One out of 8 households in the United States receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. SNAP was set to come to a halt Saturday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on its website that no benefits would be issued due to the government shutdown. Federal judges have now ruled the Trump administration must use contingency funds for SNAP.The shutdown, which is the second-longest in history, began over the extension of health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.The Get the Facts Data Team analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey estimates — the most recent county-level data available. The data team found that many households that had received SNAP benefits either had a child under 18 years old or a person over 60 years old.Search the interactive below to see the distribution of SNAP benefits by household.About 11.8% of households received SNAP benefits across the United States, plus Washington, D.C., according to the estimates. The American Community Survey estimates ask respondents if they or someone in their household had received SNAP benefits in the last 12 months.The estimates also include data on characteristics of households receiving SNAP, including households with children under 18 and where at least one adult is 60 years old or older.Nearly half — 47% — were households with children under 18 years old, according to the 2023 estimates.Out of the households estimated to have received SNAP benefits and have a child under 18 years old, a little less than one-third were households with a single parent.Nearly 39% of households that received SNAP benefits had at least one household with someone 60 years old or older, or what SNAP defines as "elderly."Households consisting entirely of people who are older adults or have disabilities are not subject to the work requirements under SNAP.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
WASHINGTON — One out of 8 households in the United States receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
SNAP was set to come to a halt Saturday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on its website that no benefits would be issued due to the government shutdown. have now ruled the Trump administration must use contingency funds for SNAP.
The shutdown, which is the second-longest in history, began over the extension of health care tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.
The Get the Facts Data Team analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey estimates — the most recent county-level data available.
The data team found that many households that had received SNAP benefits either had a child under 18 years old or a person over 60 years old.
Search the interactive below to see the distribution of SNAP benefits by household.
About 11.8% of households received SNAP benefits across the United States, plus Washington, D.C., according to the estimates.
The American Community Survey estimates ask respondents if they or someone in their household had received SNAP benefits in the last 12 months.
The estimates also include data on characteristics of households receiving SNAP, including households with children under 18 and where at least one adult is 60 years old or older.
Nearly half — 47% — were households with children under 18 years old, according to the 2023 estimates.
Out of the households estimated to have received SNAP benefits and have a child under 18 years old, a little less than one-third were households with a single parent.
Nearly 39% of households that received SNAP benefits had at least one household with someone 60 years old or older, or what SNAP as "elderly."
Households consisting entirely of people who are older adults or have disabilities are not subject to the work requirements under SNAP.
