More Than 800K Tennessee Residents Received Supplemental Federal Food Aid In September 2020

Tennessee Residents Who Participated In The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Numbered 865,381 In September 2020, A 1.3% Decrease Over The Number Taking Part In September 2019. 

Tennessee Capitol Building in Nashville

Photo Credit: usda.gov

Published March 16, 2021

The Center Square –

Tennessee residents who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) numbered 865,381 in September 2020, a 1.3% decrease over the number taking part in September 2019, according to newly released data.

The number of SNAP participants in the state in September 2019 was 876,772, according to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. The data from August and September 2020 is preliminary and subject to change, the agency said. 

For all the states and territories in the analysis, the number of people taking part in SNAP rose by 14% in the September 2019 versus September 2020 comparison – numbers that contrast participation rates before and after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

SNAP, which is a unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides nutritional assistance to millions of low-income families and individuals nationwide. The federal government describes SNAP as “the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net.”

Which States Saw the Biggest Jumps in SNAP Participation?

State / TerritorySeptember 2019August 2020 (Preliminary)September 2020 (Initial)% Change for September 2020 vs. September 2019Rank Based on % Change (Highest to Lowest)
Florida2,755,5093,834,5283,886,74741.1%1
Georgia1,372,9651,839,3481,874,54136.5%2
Maryland612,399833,691795,25529.9%3
Louisiana798,536858,9031,012,93526.8%4
Iowa309,126302,232376,87621.9%5
Kentucky506,778606,216616,16921.6%6
Colorado438,326534,175523,09819.3%7
Texas3,346,8513,900,4083,962,50318.4%8
District of Columbia111,402129,186131,84418.3%9
Washington804,663956,647951,09018.2%10
Wisconsin607,844704,821710,41216.9%11
Virgin Islands21,62324,95725,23516.7%12
Hawaii155,293177,083179,20515.4%13
North Carolina1,262,5541,456,8911,452,36015.0%14
Massachusetts764,203868,410877,11814.8%15
Oregon586,111701,881670,77614.4%16
California4,004,9174,519,2894,537,28013.3%17
Minnesota400,877444,664451,75512.7%18
Wyoming24,92828,57228,07212.6%19
Indiana574,304637,154646,19312.5%20
Nevada421,015468,945470,85711.8%21
Arkansas351,199398,219391,98411.6%22
New Jersey682,918741,832761,38411.5%23
Virginia698,350782,261778,37011.5%24
Missouri678,716771,906752,53110.9%25
New Mexico450,410493,689491,5129.1%26
Oklahoma578,189625,551626,2988.3%27
Arizona798,130915,512860,9127.9%28
New York2,586,1862,756,1872,789,5337.9%29
Illinois1,770,5741,854,0471,904,5247.6%30
Michigan1,147,9721,195,9671,223,6116.6%31
Pennsylvania1,744,7691,826,6111,852,3916.2%32
Alabama719,827751,129756,3145.1%33
South Carolina586,163617,334614,9054.9%34
Guam43,77346,28645,6154.2%35
Kansas198,285207,124205,4513.6%36
Delaware122,139120,609126,1973.3%37
Connecticut364,474380,909375,8253.1%38
Vermont67,20967,72868,4161.8%39
Ohio1,381,2451,399,8951,401,2121.4%40
Maine155,648161,975157,3001.1%41
Alaska85,14788,59786,0071.0%42
West Virginia307,638301,459305,262-0.8%43
South Dakota79,18678,14978,491-0.9%44
Tennessee876,772855,072865,381-1.3%45
Idaho142,105143,926139,833-1.6%46
Nebraska156,439153,128153,996-1.6%47
Utah165,162176,700161,348-2.3%48
North Dakota48,07044,73146,731-2.8%49
New Hampshire73,50669,57369,787-5.1%50
Rhode Island147,857142,035137,892-6.7%51
Mississippi443,382399,561411,965-7.1%52
Montana106,05385,63696,042-9.4%53
TOTAL37,637,71742,481,33942,917,34114.0% 
Source: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
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