Published June 27, 2025

Annually, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues a report on the characteristics of households and individuals participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The most recent report released in April provides details about fiscal year 2023 program participants, and critical insights for lawmakers, advocates, and stakeholders, while simultaneously pushing back against harmful narratives that have been perpetuated about households participating in SNAP.  

Key Takeaways  

  • SNAP provides food assistance to the most vulnerable. The vast majority of individuals participating in the program are children, older adults, or individuals with a disability. The report highlights that 39 percent of participants were children, 20 percent were older adults, and 10 percent were individuals with disabilities. Additionally, 73 percent of households participating in SNAP had a gross monthly income at or below the federal poverty line. In fiscal year 2023, the income level for a family of four at the federal poverty line was $27,750.   
  • SNAP serves people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Among program participants, over 35 percent identified as White, nearly 26 percent as African American, nearly 16 percent as Hispanic, 4 percent as Asian, and a little over 1 percent as Native American. It should be noted that 17 percent of participants are listed as “race unknown.”  
  • SNAP helps workers make ends meet. Nearly one-third of SNAP households have earned income. For SNAP households with children, 55 percent had earned income. The average SNAP household’s gross monthly income is $1,059 and net income is $527. 
  • Most SNAP households do not receive cash welfare benefits. Only 3 percent of all SNAP households, and only 7.8 percent of SNAP households with children, receive benefits through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. 
  • SNAP lifts households out of poverty. Among households participating in SNAP, 17 percent moved above the federal poverty line when SNAP benefits were included in gross income, and 10 percent of the lowest-income SNAP households moved out of deep poverty. 
  • Despite the many benefits of the program, SNAP benefit levels continue to be woefully inadequate. About 36 percent of SNAP households receive the maximum allotment. The other 64 percent of participating households receive less than the maximum and are expected to spend some of their other income on food to make up the difference. The average monthly benefit per household with children was $547 in fiscal year 2023. As described in a prior FRAC analysis, the greatest shortcoming of SNAP is that benefits for most households are not enough to get them through the entire month without hunger or being forced to sacrifice nutrition quality. 

Time and again, SNAP has been found to be a profoundly important program with well-documented benefits for participants and their communities. As shown in this report from USDA, SNAP targets households that are struggling the most, reducing hunger and poverty for millions of people annually.  

For more information about SNAP, visit the SNAP section of FRAC’s website.