNAP recipients, with 33% of participants under the age of 18. Adults between the ages of 30 and 49 account for 25.1%, while those aged 18 to 29 make up 14.7%. Older adults comprise a smaller share of the SNAP program, with 15% of recipients between 50 and 65 years old and 12.2% aged 65 or older.
Women represent a slight majority of SNAP recipients, accounting for 54%, compared to 46% who are men. Women are more likely to be in poverty than men and also more likely to have children in their household, increasing the likelihood of SNAP eligibility.
Here is a summary of the data for Florida:
Share of individuals receiving SNAP benefits: 13.2%
Share of households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.4%
Average monthly SNAP benefit per individual: $185
Average monthly SNAP benefit per household: $333
Individuals receiving SNAP benefits: 2,975,789
Households receiving SNAP benefits: 1,651,470
Annual SNAP benefits received: $6,604,797,454
Poverty rate: 12.3%
Population: 22,610,726
Households: 8,966,402
