Characteristics of SNAP Households: FY 2019

This report is the latest in a series of annual reports providing information about the demographic and economic circumstances of households and individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at both the national and state level. This report covers Fiscal Year 2019. Annual quality control data used to produce this report can be found using the link below.  Key findings for FY 2019 include:  

• Forty-three percent of SNAP participants were children . Thirty-two percent of SNAP participants were nondisabled, non-elderly adults. Sixteen percent of participants were age 60 or older, and 10 percent were non-elderly adults with disabilities.
• About 36 percent of SNAP households received the maximum benefit for their family size.  Ten percent received the minimum benefit ($15), which is only available to households with one or two members.
• Nearly one-third (29 percent) of SNAP households had earnings in FY 2019.  More than half (54 percent) of households with children had income from earnings, while 6 percent of SNAP households that included elderly individuals had earned income. Twenty-nine percent of households with adults age 18-49 without disabilities in childless households had earned income.
• The percentage of households with elderly individuals has increased by more than 10 percentage points over the last 25 years. As the percentage of households with elderly individuals has increased, income from Social Security became the most prevalent type of household income in FY 2019. Thirty-one percent of SNAP households received income from Social Security in FY 2019.

See Also

• Annual SNAP Quality Control Data
• Past SNAP Characteristics Reports