Inflation has driven up the prices of nearly all goods and services, including necessary items such as groceries. The cost of a gallon of milk is up 25% compared to pre-pandemic prices. According to a report by Moody’s Analytics, American families pay $311 more each month, on average, for essential goods compared to one year ago. To survive the price hikes, millions of Americans may have to rely on the government’s food assistance benefits, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
As of 2020, roughly 13.8 million American households, about one in 10, received SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps. At the more local level, SNAP recipiency rates can be much higher.
To rank the 50 towns with the highest SNAP recipiency rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year estimates of the share of households that received SNAP benefits in the past 12 months from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. We defined towns as census places having at least 1,000 people and less than 25,000 people. As of 2020, 11.4% of U.S. households received SNAP benefits.
Among the 50 places on this list, that share ranges from 47.8% to 73.2%. Texas has the most towns with the highest SNAP recipiency, with eight, followed by Louisiana with seven and Florida with six. Two-thirds of towns on the list are in the South, a region with some of the most impoverished places in America.
While factors such as assets and household composition impact whether a household qualifies, SNAP recipiency is primarily determined by income. So, as might be expected, towns with higher poverty rates also tend to have more households receiving benefits. In 2020, 12.8% of Americans lived below the poverty line. All but two of the 50 towns on this list have a poverty rate of at least 20%, and in the case of Indian Hills, Texas, which has the third highest snap recipiency among places with between 1,000 and 25,000 people, 63.7% live in poverty. These are the states where the most children live in Poverty.
Because income is the primary determinant for SNAP recipiency, unemployment is a major determinant in how many people receive benefits, as those Americans who are out of a job are likely to have little to no income. Most of the towns on this list have five-year average unemployment rates of at least 10%, compared to the U.S. five-year average unemployment rate of 5.3%. The community of Lydia, Louisiana, which has the sixth highest SNAP recipiency among towns, has a five-year unemployment rate of 23.3%. These are the states with the worst spikes in unemployment since the pandemic began.
Click here to see the towns with the highest SNAP recipiency rates
Click here to read our detailed methodology
50. Jamestown, Tennessee
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 47.8%
> Poverty rate: 43.9% — 101st highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $17,051 — 10th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 13.1% — 518th highest of 11,509 towns
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49. Spencer, West Virginia
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 47.9%
> Poverty rate: 40.3% — 177th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $21,139 — 54th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 20.7% — 98th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
48. South Tucson, Arizona
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.3%
> Poverty rate: 38.6% — 227th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $28,704 — 415th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 15.6% — 288th highest of 11,509 towns
47. El Cenizo, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.3%
> Poverty rate: 47.5% — 58th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $22,599 — 88th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 8.6% — 1,855th highest of 11,509 towns
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46. Princess Anne, Maryland
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.5%
> Poverty rate: 19.5% — 2,568th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $34,397 — 1,050th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 4.9% — 5,434th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: stevegeer / iStock via Getty Images
45. Ford Heights, Illinois
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.5%
> Poverty rate: 37.8% — 250th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $37,083 — 1,486th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 22.6% — 64th highest of 11,509 towns
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.JPG "Pensacola, FL, Courthouse, Escambia County, 12-16-2010 (2) by Georgia Guercio")
44. Goulding, Florida
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.6%
> Poverty rate: 32.4% — 528th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $23,194 — 107th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 14.4% — 381st highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Lorraine Boogich / iStock via Getty Images
43. Ainaloa, Hawaii
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.7%
> Poverty rate: 24.9% — 1,394th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $48,963 — 4,077th lowest of 11,493 towns (tied)
> Unemployment rate: 10.0% — 1,233rd highest of 11,509 towns
42. Benton Heights, Michigan
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.9%
> Poverty rate: 45.9% — 72nd highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $30,338 — 541st lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 17.1% — 207th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
41. Manchester, Kentucky
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 49.2%
> Poverty rate: 41.4% — 142nd highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $23,203 — 108th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 10.0% — 1,231st highest of 11,509 towns
40. Wadesboro, North Carolina
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 49.2%
> Poverty rate: 35.9% — 323rd highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $25,354 — 196th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 14.5% — 373rd highest of 11,509 towns
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39. Cullen, Louisiana
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 49.2%
> Poverty rate: 56.1% — 20th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $17,370 — 12th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 6.0% — 4,005th highest of 11,509 towns
38. White Castle, Louisiana
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 49.5%
> Poverty rate: 39.5% — 199th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $22,917 — 96th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 19.6% — 124th highest of 11,509 towns
37. Kaser, New York
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 49.5%
> Poverty rate: 63.3% — 5th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $23,030 — 100th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 11.3% — 833rd highest of 11,509 towns
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36. Chiefland, Florida
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 49.8%
> Poverty rate: 32.9% — 494th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $26,161 — 241st lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 7.9% — 2,361st highest of 11,509 towns
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
35. Richwood, Louisiana
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 49.9%
> Poverty rate: 46.6% — 66th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $24,219 — 153rd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 14.6% — 365th highest of 11,509 towns
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34. Pine Ridge, South Dakota
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 50.1%
> Poverty rate: 41.1% — 150th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $37,198 — 1,517th lowest of 11,493 towns (tied)
> Unemployment rate: 10.6% — 1,032nd highest of 11,509 towns
33. Gladeview, Florida
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 50.2%
> Poverty rate: 35.3% — 358th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $32,146 — 763rd lowest of 11,493 towns (tied)
> Unemployment rate: 9.2% — 1,585th highest of 11,509 towns
32. Mamou, Louisiana
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 50.4%
> Poverty rate: 62.8% — 6th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $20,322 — 43rd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 22.1% — 74th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: Nyttend / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
31. Dale, Pennsylvania
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 50.4%
> Poverty rate: 36.0% — 316th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $26,127 — 239th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 9.1% — 1,600th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Hermann Luyken / Wikimedia Commons
30. Cuthbert, Georgia
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 50.7%
> Poverty rate: 39.2% — 209th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $21,534 — 62nd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 5.9% — 4,104th highest of 11,509 towns
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29. Camilla, Georgia
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 51.1%
> Poverty rate: 45.6% — 76th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $32,920 — 854th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 10.8% — 985th highest of 11,509 towns
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28. Goulds, Florida
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 51.3%
> Poverty rate: 23.5% — 1,662nd highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $43,457 — 2,840th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 7.7% — 2,447th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Nyttend / Public Domain / Nyttend / Wikimedia Commons
27. Jonesville, Virginia
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 51.5%
> Poverty rate: 48.9% — 47th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $15,691 — 6th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 17.7% — 187th highest of 11,509 towns
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26. Campti, Louisiana
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 51.6%
> Poverty rate: 41.5% — 139th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $21,094 — 52nd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 22.5% — 69th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Courtesy of Gallup McKinley County Schools via Facebook
25. Navajo, New Mexico
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 51.7%
> Poverty rate: 60.5% — 8th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $25,323 — 195th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 18.5% — 148th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
24. Benton Harbor, Michigan
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 52.6%
> Poverty rate: 44.9% — 87th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $21,947 — 71st lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 19.0% — 135th highest of 11,509 towns
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23. Opa-locka, Florida
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 52.9%
> Poverty rate: 40.4% — 168th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $22,494 — 86th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 10.6% — 1,036th highest of 11,509 towns
22. Mila Doce, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 53.0%
> Poverty rate: 35.8% — 330th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $29,977 — 511th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 6.6% — 3,384th highest of 11,509 towns
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21. Florida City, Florida
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 53.1%
> Poverty rate: 31.1% — 622nd highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $37,556 — 1,605th lowest of 11,493 towns (tied)
> Unemployment rate: 12.4% — 616th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
20. New Boston, Ohio
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 53.4%
> Poverty rate: 30.7% — 655th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $25,083 — 186th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 7.8% — 2,418th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
19. Brackettville, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 53.9%
> Poverty rate: 23.9% — 1,573rd highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $21,107 — 53rd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 2.6% — 2,435th lowest of 11,509 towns
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18. San Carlos, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 54.1%
> Poverty rate: 35.0% — 371st highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $29,576 — 482nd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 20.8% — 95th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: iStock / Getty Images
17. Doffing, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.2%
> Poverty rate: 38.5% — 228th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $26,071 — 236th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 6.1% — 3,839th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: Indy beetle / Wikimedia Commons
16. Enfield, North Carolina
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.3%
> Poverty rate: 33.5% — 451st highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $21,774 — 65th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 17.5% — 189th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Mathew Cowger / iStock via Getty Images
15. Addison (Webster Springs), West Virginia
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.4%
> Poverty rate: 46.4% — 67th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $22,062 — 74th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 8.7% — 1,817th highest of 11,509 towns
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14. Drew, Mississippi
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.7%
> Poverty rate: 45.3% — 81st highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $20,325 — 44th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 7.6% — 2,558th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: Courtesy of San Carlos Recreation and Wildlife Department
13. San Carlos, Arizona
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.8%
> Poverty rate: 54.0% — 25th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $33,661 — 941st lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 20.5% — 100th highest of 11,509 towns
12. Roma, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 56.1%
> Poverty rate: 39.1% — 212th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $23,138 — 103rd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 8.5% — 1,929th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: icetsarina / Flickr
11. Warm Springs, Oregon
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 56.8%
> Poverty rate: 37.4% — 270th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $35,750 — 1,261st lowest of 11,493 towns (tied)
> Unemployment rate: 20.2% — 109th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: Nyttend / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
10. Lincoln Heights, Ohio
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 57.1%
> Poverty rate: 59.9% — 9th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $15,417 — 5th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 22.4% — 70th highest of 11,509 towns
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9. Granger, Washington
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 57.9%
> Poverty rate: 17.1% — 3,305th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $54,107 — 5,249th lowest of 11,493 towns (tied)
> Unemployment rate: 19.5% — 128th highest of 11,509 towns
8. Rayville, Louisiana
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 59.2%
> Poverty rate: 48.5% — 50th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $19,395 — 30th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 8.6% — 1,858th highest of 11,509 towns
7. Pine Lawn, Missouri
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 60.0%
> Poverty rate: 27.4% — 1,021st highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $24,493 — 165th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 18.2% — 159th highest of 11,509 towns
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Source: Carol M. Highsmith - Library of Congress at http://loc.gov/pictures/item/2010630841 / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
6. Lydia, Louisiana
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 60.8%
> Poverty rate: 36.4% — 299th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $58,350 — 5,420th highest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 23.3% — 49th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
5. Pine Knot, Kentucky
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 62.0%
> Poverty rate: 57.6% — 12th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: N/A
> Unemployment rate: 10.2% — 1,165th highest of 11,509 towns (tied)
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4. Presidio, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 68.1%
> Poverty rate: 52.6% — 31st highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $20,275 — 42nd lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 21.0% — 88th highest of 11,509 towns
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
3. Indian Hills, Texas
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 72.4%
> Poverty rate: 63.7% — 4th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $23,486 — 121st lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 0.0% reported — the lowest of 11,509 towns (tied)
Source: History craver / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
2. New Square, New York
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 72.6%
> Poverty rate: 61.8% — 7th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $24,164 — 151st lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 5.4% — 4,745th highest of 11,509 towns
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1. Berino, New Mexico
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 73.2%
> Poverty rate: 24.8% — 1,410th highest of 11,509 towns
> Median household income: $26,875 — 285th lowest of 11,493 towns
> Unemployment rate: 2.5% — 2,355th lowest of 11,509 towns
Methodology
To determine the towns with the highest SNAP recipiency rates, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year estimates of the share of households that received SNAP benefits in the past 12 months from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.
We used census “place” geographies — a category that includes incorporated legal entities and census-designated statistical entities. We defined towns based on population thresholds — having at least 1,000 people and less than 25,000 people.
Towns were excluded if the SNAP recipiency rate was not available in the 2020 ACS, if there were fewer than 500 households, or if the sampling error associated with a town’s data was deemed too high.
The sampling error was defined as too high if the coefficient of variation — a statistical assessment of how reliable an estimate is — for a town’s SNAP recipiency rate was above 15% and greater than two standard deviations above the mean CV for all towns’ SNAP recipiency rates. We similarly excluded towns that had a sampling error too high for their population, using the same definition.
Towns were ranked based on the share of households that received SNAP benefits in the past 12 months. To break ties, we used the number of households that received SNAP benefits in the past 12 months.
Additional information on poverty rate, median household income, and unemployment rate are also five-year estimates from the 2020 ACS.
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