Earlier this summer, California announced it would be sending $1,050 checks to approximately 23 million residents to combat the devastating effects inflation has had on state residents. Since then, a number of other states have followed suit with some form of check or tax rebate. Should even more states follow suit and release their own relief, the checks likely would not be enough on their own for needy families. One long-standing program that millions of Americans rely on is the government’s food assistance benefits, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
As of 2020, roughly 13.8 million U.S. households received SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps. To find the town with the highest SNAP recipiency rate in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year estimates for places with at least 1,000 people and fewer than 25,000 to determine the share of households that received SNAP benefits in the 12 months prior to the survey from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.
As of 2020, 11.4% of U.S. households received SNAP benefits. In most states, there is at least one town where a higher share of households receive nutrition assistance. In some of the towns with the highest SNAP recipiency rates in each state, that figure exceeds 30%, even in some cases 40%.
While factors such as assets and household composition impact whether a household qualifies for the benefit, SNAP recipiency is primarily determined by income. The majority of the towns with the highest SNAP recipiency rate in each state also rank among the three towns with the highest poverty rates in their respective states. Indian Hills, Texas, has a SNAP recipiency rate of72.4% and a poverty rate of 63.7%, each the highest share in the state and among the highest such figures in the country. These are the states where the most children live in Poverty.
Because income is the primary determinant for SNAP recipiency, unemployment is strongly linked to how many people receive benefits, as those workers who are out of a job are likely to have little to no income. Out of the 50 towns on this list, 42 have higher five-year unemployment rates compared to their respective states. This includes the unincorporated community of Lydia, Louisiana, which has an unemployment rate of 23.3% and a SNAP recipiency rate of 60.8%. These are the states with the worst spikes in unemployment since the pandemic began.
Click here to see where the most people need food stamps in every state.
Click here to see our detailed methodology.
Alabama: Bear Creek
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 43.8% (Alabama: 13.4%)
> Poverty rate: 18.3% (Alabama: 16.0%)
> Median household income: $33,421 (Alabama: $52,035)
> Unemployment rate: 13.7% (Alabama: 5.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 252
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Source: ChrisBoswell / Getty Images
Alaska: Houston
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 25.8% (Alaska: 10.3%)
> Poverty rate: 13.1% (Alaska: 10.3%)
> Median household income: $53,594 (Alaska: $77,790)
> Unemployment rate: 16.4% (Alaska: 6.8%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 52
Source: Courtesy of San Carlos Recreation and Wildlife Department
Arizona: San Carlos
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.8% (Arizona: 10.5%)
> Poverty rate: 54.0% (Arizona: 14.1%)
> Median household income: $33,661 (Arizona: $61,529)
> Unemployment rate: 20.5% (Arizona: 5.8%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 129
Source: By Brandonrush - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25256949 / Wikimedia Commons
Arkansas: Marvell
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 46.7% (Arkansas: 11.7%)
> Poverty rate: 35.5% (Arkansas: 16.1%)
> Median household income: $33,576 (Arkansas: $49,475)
> Unemployment rate: 23.3% (Arkansas: 5.2%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 165
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California: Pixley
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 45.4% (California: 9.0%)
> Poverty rate: 31.8% (California: 12.6%)
> Median household income: $32,209 (California: $78,672)
> Unemployment rate: 17.9% (California: 6.1%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 611
Source: ablokhin / iStock via Getty Images
Colorado: Rocky Ford
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 36.1% (Colorado: 7.2%)
> Poverty rate: 37.9% (Colorado: 9.8%)
> Median household income: $28,383 (Colorado: $75,231)
> Unemployment rate: 10.2% (Colorado: 4.6%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 148
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Source: danlogan / iStock via Getty Images
Connecticut: Poquonock Bridge
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 39.6% (Connecticut: 11.6%)
> Poverty rate: 27.2% (Connecticut: 9.8%)
> Median household income: $44,544 (Connecticut: $79,855)
> Unemployment rate: 20.4% (Connecticut: 6.0%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 111
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Source: Kptan123 / iStock via Getty Images
Delaware: Woodside East
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 46.5% (Delaware: 10.6%)
> Poverty rate: 15.2% (Delaware: 11.4%)
> Median household income: $56,042 (Delaware: $69,110)
> Unemployment rate: 8.1% (Delaware: 5.8%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 44
Source: simonkr / E+ via Getty Images
Florida: Florida City
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 53.1% (Florida: 13.2%)
> Poverty rate: 31.1% (Florida: 13.3%)
> Median household income: $37,556 (Florida: $57,703)
> Unemployment rate: 12.4% (Florida: 5.4%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 537
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Georgia: Camilla
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 51.1% (Georgia: 12.2%)
> Poverty rate: 45.6% (Georgia: 14.3%)
> Median household income: $32,920 (Georgia: $61,224)
> Unemployment rate: 10.8% (Georgia: 5.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 274
Source: Lorraine Boogich / iStock via Getty Images
Hawaii: Ainaloa
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.7% (Hawaii: 10.7%)
> Poverty rate: 24.9% (Hawaii: 9.3%)
> Median household income: $48,963 (Hawaii: $83,173)
> Unemployment rate: 10.0% (Hawaii: 4.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 92
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Source: Melissa Kopka / iStock via Getty Images
Idaho: Homedale
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 32.6% (Idaho: 9.0%)
> Poverty rate: 22.4% (Idaho: 11.9%)
> Median household income: $32,146 (Idaho: $58,915)
> Unemployment rate: 0.8% (Idaho: 4.2%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 66
Source: JaySi / iStock via Getty Images
Illinois: Ford Heights
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.5% (Illinois: 12.4%)
> Poverty rate: 37.8% (Illinois: 12.0%)
> Median household income: $37,083 (Illinois: $68,428)
> Unemployment rate: 22.6% (Illinois: 5.9%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 545
Indiana: Cannelton
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 33.2% (Indiana: 9.3%)
> Poverty rate: 29.9% (Indiana: 12.9%)
> Median household income: $28,365 (Indiana: $58,235)
> Unemployment rate: 8.5% (Indiana: 4.7%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 252
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
Iowa: Centerville
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 25.2% (Iowa: 9.8%)
> Poverty rate: 26.5% (Iowa: 11.1%)
> Median household income: $32,689 (Iowa: $61,836)
> Unemployment rate: 7.8% (Iowa: 3.9%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 235
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Kansas: Oaklawn-Sunview
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 25.5% (Kansas: 7.2%)
> Poverty rate: 21.8% (Kansas: 11.4%)
> Median household income: $32,273 (Kansas: $61,091)
> Unemployment rate: 5.2% (Kansas: 4.0%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 160
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Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
Kentucky: Pine Knot
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 62.0% (Kentucky: 13.0%)
> Poverty rate: 57.6% (Kentucky: 16.6%)
> Median household income: N/A (Kentucky: $52,238)
> Unemployment rate: 10.2% (Kentucky: 5.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 189
Source: Carol M. Highsmith - Library of Congress at http://loc.gov/pictures/item/2010630841 / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Louisiana: Lydia
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 60.8% (Louisiana: 15.3%)
> Poverty rate: 36.4% (Louisiana: 18.6%)
> Median household income: $58,350 (Louisiana: $50,800)
> Unemployment rate: 23.3% (Louisiana: 6.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 225
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Maine: Newport
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 47.8% (Maine: 12.6%)
> Poverty rate: 25.1% (Maine: 11.1%)
> Median household income: $29,383 (Maine: $59,489)
> Unemployment rate: 3.4% (Maine: 4.0%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 92
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Maryland: Princess Anne
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 48.5% (Maryland: 10.1%)
> Poverty rate: 19.5% (Maryland: 9.0%)
> Median household income: $34,397 (Maryland: $87,063)
> Unemployment rate: 4.9% (Maryland: 5.1%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 235
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Massachusetts: Southbridge Town
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 31.3% (Massachusetts: 11.6%)
> Poverty rate: 19.6% (Massachusetts: 9.8%)
> Median household income: $52,900 (Massachusetts: $84,385)
> Unemployment rate: 7.4% (Massachusetts: 5.1%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 136
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Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Michigan: Benton Harbor
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 52.6% (Michigan: 12.7%)
> Poverty rate: 44.9% (Michigan: 13.7%)
> Median household income: $21,947 (Michigan: $59,234)
> Unemployment rate: 19.0% (Michigan: 6.0%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 350
Source: Courtesy of the City of Pine City
Minnesota: Pine City
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 26.9% (Minnesota: 7.5%)
> Poverty rate: 17.7% (Minnesota: 9.3%)
> Median household income: $40,553 (Minnesota: $73,382)
> Unemployment rate: 7.3% (Minnesota: 3.8%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 276
Mississippi: Drew
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.7% (Mississippi: 14.6%)
> Poverty rate: 45.3% (Mississippi: 19.6%)
> Median household income: $20,325 (Mississippi: $46,511)
> Unemployment rate: 7.6% (Mississippi: 7.1%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 149
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Missouri: Pine Lawn
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 60.0% (Missouri: 10.5%)
> Poverty rate: 27.4% (Missouri: 13.0%)
> Median household income: $24,493 (Missouri: $57,290)
> Unemployment rate: 18.2% (Missouri: 4.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 300
Montana: Pablo
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 41.8% (Montana: 9.3%)
> Poverty rate: 49.3% (Montana: 12.8%)
> Median household income: $23,750 (Montana: $56,539)
> Unemployment rate: 11.4% (Montana: 4.1%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 67
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Nebraska: Oakland
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 17.7% (Nebraska: 8.1%)
> Poverty rate: 13.3% (Nebraska: 10.4%)
> Median household income: $51,276 (Nebraska: $63,015)
> Unemployment rate: 7.8% (Nebraska: 3.4%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 96
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Nevada: Tonopah
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 20.7% (Nevada: 11.6%)
> Poverty rate: 13.3% (Nevada: 12.8%)
> Median household income: $31,607 (Nevada: $62,043)
> Unemployment rate: 9.0% (Nevada: 6.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 36
New Hampshire: Winchester
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 23.0% (New Hampshire: 6.4%)
> Poverty rate: 27.6% (New Hampshire: 7.4%)
> Median household income: $43,594 (New Hampshire: $77,923)
> Unemployment rate: 5.3% (New Hampshire: 3.7%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 50
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New Jersey: Penns Grove
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 42.1% (New Jersey: 8.4%)
> Poverty rate: 37.7% (New Jersey: 9.7%)
> Median household income: $32,361 (New Jersey: $85,245)
> Unemployment rate: 18.2% (New Jersey: 5.8%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 417
New Mexico: Berino
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 73.2% (New Mexico: 17.0%)
> Poverty rate: 24.8% (New Mexico: 18.6%)
> Median household income: $26,875 (New Mexico: $51,243)
> Unemployment rate: 2.5% (New Mexico: 6.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 96
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New York: New Square
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 72.6% (New York: 14.3%)
> Poverty rate: 61.8% (New York: 13.6%)
> Median household income: $24,164 (New York: $71,117)
> Unemployment rate: 5.4% (New York: 5.7%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 653
Source: Indy beetle / Wikimedia Commons
North Carolina: Enfield
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.3% (North Carolina: 12.0%)
> Poverty rate: 33.5% (North Carolina: 14.0%)
> Median household income: $21,774 (North Carolina: $56,642)
> Unemployment rate: 17.5% (North Carolina: 5.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 363
North Dakota: Belcourt
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 32.2% (North Dakota: 6.6%)
> Poverty rate: 28.1% (North Dakota: 10.5%)
> Median household income: $35,345 (North Dakota: $65,315)
> Unemployment rate: 6.9% (North Dakota: 3.0%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 42
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Source: Nyttend / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Ohio: Lincoln Heights
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 57.1% (Ohio: 12.6%)
> Poverty rate: 59.9% (Ohio: 13.6%)
> Median household income: $15,417 (Ohio: $58,116)
> Unemployment rate: 22.4% (Ohio: 5.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 537
Oklahoma: Hugo
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 40.2% (Oklahoma: 12.6%)
> Poverty rate: 41.5% (Oklahoma: 15.3%)
> Median household income: $26,784 (Oklahoma: $53,840)
> Unemployment rate: 10.3% (Oklahoma: 5.0%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 176
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Source: icetsarina / Flickr
Oregon: Warm Springs
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 56.8% (Oregon: 15.0%)
> Poverty rate: 37.4% (Oregon: 12.4%)
> Median household income: $35,750 (Oregon: $65,667)
> Unemployment rate: 20.2% (Oregon: 5.4%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 181
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Source: Nyttend / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Pennsylvania: Dale
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 50.4% (Pennsylvania: 13.1%)
> Poverty rate: 36.0% (Pennsylvania: 12.0%)
> Median household income: $26,127 (Pennsylvania: $63,627)
> Unemployment rate: 9.1% (Pennsylvania: 5.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 807
Source: danlogan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Rhode Island: Central Falls
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 37.1% (Rhode Island: 14.8%)
> Poverty rate: 29.9% (Rhode Island: 11.6%)
> Median household income: $34,689 (Rhode Island: $70,305)
> Unemployment rate: 7.5% (Rhode Island: 5.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 16
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Source: Courtesy of Town of Kingstree
South Carolina: Kingstree
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 41.7% (South Carolina: 11.2%)
> Poverty rate: 28.4% (South Carolina: 14.7%)
> Median household income: $28,830 (South Carolina: $54,864)
> Unemployment rate: 3.1% (South Carolina: 5.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 205
South Dakota: Pine Ridge
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 50.1% (South Dakota: 8.7%)
> Poverty rate: 41.1% (South Dakota: 12.8%)
> Median household income: $37,198 (South Dakota: $59,896)
> Unemployment rate: 10.6% (South Dakota: 3.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 57
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Tennessee: Jamestown
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 47.8% (Tennessee: 12.6%)
> Poverty rate: 43.9% (Tennessee: 14.6%)
> Median household income: $17,051 (Tennessee: $54,833)
> Unemployment rate: 13.1% (Tennessee: 5.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 231
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Texas: Indian Hills
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 72.4% (Texas: 11.5%)
> Poverty rate: 63.7% (Texas: 14.2%)
> Median household income: $23,486 (Texas: $63,826)
> Unemployment rate: 0.0% reported (Texas: 5.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 669
Source: fotoneurotic / iStock via Getty Images
Utah: East Carbon
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 30.6% (Utah: 6.2%)
> Poverty rate: 23.8% (Utah: 9.1%)
> Median household income: $29,867 (Utah: $74,197)
> Unemployment rate: 8.0% (Utah: 3.6%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 95
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Vermont: Richford
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 31.7% (Vermont: 10.6%)
> Poverty rate: 15.3% (Vermont: 10.8%)
> Median household income: $40,150 (Vermont: $63,477)
> Unemployment rate: 9.1% (Vermont: 3.8%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 38
Source: Nyttend / Public Domain / Nyttend / Wikimedia Commons
Virginia: Jonesville
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 51.5% (Virginia: 7.9%)
> Poverty rate: 48.9% (Virginia: 10.0%)
> Median household income: $15,691 (Virginia: $76,398)
> Unemployment rate: 17.7% (Virginia: 4.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 270
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Washington: Granger
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 57.9% (Washington: 11.1%)
> Poverty rate: 17.1% (Washington: 10.2%)
> Median household income: $54,107 (Washington: $77,006)
> Unemployment rate: 19.5% (Washington: 4.8%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 304
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Source: Mathew Cowger / iStock via Getty Images
West Virginia: Addison (Webster Springs)
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 55.4% (West Virginia: 16.5%)
> Poverty rate: 46.4% (West Virginia: 17.1%)
> Median household income: $22,062 (West Virginia: $48,037)
> Unemployment rate: 8.7% (West Virginia: 6.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 122
Wisconsin: Fox Lake
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 34.8% (Wisconsin: 10.2%)
> Poverty rate: 16.7% (Wisconsin: 11.0%)
> Median household income: $57,961 (Wisconsin: $63,293)
> Unemployment rate: 3.8% (Wisconsin: 3.5%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 319
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Wyoming: Fox Farm-College
> Households receiving SNAP benefits: 18.1% (Wyoming: 5.3%)
> Poverty rate: 17.4% (Wyoming: 10.8%)
> Median household income: $48,254 (Wyoming: $65,304)
> Unemployment rate: 3.9% (Wyoming: 4.3%)
> No. of towns considered in ranking: 37
Methodology
To determine the town with the highest SNAP recipiency rate in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year estimates of the share of households that received SNAP benefits in the 12 months prior to the survey 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. Because the Census Bureau didn’t release one-year estimates for 2020 due to data collection issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, all ACS data are five-year estimates.
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