SNAP Map Shows States Getting Highest Payments
Map created by Newsweek showing average monthly SNAP amounts across the U.S.
SNAP benefits are distributed monthly to recipients nationwide but what one individual gets in one state can differ considerably to what another might get elsewhere.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are paid for by the federal government and distributed by state and local authorities. Monthly amounts are loaded onto electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to be used in participating stores, helping those on low- and no-income and resources pay for essential groceries.
The average benefit paid each month across the U.S. is $212 per person in an eligible household but beneficiaries in some states get considerably more—or less—than this.
In 2023, the state that distributed the highest monthly food benefit was Hawaii, according to data compiled by the health journalism outlet KFF Health, with a single recipient receiving $445 per month on average. The Aloha State is followed by Alaska, where the average monthly benefit is $376. Minnesota is in third place, although SNAP recipients there still get considerably less than in Hawaii and Alaska, with the average amount loaded onto EBT cards being $261, almost $200 less than what Hawaiians would typically get.
On the other end of the scale, the state with the lowest average monthly SNAP amount is Iowa, where recipients get $162. Iowa is closely followed by Montana and Nebraska, where average monthly amounts are $165 and $167 respectively.
Why Do Recipients In Some States Get More Than Others?
"One reason is that benefit amounts are largely determined by recipients' income, minus certain expenses," the Pew Research Center states. "Household size also factors into the calculation. So a state's demographics and the condition of its economy will influence how much its residents can receive through SNAP."
In places like Hawaii and Alaska, which are not part of the contiguous United States, food costs tend to be higher than elsewhere as a lot of the food is imported from overseas.
According to the USDA, when calculating how much SNAP should be awarded to recipients in 2022, they found that the average cost of food for a family of four was 36 percent higher in Hawaii than the mainland, and 52 percent higher in Alaska.
SNAP rates will also vary this summer in numerous states due to the SUN Bucks scheme, which gives an extra $120 per qualifying child over the summer months while schools are out to help cover the cost of food. In all, more than 30 states are taking part, as well as Washington D.C., some tribal nations, and the overseas U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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