Special Report

This Is the City in Arkansas With the Most People on Food Stamps

Samuel Stebbins

Published: June 7, 2023 8:00 am

Last Updated: June 7, 2023 8:53 am

The Biden Administration and House Republicans recently reached a bi-partisan deal to raise the debt ceiling. To reach the compromise, and keep the United States from a catastrophic debt default, the White House agreed to a series of spending cuts to social safety net programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. (Here is a look at the American presidents who added the most to the national debt.)

SNAP is a federal program designed to help needy families and households afford food. The debt ceiling deal includes considerable changes to SNAP eligibility, expanding work requirements for older Americans, while also expanding access for veterans and homeless populations.

According to the latest available data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, more than 15.8 million American households — or 12.4% of all households — received SNAP benefits in 2021. And exactly how many Americans would be directly impacted by the latest eligibility changes remains to be seen.

Of the six metro areas with available data in Arkansas, Fort Smith has the highest SNAP recipiency rate. According to the ACS, 15.1% of all area households received SNAP benefits in 2021. Meanwhile, the SNAP recipiency rate across the state as a whole stands at 10.9%.

Of all 366 metro areas nationwide with available data, Fort Smith ranks as having the 99th highest SNAP recipiency rate.