United States Department of Agriculture 

Characteristics of Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program 

Households: Fiscal Year 2015 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Report No. SNAP-16-CHAR

Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series

Office of Policy Support
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
November 2016

Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program

Report No. SNAP-16-CHAR

Characteristics of Supplemental 

Nutrition Assistance Program 

Households: Fiscal Year 2015

Authors:

Kelsey Farson Gray, Sarah Fisher, and Sarah Lauffer

Submitted by: Submitted to:

Mathematica Policy Research Office of Policy Support

1100 1st Street NE, 12th Floor USDA, Food and Nutrition Service

Washington, DC 20002-4221 3101 Park Center Drive, Suite 1014

. Alexandria, VA 22302-1500

Project Director: Karen Cunnyngham Project Officer: Jenny Genser

This study was conducted under Contract Number AG-3198-K-16-0011 with the Food and 

Nutrition Service.

This report is available on the Food and Nutrition Service website: 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/ops/research-and-analysis

Suggested Citation:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 

Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2015, by 

Kelsey Farson Gray, Sarah Fisher, and Sarah Lauffer. Project Officer, Jenny Genser. Alexandria, 

VA, 2016. 

United States Department of Agriculture 
This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.
This report was prepared by Kelsey Farson Gray, Sarah Fisher, and Sarah Lauffer of 

Mathematica Policy Research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition 

Service, Office of Policy Support. Many individuals made important contributions to the report. 

The authors thank Karen Cunnyngham, Joshua Leftin, and Ronette Briefel for providing guidance 

and reviewing the report; Katherine Bencio, Alma Vigil, and Joel Smith for providing 

programming support; Kerianne Hourihan for developing Section 508 compliant versions of the 

report tables; and Jessica Hegedus for preparing the manuscript. The authors also thank 

Jenny Genser, Kathryn Law, Barbara Murphy, Amal Deria, Catherine Benvie, Andrew Burns, 

Kameron Burt, Brenda Castro, Mary Rose Conroy, Jane Duffield, Leigh Gantner, Sasha GerstenPaal, Sarah Goldberg, Arthur Hoffman, Sarah Hughes, Michelle Johnson-Weider, Clay Jones, 

Eliot Kriviski, Jessica Luna, Yameche Madry, Nick Manthos, Solomon Mezbegu, Susan Modine, 

Tamieka Muns, Nadine Nichols, Morris Olitsky, Dilson Oliveira, Christina Palazzolo, Miles 

Patrie, Karen Patyk, Shamon Studmire, Lisa Tarrant-Gilbert, and Tom Tinnin of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service for providing guidance and program 

information. 

Authors: Kelsey Farson Gray, Sarah Fisher, and Sarah Lauffer

Mathematica Project Director: Karen Cunnyngham

Mathematica Project Number: 50235.500

FNS Project Officer: Jenny Genser

FNS Contract Number: AG-3198-K-16-0011

November 2016 
This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.
CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................xv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................1

CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE

PROGRAM ....................................................................................................................3

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................3

The Household ......................................................................................................3

Categorical Eligibility ...........................................................................................4

Income Eligibility Standards .................................................................................5

Resources ..............................................................................................................6

Nonfinancial Eligibility Standards ........................................................................7

APPLICATION PROCEDURES ................................................................................................8

BENEFIT COMPUTATION .....................................................................................................9

SSI Combined Application Project (SSI-CAP) Households .................................9

Minnesota Family Investment Program Households (MFIP) .............................10

SNAP BENEFIT ISSUANCE ................................................................................................10

PROGRAM CHANGES SINCE THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR ................................................10

SNAP PARTICIPATION AND COSTS ...................................................................................11

CHAPTER 3: CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS AND PARTICIPANTS13

THE POVERTY STATUS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS ...............................................................13

HOUSEHOLDS WITH GREATER NEEDS...............................................................................14

Households with Children ...................................................................................14

Households with Elderly Individuals ..................................................................16

Households with Non-Elderly Individuals with Disabilities ...............................17

Other Households Served by SNAP....................................................................17

Adults Age 18 to 49 without Disabilities in Childless Households ....................21

Single-Person Households ...................................................................................21

CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP PARTICIPANTS ....................................................................21

CHANGES IN THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS .................................23

ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS ...........................................................................................25

vii
APPENDIX A DETAILED TABLES OF SNAP HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS ...35

APPENDIX B DETAILED TABLES OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS BY STATE ....................69

APPENDIX C FISCAL YEAR 2015 SNAP PARAMETERS.................................................89

APPENDIX D SOURCE AND RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES ........................................95

APPENDIX E SAMPLING ERROR OF ESTIMATES .......................................................103

APPENDIX F DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT ........................................................113

INDEX .....................................................................................................................................119

viii
TABLES

REPORT

2.1 Major economic indicators, calendar years 2000 to 2015 .................................... 12

3.1 Distribution of households and their benefits by countable income as a 

percentage of poverty guidelines .......................................................................... 15

3.2 Household receipt of countable income types by household composition ........... 18

3.3 Percentage of households with countable income types by household 

composition ........................................................................................................... 19

3.4 Average values of selected characteristics by household composition ................ 20

3.5 SNAP benefits of participants by selected demographic characteristics .............. 22

3.6 Nominal and real values of selected characteristics, fiscal year 2014 and 

fiscal year 2015 ..................................................................................................... 23

APPENDIX A

SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS

A.1 Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by 

household composition, locality, countable income source, and SNAP 

benefit amount ...................................................................................................... 37

A.2 Average gross countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, 

gross and net countable income, total deduction, SNAP benefit, household 

size, and certification period of participating households by household 

composition, locality, countable income source, and SNAP benefit amount ....... 38

INCOME, POVERTY STATUS, AND RESOURCES

A.3 Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, 

and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by amount of gross and net 

countable income, countable resources, and gross and net countable 

income as a percentage of poverty guidelines ...................................................... 39

A.4 Distribution of participating households by household size and amount of 

countable gross and net income, resources, and gross and net income as a 

percentage of poverty guidelines .......................................................................... 40

A.5 Average gross and net countable income, average gross and net countable 

income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, average countable 

resources, and average benefit of participating households by household 

composition and size ............................................................................................. 41

ix
APPENDIX A (continued)

A.6 Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, 

and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by type of countable income.......... 42

A.7 Average income, total deduction, SNAP benefit, and household size of 

participating households by type of countable income ......................................... 43

A.8 Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, 

and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by countable earned and 

unearned income amounts..................................................................................... 44

SNAP DEDUCTIONS

A.9 Distribution of participating households by type of deduction and 

household composition, countable income source, and SNAP benefit 

amount................................................................................................................... 46

A.10 Average values of deductions of participating households by household 

composition, countable income source, and SNAP benefit amount ..................... 47

A.11 Distribution of participating households by selected household 

characteristics and amount of deduction ............................................................... 48

SNAP BENEFIT

A.12 Distribution of participating households by selected household 

characteristics and SNAP benefit amount, SNAP benefit as a percentage 

of the maximum benefit, and certification period ................................................. 50

HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

A.13 Distribution of participating households by type of most recent action and 

expedited service ................................................................................................... 51

A.14 Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by 

household composition ......................................................................................... 52

A.15 Average gross countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, 

gross and net countable income, total deduction, SNAP benefit, household 

size, and certification period of participating households by household 

composition ........................................................................................................... 53

A.16 Distribution of participating households by countable income type and 

household composition ......................................................................................... 54

A.17 Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, 

and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by selected characteristics ............. 55

x
APPENDIX A (continued)

A.18 Average values of selected characteristics for participating households 

with children, elderly individuals, and nonelderly individuals with 

disabilities ............................................................................................................. 56

A.19 Distribution of participating households with countable earned and 

unearned income by selected characteristics ........................................................ 57

A.20 Average values of selected characteristics for participating households 

with countable earned and unearned income ........................................................ 58

A.21 Distribution of participating households with selected household 

characteristics by race and Hispanic status of household head............................. 59

A.22 Distribution of participating households by presence of a household 

member with selected characteristics.................................................................... 60

PARTICIPANTS

A.23 Gender and SNAP benefits of participants by selected demographic 

characteristics ........................................................................................................ 61

A.24 Distribution of participants by Thrifty Food Plan gender-age groups and 

household size ....................................................................................................... 62

A.25 Distribution of household heads, all participants, and non-elderly adult 

participants by work registration status and employment status .......................... 63

COMPARISONS: FISCAL YEARS 1989 TO 2015 

A.26 Comparison of participating households with key SNAP household 

characteristics for fiscal years 1989 to 2015 ......................................................... 64

A.27 Comparison of average nominal and real values of key SNAP household 

characteristics for fiscal years 1989 to 2015 ......................................................... 66

A.28 Comparison of number of SNAP participants by gender and age for fiscal 

years 1989 to 2015 ................................................................................................ 68

xi
APPENDIX B

B.1 Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by State ....... 71

B.2 Average values of selected characteristics by State .............................................. 72

B.3 Distribution of participating households by poverty status and by State.............. 73

B.4 Distribution of participating households by shelter-related characteristics 

and by State ........................................................................................................... 74

B.5 Distribution of participating households by household composition and by 

State....................................................................................................................... 75

B.6 Distribution of participating households by selected countable income 

sources and by State .............................................................................................. 76

B.7 Average values of selected countable income sources by State ........................... 77

B.8 Distribution of participating households by earnings-related characteristics 

and by State ........................................................................................................... 78

B.9 Distribution of entrant households with and without expedited service by 

State....................................................................................................................... 79

B.10 Distribution of participating households by race and Hispanic status of 

household head and by State ................................................................................. 80

B.11 Distribution of participating households by use of standard utility 

allowance and by State.......................................................................................... 81

B.12 Distribution of participating categorically eligible households by public 

assistance status and by State ................................................................................ 82

B.13 Distribution of participating households by poverty status and by State, 

and effect of SNAP benefits on the poverty status of SNAP households ............. 83

B.14 Distribution of participants by age and by State ................................................... 84

B.15 Distribution of participants by disability status and by State ............................... 85

B.16 Distribution of participants by citizenship status and by State ............................. 86

B.17 Distribution of noncitizen participants by age and by State ................................. 87

xii
APPENDIX C

C.1 2014 HHS poverty income guidelines .................................................................. 91

C.2 SNAP maximum allowable gross monthly income eligibility standards in 

fiscal year 2015 ..................................................................................................... 91

C.3 SNAP maximum allowable net monthly income eligibility standards in 

fiscal year 2015 ..................................................................................................... 92

C.4 Value of standard SNAP deductions and maximum excess shelter expense 

deductions in the contiguous United States and outlying areas in fiscal 

year 2015 ............................................................................................................... 92

C.5 Value of maximum monthly SNAP benefit in the contiguous United States 

and outlying areas in fiscal year 2015 ................................................................... 93

C.6 Value of minimum monthly SNAP benefit in the contiguous United States 

and outlying areas in fiscal year 2015 ................................................................... 93

APPENDIX D

D.1 Number of cases sampled, dropped from the edited file, and included in 

the edited file......................................................................................................... 98

D.2 Unweighted distribution of participating households by State ............................. 99

D.3 Comparison of program data to edited SNAP QC datafile ................................. 100

D.4 Comparison of calculated and reported values for selected variables of 

participating households ..................................................................................... 101

APPENDIX E

E.1 Standard errors of estimated numbers of SNAP households .............................. 109

E.2 Square root of design effects (d) for standard errors of estimated numbers 

or percentages of SNAP households ................................................................... 110

E.3 Standard errors of estimated means .................................................................... 111

E.4 Range of standard errors of mean amounts expressed as a percentage of 

the mean amount ................................................................................................. 112

xiii
FIGURES 

2.1 SNAP participants, unemployed individuals, individuals in poverty, and 

individuals at or below 130 percent of poverty, calendar years 1985 to 2015 ................ 11

3.1 Effect of SNAP benefits on the poverty status of SNAP households ............................. 15

xiv
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves as the foundation of 

America’s national nutrition safety net. It is the nation’s first line of defense against food insecurity 

and offers a powerful tool to improve nutrition among low-income individuals. SNAP is the largest 

of the domestic nutrition assistance programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service 

(FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This report describes the characteristics of 

SNAP households and participants nationwide in fiscal year 2015 (October 2014 through 

September 2015). It also presents an overview of SNAP eligibility requirements and benefit levels 

in fiscal year 2015. The appendices provide detailed tabulations of household and participant 

characteristics at the national and State levels, as well as a review of the source and reliability of 

estimates and the sampling error associated with the estimates presented in the report. 

SNAP PARTICIPATION AND COSTS

In an average month in fiscal year 2015, SNAP provided benefits to 45.8 million people living 

in 22.5 million households across the United States. The total Federal cost of the program in fiscal 

year 2015 was $74.0 billion, $69.7 billion of which went to SNAP benefits with the remainder

going to program administration. The average monthly SNAP benefit across all participating 

households in fiscal year 2015 was $258. 

The participant counts and benefit costs discussed in this section are based on FNS 

administrative records. They differ slightly from estimates presented in the rest of this summary, 

which are based on the SNAP Quality Control (SNAP QC) sample file (see Appendix D for an 

explanation of the differences). 

CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS AND PARTICIPANTS

As measured by the Federal poverty guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services (HHS), approximately 82 percent of SNAP households lived in poverty in fiscal 

year 2015 (Appendix C). Forty-two percent of SNAP households had gross incomes less than or 

equal to half of the poverty guidelines; these households received 57 percent of all benefits. When 

the value of SNAP benefits is included as income, 10 percent of SNAP households would move 

above the poverty guidelines, and 12 percent would move from below half to above half of the 

poverty guidelines. The average SNAP household received a monthly benefit of $254, had gross 

monthly income of $786, and had net monthly income of $354. The average household size was 

2.0 people. 

Twenty-two percent of SNAP households had zero gross income in fiscal year 2015, and 

40 percent had zero net income. Thirty-two percent of SNAP households had earned income, 

20 percent received Supplemental Security Income (SSI), 24 percent received Social Security 

income, 8 percent received Child Support Enforcement payments, 6 percent received support from 

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), 3 percent received State General Assistance

(GA) benefits, and 2 percent received unemployment income. From fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 

2015, none of these percentages changed by more than one percentage point. 

xv
Seventy-five percent of SNAP households included a child, an elderly individual, or an 

individual with a disability; these households received 82 percent of all benefits. Households with 

children received an average monthly SNAP benefit of $393, reflecting their larger average 

household size. The average household with children had 3.2 people, compared with an average 

of 1.1 people for households without children. A majority (59 percent) of SNAP households with 

children were single-adult households. Only 15 percent of these single-adult households with 

children received cash benefits from TANF. More than half (55 percent) of all SNAP households 

with children had earned income; 45 percent of single-adult households with children and 

68 percent of multiple-adult households with children had earned income. Three percent of all 

households with children had both TANF and earned income. 

Households with elderly individuals received an average monthly SNAP benefit of $128, 

reflecting their smaller-than-average size (1.3 people) and higher-than-average income compared 

to other SNAP participants. Households with elderly individuals had an average gross income of 

$912, compared to $755 for households without elderly individuals. Eighty percent of SNAP 

households with elderly individuals consisted of an elderly individual living alone. These 

individuals received an average monthly benefit of $108, compared with an average monthly 

benefit of $211 for households with elderly individuals not living alone and $285 for households 

without any elderly individuals. 

In fiscal year 2015, 64 percent of all SNAP participants were either children (44 percent), 

elderly adults (11 percent), or non-elderly adults with disabilities (10 percent). Over half 

(57 percent) of all participants were female. About two-thirds (69 percent) of children were schoolage (age 5 to 17). 

xvi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a central component of the 

nation’s nutrition assistance safety net. SNAP’s stated purpose is to “permit low-income 

households to obtain a more nutritious diet... by increasing their purchasing power” (Food and 

Nutrition Act of 2008). SNAP is the largest of the domestic nutrition assistance programs 

administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA). According to FNS administrative records, during fiscal year 2015, SNAP served 

approximately 45.8 million people in an average month, at a total annual cost of $74.0 billion, 

$69.7 billion of which went to SNAP benefits.1

SNAP is available to all individuals who meet the Federal eligibility guidelines set by 

Congress, and serves a broad demographic spectrum of the needy population. It provides benefits 

electronically via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which may be redeemed for eligible 

food items.2 As of September 30, 2015, 258,632 stores across the nation were authorized to accept 

SNAP benefits.

Federal, State, and local governments share the costs and administration of SNAP. Congress 

authorizes the program and appropriates necessary funds. USDA establishes SNAP regulations 

under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended through Public Law 113-128, enacted July 

22, 2014. FNS administers SNAP nationally, and State or local welfare agencies operate the 

program locally. The Federal government fully funds SNAP benefits. The cooperating agencies 

share administrative costs, with FNS paying approximately 50 percent of these expenses. 

Using SNAP household data collected for quality control purposes, FNS publishes reports 

detailing characteristics of the SNAP population and uses the data for additional analyses. This 

report, the latest in an annual series that dates back to 1976, presents a picture of households and 

individuals participating in SNAP in fiscal year 2015. The report draws on data for participating 

households eligible for SNAP under normal program rules, and thus does not include information 

about those who received disaster assistance nor those who were issued benefits mistakenly.

3

In Chapter 2, we provide an overview of SNAP, including the regulations used to determine 

eligibility and benefits and how factors like national economic trends affect program participation 

and costs. In Chapter 3, we describe the characteristics of households and individuals participating

in SNAP in fiscal year 2015. We present detailed national tables of SNAP household 

characteristics in Appendix A, and detailed State-by-State tables of SNAP household 

characteristics in Appendix B. Appendix C contains the fiscal year 2015 SNAP eligibility 

standards and maximum benefit amounts. In Appendix D, we provide a detailed explanation and 

1 The total cost of SNAP in fiscal year 2015 included $4.3 billion in other costs, including the Federal share of 

State administrative costs, nutrition education, Employment and Training programs, benefit and retailer redemption 

and monitoring, payment accuracy monitoring, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems, and program evaluation 

and modernization efforts, as well as program access, health, and nutrition pilot projects.

2 Households cannot use SNAP benefits to purchase alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, pet food, hot food, 

and any food sold for on premise consumption.

3 FNS coordinates with State, local, and volunteer organizations to provide food to those affected by storms, 

earthquakes, floods, or other disaster emergencies. About 2,700 people received disaster assistance at some time in 

fiscal year 2015. This number was calculated internally by Mathematica based on information provided by FNS, 

individual State reports, and direct contact with States. See Appendix D for more information on adjustments made to 

the data used for this report. 

1
evaluation of the source and reliability of the estimates in this report. This is followed by a 

discussion of estimate sampling error in Appendix E. The data collection instrument used to collect 

the SNAP Quality Control (SNAP QC) data that form the basis of this report appears in 

Appendix F.

2
CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The characteristics of SNAP households and the level of SNAP participation change over time 

in response to economic and demographic trends and legislative changes to SNAP. In this chapter, 

we explain SNAP eligibility requirements, application procedures, benefit computation, and 

benefit issuance. This chapter concludes with a summary of program participation and costs, as 

well as a discussion on how the costs were related to the economy in fiscal year 2015. 

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill) reauthorized SNAP in February 2014. This 

legislation largely maintained the basic eligibility guidelines as previously defined under the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, contains the uniform 

national eligibility standards for SNAP, which were originally developed in the Food Stamp Act 

of 1977. These eligibility standards define a SNAP household and categories of households 

eligible for benefits. They also establish gross and net income limits, a resource limit, and various 

nonfinancial criteria for eligibility. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, provides for 

exceptions to the eligibility criteria in certain high-cost areas, such as Alaska and Hawaii, and for 

individuals who are categorically eligible, elderly, or with disabilities.

4

 

Furthermore, States have options and can receive administrative waivers to simplify certain 

eligibility rules.5 For example, States can waive recertification interviews for elderly individuals 

and individuals with disabilities who have no earned income, set requirements for reporting 

financial circumstances within various time frames, and determine penalties for failing to comply 

with work requirement programs. These allow States greater flexibility to adapt to the needs of 

their own eligible populations. 

In addition to maintaining basic eligibility requirements, the 2014 Farm Bill tightened the 

standards by which households can qualify for the shelter expense deduction based upon receipt 

of energy assistance, added SNAP funding for enhanced Employment and Training activities, and 

increased antifraud activities. 

The Household

Under SNAP rules, a household is defined as individuals who live together and customarily 

purchase and prepare food together. Generally, individuals who live together in a residential unit 

but do not purchase and prepare food together may apply as separate household units; their 

4 A person is considered to be elderly for SNAP eligibility purposes if he or she is age 60 or older. Generally, a 

person is considered to be disabled for SNAP eligibility purposes if he or she receives Federal or State disability or 

blindness payments or other disability retirement benefits from a government agency under the Social Security Act, 

including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security disability or blindness payments; receives an annuity

under the Railroad Retirement Act and is (1) eligible for Medicare or (2) considered to be disabled based on SSI rules; 

is a veteran who is totally disabled, permanently housebound, or in need of regular aid and attendance; or is 

permanently disabled and receiving veterans’ benefits as a surviving spouse or child of a veteran.

5 For more detailed information on State options, see the State Options Reports available at 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-options-report. 

3
incomes and countable resources are considered separately in eligibility and benefit 

determinations. However, spouses living together must apply together and parents must apply 

together with their children under age 22 who reside with them, even if the children have spouses 

or children of their own. Individuals who are elderly and cannot purchase and prepare food because 

of a substantial disability may apply as separate households from those with whom they reside as 

long as the gross monthly income of the remainder of their residential unit is less than 165 percent 

of the Federal poverty guidelines.6 The incomes and countable resources of household members

applying together for SNAP are aggregated to determine the household’s eligibility and benefits. 

Categorical Eligibility

Households in which all members are receiving or authorized to receive Supplemental 

Security Income (SSI), General Assistance (GA), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 

(TANF) are categorically eligible for SNAP. Eligibility standards for these households, known as 

pure public assistance (PA) households, are based on the assistance program that confers 

categorical eligibility for SNAP. However, benefits for categorically eligible households are 

determined under the same rules that apply to other eligible SNAP households. 

Over the past 16 years, categorical eligibility has expanded, eliminating certain verification 

requirements and simplifying the application and eligibility determination process for a much 

larger group of households. States are required to confer categorical eligibility on households 

receiving or authorized to receive benefits or services—such as employment, child care, or 

transportation assistance—that are at least 50 percent funded by TANF or Maintenance of Effort 

funds.7 In addition, States have the option of conferring categorical eligibility on households 

receiving or authorized to receive benefits or services that are less than 50 percent funded by 

TANF/Maintenance of Effort funds. Further, States may confer categorical eligibility on 

households where at least one member receives the benefit or service and the State agency 

determines the entire household benefits. Programs conferring categorical eligibility must support 

a TANF goal of (1) assisting needy families, (2) reducing dependency on Federal programs, (3) 

preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancies, or (4) supporting marriage. Programs furthering the last 

two goals must have a gross income eligibility limit of 200 percent or less of the Federal poverty 

line. 

Many States have chosen to provide a TANF/Maintenance of Effort-funded noncash benefit 

to confer categorical eligibility for SNAP on a broad number of households. This option is known 

as broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE). States have flexibility in choosing the 

TANF/Maintenance of Effort–funded program that confers SNAP eligibility. Often these 

programs apply only a gross income eligibility limit—between 130 and 200 percent of Federal 

poverty guidelines—and eliminate the net income test. Households considered to be categorically 

eligible must qualify for a positive SNAP benefit. The exception is one- or two-person households 

that could receive the minimum benefit. 

6 The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) establishes the Federal poverty 

guidelines annually for many assistance programs. See Appendix C for a list of the 2014 poverty guidelines.

7 Maintenance of Effort funds are State funded expenditures used to support programs that provide cash 

assistance, family support, education, and training to help achieve TANF goals. 

4
Most programs that confer BBCE do not include a resource test. However, five States (Idaho, 

Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Texas) had BBCE programs with resource limits between 

$5,000 and $25,000 when determining SNAP eligibility in all or part of fiscal year 2015.8

 

Of the 42 States and territories (including the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin 

Islands) with a BBCE policy in effect throughout fiscal year 2015, only New Hampshire limits its 

policy to a specific population (households with children). 

In some States, households that participate in more narrowly targeted, noncash TANF-funded 

programs, such as work support, child care, diversion assistance, transportation, and other in-kind 

assistance, may also be categorically eligible for SNAP.

Income Eligibility Standards

Monthly income is the most important determinant of a household’s SNAP eligibility. Most 

households not categorically eligible must meet two income eligibility standards: (1) a gross 

income standard and (2) a net income standard.9 As defined in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 

as amended, gross income includes most cash income (with the exception of specific types of 

income, such as loans) and excludes most noncash income or in-kind benefits (such as energy 

assistance payments and educational loans in which payment is deferred). To be eligible for SNAP, 

a household not categorically eligible and not including an elderly member or individual with a 

disability must have a monthly gross income that is at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty 

guidelines ($2,584 per month for a family of four in the contiguous United States in fiscal year 

2015). Households with elderly members or individuals with disabilities are not subject to the 

gross income standard. All households that are not categorically eligible must have a monthly net 

income at or below 100 percent of the poverty guidelines ($1,988 for a family of four in the 

contiguous United States in fiscal year 2015). The gross and net income eligibility standards vary 

by household size and for residents of Alaska and Hawaii (Appendix C). 

In addition to being used to determine income eligibility for some households, net income is 

used to determine monthly SNAP benefit amounts for all households. Net income is calculated by 

subtracting deductions permitted under SNAP from monthly gross income. SNAP deducts the 

following from a household’s gross monthly income to arrive at net monthly income:10

• Standard deduction. Households receive a standard deduction based on location and 

household size. In fiscal year 2015, a household with one to three members living in 

the contiguous United States received a $155 deduction; larger households received a 

larger standard deduction based on household size. The standard deductions for 

outlying States and territories vary with price differences between such areas and the 

contiguous United States (Appendix C). The standard deductions are indexed annually 

to inflation.

8 Pennsylvania removed its resource limit in April 2015. 

9 Individuals participating in the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or an SSI Combined Application 

Project (SSI-CAP) are subject to different eligibility and benefit determination rules, as described later in this chapter. 

10 The amount of deductions to which a household is entitled―the household’s deduction entitlement―is not 

always equal to the amount used to compute SNAP benefits. Because net income may not be less than zero, households 

with total deductions greater than their gross income may claim only a portion of their deduction entitlement.

5
• Earned income deduction. Households with earnings receive a deduction equal to 

20 percent of the combined earnings of household members. 

• Dependent care deduction. Households with dependents receive a deduction for outof-pocket costs for the care of children and other dependents while other household 

members work, seek employment, or attend school. 

• Medical expense deduction. Households receive a medical expense deduction if they 

have either an elderly member or an individual with a disability who has medical 

expenses. In most States, such households may deduct combined out-of-pocket 

medical costs that exceed $35 per month and are incurred on behalf of elderly

household members or household members with disabilities. In fiscal year 2015, 

16 States had medical deduction demonstration programs that used standard deduction 

amounts for households with medical expenses exceeding $35 but below a specified 

limit.11 Medical expenses reimbursed by insurance or government programs are not 

deductible in any State.

• Child support payment deduction. Households may deduct legally obligated child 

support payments made to or for a non-household member. States may choose to 

exclude child support payments from gross income rather than treat them as a

deduction. 

• Excess shelter expense deduction. Households are entitled to a deduction equal to 

shelter costs (such as rent, mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes, and 

insurance) that exceed 50 percent of the household’s countable income after all other 

potential deductions are subtracted from gross income. Instead of using actual utility 

costs, many States use Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs) to calculate a household’s 

total shelter expense. The maximum excess shelter expense deduction in the 

contiguous United States for households without elderly members or individuals with 

disabilities was $490 in fiscal year 2015. The amount is annually indexed to inflation. 

The limits on the excess shelter expense deduction for outlying States and territories 

vary with price differences between such areas and the contiguous United States 

(Appendix C). Households with elderly members or individuals with disabilities are 

allowed to subtract the full value of shelter costs that exceed 50 percent of their 

adjusted income. Some States also allow homeless households a deduction of $143 for 

shelter costs. 

Resources

Another determinant of SNAP eligibility is a household’s resources. As stipulated in the Food 

and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, the resource limits are indexed to inflation, rounded down 

to the nearest $250 increment. In fiscal year 2015, households not categorically eligible were

permitted up to $2,250 in countable resources or up to $3,250 if at least one household member 

was elderly or had a disability. Countable resources include cash, resources easily converted to 

cash (such as money in checking or savings accounts, savings certificates, stocks and bonds, and 

lump-sum payments), and some nonliquid resources. Some types of resources are not counted, 

11 For detailed information on these demonstrations, see Technical Documentation for the Fiscal Year 2015 

SNAP QC Database and QC Minimodel (Vigil et al., 2016). Available at https://host76.mathematica-mpr.com/fns/. 

6
such as retirement and educational savings accounts, family homes, tools of a trade, or business 

property used to earn income. 

Vehicles with equity below $1,500 are excluded from the resource test. Vehicles used as 

homes, to produce earned income, to transport household members with physical disabilities, or 

to transport fuel or water are also excluded. Additionally, one vehicle per adult in the household 

and any vehicle used by a teenager in the household under age 18 to drive to work or school is 

excluded from resources. For any remaining vehicles owned by the household, the State must 

calculate both the fair market value of the vehicle in excess of $4,650 and the equity value of the 

vehicle. The State will count as a resource only the greater of the two amounts, either the fair 

market value in excess of $4,650 or the equity value.12

To make it easier for low-income workers to maintain reliable transportation while receiving 

SNAP benefits, States are allowed to align their SNAP vehicle policy with vehicle rules from a 

TANF/Maintenance of Effort-funded assistance program so long as these rules are less restrictive 

than Federal SNAP vehicle rules. In fiscal year 2015, almost all States and territories had aligned 

their vehicle rules for non-categorically eligible households with those of other programs in their 

State or territory; over half of all States and territories had adopted rules that exclude all vehicles 

from the resource test. 

Nonfinancial Eligibility Standards

The program’s nonfinancial eligibility standards restrict the participation of strikers, 

individuals who are institutionalized, fleeing felons, drug felons, unauthorized immigrants, 

nonimmigrant visitors to the United States, certain students, and some lawful permanent resident 

noncitizens. 

The following groups of lawful permanent resident noncitizens are eligible for SNAP benefits:

• Those who have lived legally in the United States for five years or more from the date 

of entry 

• Children under age 18

• Blind or disabled individuals receiving government benefits for their condition 

• Noncitizens who are members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, or dependents of a 

service member or veteran

• Lawful permanent residents with 40 qualifying quarters of work history 

• Individuals who were age 65 or older and lawfully resided in the United States on 

August 22, 1996 

• Individuals admitted as refugees or granted asylum or a stay of deportation 

Many SNAP participants age 16 to 59 are subject to the program’s general work requirements, 

which include registering for work, accepting suitable employment if offered, not voluntarily 

quitting a job or reducing work hours, and participating in an employment and training program if 

12 The equity of a vehicle is defined as its fair market value minus remaining liens.

7
referred to one by the State agency. Working age participants are subject to these requirements 

unless they are in one of the following exempt groups: 

• Individuals determined to be mentally or physically unfit for employment 

• Individuals employed 30 or more hours per week 

• Individuals responsible for the care of a dependent child under age 6 or an 

incapacitated person

• Students enrolled at least half time in a school, training program, or institution of 

higher education

• Individuals complying with work requirements of TANF assistance programs 

• Individuals receiving unemployment compensation 

• Individuals participating in a drug addiction or alcohol treatment program 

In addition, SNAP participants who are subject to the general SNAP work requirements and 

are (1) age 18 to 49, (2) residing in a SNAP household without children, and (3) not pregnant are 

generally subject to time-limited participation unless they fulfill additional work requirements. 

Specifically, these individuals are restricted to three months of SNAP benefits in any 36-month 

period unless they work or participate in a work program at least 20 hours per week or participate 

in a workfare program. Participants are exempt from the time limit if they live in a waiver area or 

have been granted a discretionary exemption by the State. States may apply for geographic areas, 

including the entire State if applicable, to be waiver areas if (1) the area has an unemployment rate 

that exceeds 10 percent or (2) the State can demonstrate using other economic criteria that the 

proposed waiver area has an insufficient number of jobs to provide employment. States are allowed 

to provide discretionary exemptions for up to 15 percent of their SNAP caseload subject to the 

time limit.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

In general, when a household applies for SNAP benefits, State agencies are required to 

conduct an interview at initial certification and at least once every 12 months thereafter. Although 

all SNAP applicants have the option to appear in person for the interview, States can apply for 

waivers that allow interviews to be conducted by telephone or online rather than face-to-face. As 

of September 2015, all States and territories had been granted statewide waivers for the 

requirement that households receive a face-to-face interview. Also, as of September 2015, 44 

States offered statewide online applications. All States must allow individuals to apply for SNAP 

benefits when they apply for TANF or SSI benefits. 

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended, requires local offices to process applications 

for SNAP benefits within 30 days of receipt. However, applications from households with 

extremely low income or a low level of resources must be processed more quickly under the 

expedited SNAP eligibility verification procedures, allowing people to receive SNAP benefits 

within seven days of application. Those eligible for expedited service include (1) migrant or 

seasonal farm workers with countable resources equal to or less than $100, (2) households with 

monthly gross income less than $150 and countable resources equal to or less than $100, and 

(3) households whose combined monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than the 

household’s monthly rent or mortgage plus utilities.

8
SNAP participants are required to appear periodically at their local SNAP office or participate 

in a telephone interview for recertification. The certification period varies with the likelihood of a 

change in a SNAP household’s financial circumstances. The certification period may be as long 

as 24 months for households where all adult members are elderly or disabled or up to 36 months 

for households participating in an Elderly Simplified Application Project. For participants in the 

SSI-Combined Application Project (SSI-CAP), the certification period may be extended up to 48 

months. In fiscal year 2015, SNAP households were certified for benefits for an average of 13 

months. 

BENEFIT COMPUTATION

After a household is certified for SNAP, its monthly SNAP benefit is computed on the basis 

of its net monthly income, the benefit reduction rate (as defined below), and the maximum SNAP 

benefit for the household size and location. The maximum benefit to which a household is entitled 

is based on 100 percent of the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan for a family of four in June of the 

previous fiscal year, adjusted for household size and for geographic areas outside of the contiguous 

United States. The Thrifty Food Plan is a healthful and minimal-cost diet, with the cost adjusted 

for household size and composition.13 Maximum benefits are usually revised annually to reflect 

changes in the cost of foods in the plan. The maximum monthly benefit for a family of four in the 

contiguous United States was $649 in fiscal year 2015 (Appendix C). 

Participant households are expected to spend about 30 percent of their net cash income on 

food, with SNAP benefits providing the difference between that amount and the maximum benefit. 

Given that assumption, SNAP benefits are calculated by subtracting 30 percent of a household’s 

net income from the maximum benefit amount to which it is entitled. This 30 percent rate, at which 

benefits are reduced for every additional dollar of net income, is called the benefit reduction rate.

If a household has zero net income (that is, its deductible expenses equal or exceed its gross 

income), it receives the maximum SNAP benefit. For new participants, benefits are adjusted based 

on the number of days remaining in the initial certification month.

14 All eligible one- and twoperson households are guaranteed a minimum benefit, except during the initial month of 

participation. The minimum benefit for one- and two-person households is 8 percent of the 

maximum benefit for a one-person household. In fiscal year 2015, the minimum benefit for oneand two-person households in the contiguous United States was $16.15

SSI Combined Application Project (SSI-CAP) Households

Certain households with SSI benefits participate in SNAP through SSI Combined Application 

Project (SSI-CAP) demonstrations. SSI-CAP is a joint project of FNS, the Social Security 

Administration (SSA), and States that streamlines the SNAP application process for certain 

13 See Thrifty Food Plan reports at http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodPlansCostofFood/reports for more 

information.

14 SNAP households will not receive benefits in the first month if the amount of adjusted benefits would be less 

than $10.

15 Table C.6 presents minimum benefit values for the other States and territories for fiscal year 2015.

9
households eligible for SSI (also making them categorically eligible for SNAP). SSI-CAP 

eligibility rules and the computation of SNAP benefits for SSI-CAP households are different from

other households. Throughout fiscal year 2015, 17 States were operating SSI-CAP demonstrations: 

Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New 

Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, 

and Washington.16 In most cases, SSI-CAP participation was limited to one-person households 

consisting of an elderly individual or an individual with a disability who receives SSI and has no 

earned income.17 In all SSI-CAP States except for Florida, Massachusetts, and Washington, SSICAP households receive a standard SNAP benefit based on whether the State categorizes them as 

having “high” or “low” shelter expenses, as determined by the State. SSI-CAP households in 

Florida, Massachusetts, and Washington receive a SNAP benefit based on gross income, the 

standard deduction, a standard utility allowance, and a standardized “high” or “low” shelter 

expense deduction. SSI-CAP households do not receive any other income deductions. 

Minnesota Family Investment Program Households (MFIP)

Under the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Minnesota calculates the SNAP 

benefit at the same time as the cash assistance benefit for some households that receive both SNAP 

and TANF. To calculate the benefits, total income is subtracted from an income threshold that is 

based on family size and is higher for families with earnings. If the difference between total income 

and the threshold is greater than the maximum benefit set by Minnesota, the family receives the 

full food portion of its benefit and may earn an additional cash benefit. As a family’s income rises, 

the cash portion of the benefit is reduced before the food portion is reduced. Families with income 

closer to the income threshold may not receive a cash benefit and may receive a smaller food 

benefit as well. MFIP participants are credited with an earnings deduction but are not subject to 

other income deductions. The earnings deduction rate for MFIP participants was 50 percent in 

fiscal year 2015. 

SNAP BENEFIT ISSUANCE 

All 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands issue benefits through 

EBT cards. Households receive an EBT card, similar to a debit card, for purchasing food at 

authorized retail stores. A household’s monthly benefit is automatically added to the household’s 

account balance each month, and purchases are debited at the time of the transaction. 

PROGRAM CHANGES SINCE THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR

In fiscal year 2015, Pennsylvania expanded its BBCE policy by removing its resource test. 

Prior to May 2015, Pennsylvania had a resource limit of $9,000 for households containing at least 

16 New Mexico ended its SSI-CAP demonstration in March 2014. However, SSI-CAP households may remain 

on the program through their certification period. The last SSI-CAP benefits will be issued in February 2017. 

17 In Florida, Massachusetts, and Washington, a household must have no earned income to enter the program 

but, once enrolled, may have earned income for up to three months and remain eligible. In Kentucky, New York, 

North Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas, a household with earned income may still be eligible for SSI-CAP benefits. 

In Kentucky and South Dakota, married couples may also be eligible for SSI-CAP benefits, but each spouse must be 

approved to receive SSI in order to meet the eligibility requirements and be treated as a member of the same household; 

in Texas, married couples may participate but are treated as separate households.

10
one elderly individual or individual with a disability and a $5,500 resource limit for all other 

households. 

During the same period, Alabama implemented a medical deduction demonstration program, 

which uses a standard deduction amount for households with medical expenses below a specified 

limit. The demonstration program simplifies the application process for qualifying households and 

may slightly increase eligibility and benefit amounts.

Additionally, the earnings deduction rate for MFIP participants increased from 43 percent in 

November 2013 through September 2014 to 50 percent in fiscal year 2015. 

SNAP PARTICIPATION AND COSTS

The number of SNAP participants has fluctuated over the past few decades, as illustrated in 

Figure 2.1. After a decline from 1994 to 2000, SNAP participation rose each year from 2001 until 

2013. The increase in monthly SNAP participation during the economic recession and initial 

recovery was much greater than in the earlier years, rising from 26.6 million individuals in 2007 

to 47.5 million individuals in 2013. Since 2013, there has been a steady decrease in SNAP 

participation. Average monthly SNAP participation declined from 46.4 million individuals in 2014 

to 45.5 million individuals in 2015. Table 2.1 shows how changes in SNAP participation over the 

last 16 years compare to changes in major economic indicators. 

Total SNAP costs declined from $79.9 billion in fiscal year 2013 to $74.1 billion in fiscal year 

2014 and $74.0 billion in fiscal year 2015. The decrease in total SNAP costs is largely a result of 

the decline in SNAP participation combined with lower average per-person benefits due to the 

expiration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) at the beginning of 

fiscal year 2014. 

Figure 2.1. SNAP participants, unemployed individuals, individuals in poverty, and individuals at or below 130 

percent of poverty, calendar years 1985 to 2015 

a Annual values. Source: Special tabulations of the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS 

ASEC) by Decision Demographics, Arlington, VA. 

b Average monthly values. Source: Food and Nutrition Service Fiscal Year Program Operations data.

c Average monthly values. Source: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

11
Table 2.1. Major economic indicators, calendar years 2000 to 2015

. Calendar year

Economic indicator 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Inflation rate a 2.3 2.3 1.5 2.0 2.7 3.2 3.1 2.7 1.9 0.8 1.2 2.1 1.8 1.6 1.8 1.1 

Interest rate b 7.6 7.1 6.5 5.7 5.6 5.2 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.3 4.9 4.6 3.7 4.2 4.2 3.9

Productivity increase c 3.4 2.8 4.3 3.8 3.2 2.1 1.0 1.5 0.8 3.3 3.3 0.1 0.7 0.4 0.7 0.6

Real GDP increase d,e 4.1 1.0 1.8 2.8 3.8 3.3 2.7 1.8 -0.3 -2.8 2.5 1.6 2.2 1.7 2.4 2.6 

SNAP participants f

(000) 17,096 17,660 19,561 21,952 24,413 26,261 26,074 26,566 29,202 35,285 41,639 45,388 46,942 47,539 46,427 45,516

Unemployed 

individualsf (000) 

 

5,685 

 

6,830 

 

8,375 

 

8,770 

 

8,140 

 

7,579 

 

6,991 

 

7,073 

 

8,948 

 

14,295 

 

14,808 

 

13,739 

 

12,501 

 

11,457 

 

9,598 

 

8,287 

Unemployment rate g 4.0 4.7 5.8 6.0 5.5 5.1 4.6 4.6 5.8 9.3 9.6 8.9 8.1 7.4 6.2 5.3

Individuals below 

poverty level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Number in 

thousands 32,491 33,905 35,566 36,927 37,937 37,415 37,206 38,205 40,614 43,970 46,677 46,464 47,085 46,106 47,348 43,765

Percentage of total 

population 11.6 12.0 12.4 12.8 13.0 12.7 12.5 12.8 13.5 14.5 15.2 15.0 15.1 14.7 15.0 13.7

Individuals at or below 

130 percent of poverty 

level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Number in 

thousands 46,974 49,061 50,844 52,823 53,413 53,553 52,878 54,264 57,329 60,574 63,984 64,549 65,828 64,310 64,915 60,906

Percentage of total 

population 16.8 17.4 17.8 18.3 18.3 18.2 17.8 18.1 19.0 19.9 20.9 20.9 21.2 20.5 20.5 19.1

Sources: Inflation rate: Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts. Interest rate: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 

System. Productivity increase: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Major Sector Productivity and Costs Index.” Real gross domestic product (GDP) increase: 

Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts. SNAP participants: Food and Nutrition Service Fiscal Year Program 

Operations data. Unemployed individuals and unemployment rate: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Individuals below poverty level and individuals at or 

below 130 percent of poverty level: Special tabulations of the CPS ASEC by Decision Demographics, Arlington, VA. 

a Percentage change from preceding year in the implicit price deflator for GDP. 

b Corporate AAA bond yield. 

c Percentage change from preceding year in output per hour, nonfarm business sector. d Percentage change from preceding year. e The Bureau of Economic Analysis periodically revises GDP estimates. Thus, historical numbers in this table may differ from previous reports. f Average monthly value. g Unemployment rate for all civilian workers.

12
CHAPTER 3: CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP

HOUSEHOLDS AND PARTICIPANTS

SNAP serves the nutritional needs of a broad spectrum of low-income Americans.18 In an 

average month in fiscal year 2015, SNAP provided benefits to 45.2 million people living in 22.3 

million households.19 Most SNAP households (75 percent) included a child (under age 18), an 

elderly individual (age 60 or older), or a non-elderly individual with a disability. The average 

SNAP household received a monthly benefit of $254, had gross monthly income of $786, and net 

monthly income of $354.20 The average household size was 2.0 people. 

In this chapter, we discuss the composition and economic status of SNAP households, 

characteristics of SNAP participants, and changes in the characteristics of SNAP households from 

fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 2015. Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1 show the poverty status of participants 

and the effect of SNAP benefits on poverty among participating households; Tables 3.2 through 

3.4 present sources of income and average monthly income, benefit, and unit size by household 

composition; Table 3.5 depicts the demographic characteristics of participants; and Table 3.6 

compares the change since 2014 (in constant 2015 dollars) in average income, deductions, and 

benefits for participating households. 

THE POVERTY STATUS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS

SNAP provides benefits to households in need.21 In fiscal year 2015, the gross monthly 

income of 82 percent of SNAP households was less than or equal to 100 percent of the Federal 

poverty guidelines (Table 3.1).22 The gross monthly income of 60 percent of all SNAP households 

was less than or equal to 75 percent of the poverty guidelines, and the income of 42 percent of all 

SNAP households was less than or equal to 50 percent of the guidelines (Table 3.1). The average 

household had income that was slightly less than 59 percent of the poverty guidelines (Table A.2). 

SNAP effectively targets benefits to the neediest households; poorer households receive 

greater SNAP benefits than those with more income. The 42 percent of all SNAP households with 

18 The information in this chapter and the estimates in Appendices A and B are based on a sample of 48,022 

households that participated in SNAP in fiscal year 2015 (see Appendix Table D.2). The sample was drawn from 

SNAP households in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Households in Puerto 

Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands were not included in the sample because these territories 

receive block grants in lieu of SNAP.

19 The estimates of 45.2 million participants and 22.3 million households differ slightly from the number of 

SNAP participants and households in FNS administrative records (45.8 million people and 22.5 million households) 

because the sample estimate is adjusted to exclude receipt of benefits by ineligible households and those receiving 

disaster assistance. These adjustments also affect household average monthly benefits, which are $254 in the SNAP 

QC data compared with $258 in FNS administrative records (Appendix D provides details).

20 Because net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in 

States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits, the average monthly net income estimate excludes these households.

21 For more detailed information on the economic status of SNAP households, see Appendix Tables A.3 through 

A.8.

22 See Appendix Table C.1 for the poverty guidelines.

13
gross monthly income less than or equal to 50 percent of the poverty guidelines in fiscal year 2015 

received 57 percent of all benefits. In contrast, the 18 percent of households with a gross monthly 

income above the poverty guidelines received only 8 percent of all benefits (Table 3.1). 

The impact of SNAP benefits on a household’s purchasing power is estimated by adding the 

dollar value of the benefits to a household’s income and then examining the distribution of 

households by poverty status.

23 As shown in Figure 3.1, the combination of cash and SNAP 

benefits yields a substantially different distribution of SNAP households by poverty status. 

Specifically, when SNAP benefits are included in gross income, the resulting increase in the 

income of SNAP households was sufficient to move 10 percent of participating households above 

the poverty guidelines. SNAP benefits affected a greater number of the poorest SNAP households, 

moving 12 percent of participating households above 50 percent of the poverty guidelines. 

HOUSEHOLDS WITH GREATER NEEDS

SNAP effectively serves many households that include vulnerable individuals—children, 

elderly individuals, and individuals with disabilities.

24 In fiscal year 2015, 75 percent of all SNAP 

households—which contained 87 percent of all participants—included a child, an elderly 

individual, or a non-elderly individual with a disability. These households received 82 percent of 

all SNAP benefits (Table A.14). 

Households with Children

In an average month in fiscal year 2015, SNAP served approximately 9.5 million households 

with children, representing 43 percent of all SNAP households. Seventy-four percent of all SNAP 

households with earned income contained children, while 55 percent of all households with 

children had earned income (Tables 3.2 and 3.3). Thirteen percent of all households with children 

received TANF cash benefits and 3 percent received a combination of TANF and earnings (Table 

A.6). Compared with other SNAP households, those with children received a relatively high 

average SNAP benefit of $393 per month (Table 3.4), in large part because the average household 

size among SNAP households with children (3.2 people) was larger than the average household 

size among all SNAP households (2.0 people). 

In fiscal year 2015, single adults headed more than half (59 percent) of all SNAP households 

with children, accounting for 25 percent of all SNAP households (Table 3.2). Seven percent of all 

SNAP households included a married head of household and children, accounting for 17 percent 

of all SNAP households with children. 

23 This comparison assumes that program participants value their SNAP benefits at face value.

24 See Appendix Tables A.3, A.6, A.8, A.11, A.12, A.14–A.19, and A.21–A.23 for more details on these 

households. 

14
Table 3.1. Distribution of households and their benefits by countable income as a percentage of poverty 

guidelines 

. All households All benefits

Gross income as a percentage 

of poverty guidelines a Percentage Cumulative 

percentage Percentage Cumulative 

percentage

25% or less 30.5 30.5 37.3 37.3 

26 to 50% 11.7 42.2 19.4 56.7

51 to 75% 17.8 59.9 19.5 76.2

76 to 100% 22.5 82.5 16.1 92.3 

101 to 130% 12.0 94.4 6.3 98.7 

131% or more 5.6 100.0 1.3 100.0

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.

Note: Estimates may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.

a Defined as the fiscal year 2015 SNAP net income screen (Appendix Table C.3). 

Figure 3.1. Effect of SNAP benefits on the poverty status of SNAP households

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.

a Defined as the fiscal year 2015 SNAP net income screen (Appendix Table C.3). 

15
The characteristics of married-couple households with children varied considerably from 

those of single-adult households with children. Of the 5.6 million single-adult SNAP households 

with children, 2.5 million (45 percent) had earned income, about 829,000 (15 percent) received 

TANF, 692,000 (12 percent) received SSI, and 565,000 (10 percent) received Social Security

income. Of the 1.6 million married-head households with children, 1.2 million (73 percent) had 

earned income, 180,000 (11 percent) received SSI, 138,000 (9 percent) received Social Security

income, and 102,000 (6 percent) received TANF. Among single-adult households with children, 

926,000 (17 percent) had zero gross income whereas among married-head households, 141,000 (9 

percent) had zero gross income (Table 3.3).

The average monthly SNAP benefit for single-adult households with children was lower than 

that of married-head households with children ($379 versus $448) because of the smaller size of 

single-adult households (Table 3.4). However, the benefit per person was higher for people in 

single-adult households with children than for people in married-head households with children

($126 versus $102), because single-adult households were poorer. Single-adult households with 

children had a substantially lower gross monthly income than married-head households with 

children ($899 versus $1,532).

Among all households with children, 1.8 million (19 percent) received child support (Table 

A.6). 

Households with Elderly Individuals

In each month of fiscal year 2015, SNAP served an average of about 4.4 million households 

with elderly individuals (age 60 or older). These households represented 20 percent of all SNAP 

households (Table 3.2). Households with elderly individuals had an average household size of 1.3 

people (Table 3.4).

In fiscal year 2015, the average SNAP benefit for households with elderly individuals was 

$128, compared to $285 for households without elderly individuals (Table A.2). Elderly SNAP 

recipients tended to receive relatively small benefit amounts for two reasons. First, they typically 

had higher average gross and net incomes than other households. Households with elderly 

individuals had average gross and net incomes of $912 and $434, compared to $755 and $336 for 

households without elderly individuals. Second, elderly SNAP recipients often lived alone and 

thus were eligible for smaller maximum benefit amounts than other households.25 

In fiscal year 2015, 80 percent of all SNAP households with elderly individuals were singleperson households (Table 3.2). Elderly SNAP recipients who lived alone received an average 

SNAP benefit of $108 per month, compared to $170 for multiperson households composed of only 

elderly individuals and $247 for multiperson households with both elderly and non-elderly 

individuals (Table A.15). The average size of households with elderly individuals not living alone 

was 2.3 people (Table 3.4).

A majority of SNAP households with elderly individuals received either SSI or Social 

Security income. In fiscal year 2015, 36 percent of all SNAP households with elderly individuals 

25 In this report, we use the term “living alone” to refer to individuals who reside in single-person SNAP 

households, although others may live in the same residential unit.

16
received SSI, 69 percent received Social Security income, and 86 percent received income from at 

least one of those two sources (Table A.6). 

Nineteen percent of households with elderly individuals received both SSI and Social Security 

income (Table A.6). SNAP households with elderly individuals represented 34 percent of all 

SNAP households with SSI and 55 percent of all SNAP households with Social Security income 

(Table 3.2). Seven percent of households with elderly individuals had no income (Table A.6). 

Households with Non-Elderly Individuals with Disabilities

In fiscal year 2015, SNAP served a monthly average of 4.5 million households with nonelderly individuals with disabilities (Table 3.2).26 These households represented 20 percent of all 

SNAP households and received an average monthly SNAP benefit of $193 (Table 3.4). 

Sixty-one percent of SNAP households with non-elderly individuals with disabilities were 

single-person households (Table 3.2). Non-elderly individuals with disabilities who did not live 

alone resided in households with an average of 3.2 individuals and a per-person benefit of $100, 

versus a per-person benefit of $113 for those living alone (Table 3.4). Sixty-eight percent of 

households with non-elderly individuals with disabilities received SSI, and 50 percent received 

Social Security income (Table 3.3). SNAP households with non-elderly individuals with 

disabilities represented 67 percent of all SNAP households with SSI and 41 percent of all SNAP 

households with Social Security income (Table 3.2). 

Other Households Served by SNAP

Although the majority of SNAP households contained children, elderly individuals, or 

individuals with disabilities, in fiscal year 2015, 25 percent (5.6 million households) consisted 

solely of one or more non-elderly adults without disabilities with no children (Table 3.2). These 

households tended to be single-person households (92 percent) and had a very low average gross 

monthly income ($251), although about one-fourth (26 percent) had earned income. Sixty-one 

percent of these households had zero gross income. Households consisting solely of one or more 

non-elderly adults without disabilities received an average SNAP benefit of $189 per month 

(Tables 3.3 and 3.4). 

26 We identify households with a non-elderly member with a disability as those with (1) non-elderly SSI 

recipients, (2) a medical expense deduction and no elderly individuals, (3) non-elderly adults who worked fewer than 

30 hours a week and received Social Security income, veterans’ benefits, or workers’ compensation, or (4) non-elderly 

adults in single-person households who received Social Security income. 

17
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 3.2. Household receipt of countable income types by household composition 

Household composition All households 

Households with countable: 

Earned income Social Security SSI Zero gross 

income TANF GA 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Totala 22,293 100.0 7,081 100.0 5,451 100.0 4,559 100.0 4,943 100.0 1,293 100.0 694 100.0 

Children 9,510 42.7 5,219 73.7 850 15.6 1,128 24.7 1,267 25.6 1,231 95.2 138 19.9 

Single-adult household 5,587 25.1 2,519 35.6 565 10.4 692 15.2 926 18.7 829 64.1 91 13.1 

Multiple-adult household 2,629 11.8 1,790 25.3 267 4.9 380 8.3 239 4.8 211 16.3 36 5.2 

Married-head 1,610 7.2 1,175 16.6 138 2.5 180 4.0 141 2.9 102 7.9 16 2.4 

Other multiple-adult 1,019 4.6 614 8.7 129 2.4 200 4.4 98 2.0 108 8.4 20 2.8 

Children only 1,294 5.8 910 12.9 18 0.3 56 1.2 102 2.1 191 14.8 11 1.6 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 321 4.5 3,005 55.1 1,550 34.0 304 6.2 39 3.0 157 22.7 

Living alone 3,495 15.7 157 2.2 2,435 44.7 1,264 27.7 275 5.6 5 0.4 132 19.0 

Not living alone 866 3.9 164 2.3 570 10.5 286 6.3 29 0.6 33 2.6 25 3.6 

Non-elderly individuals 

with disabilities 4,498 20.2 483 6.8 2,249 41.3 3,075 67.4 – – 243 18.8 141 20.3 

Living alone 2,761 12.4 111 1.6 1,533 28.1 1,750 38.4 – – 3 0.2 86 12.4 

Not living alone 1,737 7.8 372 5.3 716 13.1 1,325 29.1 – – 240 18.6 55 7.9 

Other householdsb 5,554 24.9 1,455 20.5 12 0.2 1 0.0 3,375 68.3 47 3.6 311 44.9 

Single-person 5,101 22.9 1,201 17.0 2 0.0 0 0.0 3,242 65.6 39 3.0 301 43.3 

Multiperson 453 2.0 254 3.6 10 0.2 0 0.0 133 2.7 8 0.6 11 1.5 

Adults age 18 to 49 without 

disabilities in childless 

householdsc 4,265 19.1 1,124 15.9 160 2.9 123 2.7 2,475 50.1 41 3.2 207 29.8 

Living alone 3,614 16.2 860 12.1 1 0.0 0 0.0 2,355 47.6 32 2.5 192 27.7 

Not living alone 650 2.9 265 3.7 159 2.9 122 2.7 120 2.4 9 0.7 14 2.1 

Single-person households 11,711 52.5 1,690 23.9 3,979 73.0 3,016 66.2 3,555 71.9 108 8.4 520 74.9 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a The sums of the household types do not match the numbers in the Total row because a household may have more than one of the characteristics.
 

b Households not containing children, elderly individuals, or non-elderly individuals with disabilities.
 

c With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and time limits.
 

– No sample households are in this category. 

18
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 3.3. Percentage of households with countable income types by household composition 

Household composition 

All households 

Households with countable: 

Earned income Social Security SSI Zero gross 

income TANF GA 

Number 

(000) 

Column 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Row 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Row 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Row 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Row 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Row 

percent 

Number 

(000) 

Row 

percent 

Totala 22,293 100.0 7,081 31.8 5,451 24.5 4,559 20.5 4,943 22.2 1,293 5.8 694 3.1 

Children 9,510 42.7 5,219 54.9 850 8.9 1,128 11.9 1,267 13.3 1,231 12.9 138 1.5 

Single-adult household 5,587 25.1 2,519 45.1 565 10.1 692 12.4 926 16.6 829 14.8 91 1.6 

Multiple-adult household 2,629 11.8 1,790 68.1 267 10.2 380 14.5 239 9.1 211 8.0 36 1.4 

Married-head 1,610 7.2 1,175 73.0 138 8.6 180 11.2 141 8.8 102 6.4 16 1.0 

Other multiple-adult 1,019 4.6 614 60.3 129 12.7 200 19.6 98 9.6 108 10.6 20 1.9 

Children only 1,294 5.8 910 70.4 18 1.4 56 4.3 102 7.9 191 14.8 11 0.8 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 321 7.4 3,005 68.9 1,550 35.5 304 7.0 39 0.9 157 3.6 

Living alone 3,495 15.7 157 4.5 2,435 69.7 1,264 36.2 275 7.9 5 0.2 132 3.8 

Not living alone 866 3.9 164 18.9 570 65.8 286 33.0 29 3.3 33 3.8 25 2.9 

Non-elderly individuals 

with disabilities 4,498 20.2 483 10.7 2,249 50.0 3,075 68.4 – – 243 5.4 141 3.1 

Living alone 2,761 12.4 111 4.0 1,533 55.5 1,750 63.4 – – 3 0.1 86 3.1 

Not living alone 1,737 7.8 372 21.4 716 41.2 1,325 76.3 – – 240 13.8 55 3.2 

Other householdsb 5,554 24.9 1,455 26.2 12 0.2 1 0.0 3,375 60.8 47 0.8 311 5.6 

Single-person 5,101 22.9 1,201 23.5 2 0.0 0 0.0 3,242 63.6 39 0.8 301 5.9 

Multiperson 453 2.0 254 56.1 10 2.2 0 0.1 133 29.4 8 1.7 11 2.4 

Adults age 18 to 49 without 

disabilities in childless 

householdsc 4,265 19.1 1,124 26.4 160 3.8 123 2.9 2,475 58.0 41 1.0 207 4.8 

Living alone 3,614 16.2 860 23.8 1 0.0 0 0.0 2,355 65.1 32 0.9 192 5.3 

Not living alone 650 2.9 265 40.7 159 24.5 122 18.8 120 18.5 9 1.4 14 2.2 

Single-person households 11,711 52.5 1,690 14.4 3,979 34.0 3,016 25.8 3,555 30.4 108 0.9 520 4.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a The sums of the household types do not match the numbers in the Total row because a household may have more than one of the characteristics.
 

b Households not containing children, elderly individuals, or non-elderly individuals with disabilities.
 

c With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and time limits.
 

– No sample households are in this category. 

19
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 3.4. Average values of selected characteristics by household composition 

Household composition 

Average values 

Gross monthly 

countable 

income 

(dollars) 

Net monthly 

countable 

income 

(dollars)a 

Monthly 

SNAP benefit 

(dollars) 

Monthly 

SNAP benefit 

per person 

(dollars)b 

Household 

size 

(individuals) 

Total 786 354 254 127 2.0 

Children 1,027 488 393 123 3.2 

Single-adult household 899 414 379 126 3.0 

Male adult 880 435 341 126 2.7 

Female adult 900 412 382 127 3.0 

Multiple-adult household 1,422 759 460 107 4.3 

Married-head 1,532 838 448 102 4.4 

Other multiple-adult 1,249 635 479 114 4.2 

Children only 777 254 315 143 2.2 

Elderly individuals 912 434 128 98 1.3 

Living alone 821 359 108 108 1.0 

Not living alone 1,279 713 211 92 2.3 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 1,016 489 193 102 1.9 

Living alone 838 319 113 113 1.0 

Not living alone 1,299 736 320 100 3.2 

Other householdsc 251 87 189 172 1.1 

Single-person 210 68 179 179 1.0 

Multiperson 715 299 305 139 2.2 

Single-person households 549 209 142 142 1.0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP 

households inStates that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits are excluded from this column. 

b This column is calculated by dividing the rounded, average monthly SNAP benefit by the rounded, average SNAP 

householdsize.
 

c Households not containing children, elderly individuals, or non-elderly individuals with disabilities.
 

20
Adults Age 18 to 49 without Disabilities in Childless Households 

In fiscal year 2015, 19 percent (4.3 million) of all households contained one or more adults 

age 18 to 49 without disabilities and with no children. With some exceptions, these participants 

are subject to time-limited participation unless they fulfill additional work requirements beyond 

the SNAP general work requirements. These households tended to be single-person households 

(85 percent). Fifty-eight percent of these households had zero gross income and 26 percent had 

earned income (Table 3.3). 

Single-Person Households

Of all SNAP households in fiscal year 2015, 11.7 million (53 percent) were single-person 

households (Table 3.2).27 These households received an average monthly SNAP benefit of $142 

(Table 3.4). A slight majority of these individuals (53 percent) were female (Table A.24), 30 

percent were elderly (Table A.17), and 24 percent were non-elderly individuals with disabilities

(Table A.17). Compared with all SNAP households, a relatively small proportion of SNAP 

participants living alone had earned income (14 percent versus 32 percent) and a relatively high 

proportion had zero gross income (30 percent versus 22 percent) (Table 3.3). Not surprisingly, 

given the high proportion of elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities making up singleperson households, 34 percent and 26 percent of single-person households received Social Security 

income and SSI income, respectively (Table 3.3).

CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP PARTICIPANTS

In fiscal year 2015, 44 percent of SNAP participants were children, and they received 

43 percent of prorated SNAP benefits (Table 3.5).28 More than two-thirds (69 percent) of children 

served by SNAP were school-age (age 5 to 17). Forty-five percent of participants were non-elderly 

adults (age 18 to 59) and 11 percent were elderly individuals (age 60 or older). 

Sixty-two percent of non-elderly adults and 64 percent of elderly individuals were female 

(Table A.23). Eight percent of SNAP participants were foreign-born—4 percent were naturalized 

citizens, less than 1 percent were refugees, and 3 percent were other noncitizens (lawful permanent 

residents and other eligible noncitizens). Nine percent of all SNAP participants were citizen 

children living with noncitizen adults.29

In fiscal year 2015, the average SNAP household size was 2.0 individuals. There has been a 

steady decline in the average household size over the years analyzed in this report. In fiscal year 

1989, the average SNAP household was 2.6 individuals (Table A.27). 

27 These individuals apply for SNAP benefits for themselves only. Other people may live in the household.

28 Prorated benefits equal the benefits paid to households multiplied by the ratio of participants with selected 

characteristic to total household size.

29 Some of the noncitizen household members were legal residents of the United States and participated in SNAP 

with citizen children; others were ineligible because of their immigration status and did not participate.

21
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 3.5. SNAP benefits of participants by selected demographic characteristics 

Participant characteristic 

Total participants Prorated benefitsa 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Dollars 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 

Age 

45,184 100.0 5,667,680 100.0 

Children 19,891 44.0 2,439,391 43.0 

Preschool-age children 6,119 13.5 778,638 13.7 

0 to 1 2,371 5.2 308,290 5.4 

2 to 4 3,749 8.3 470,348 8.3 

School-age children 13,772 30.5 1,660,753 29.3 

5 to 7 3,887 8.6 479,977 8.5 

8 to 11 4,494 9.9 545,243 9.6 

12 to 15 3,800 8.4 453,625 8.0 

16 to 17 1,591 3.5 181,909 3.2 

Non-elderly adults (18 to 59) 20,494 45.4 2,736,440 48.3 

Elderly adults (60 or older) 

Citizenship 

4,799 10.6 491,849 8.7 

U.S.-born citizen 41,542 91.9 5,191,519 91.6 

Naturalized citizen 1,786 4.0 228,982 4.0 

Refugee 361 0.8 48,920 0.9 

Other noncitizen 

Citizen children living with 

1,495 3.3 198,259 3.5 

noncitizensb 

Non-elderly individuals with 

3,921 8.7 505,721 8.9 

disabilities 5,283 11.7 547,033 9.7 

Children with disabilities 

Non-elderly adults with 

971 2.2 91,428 1.6 

disabilities 

Adults age 18 to 49 without 

disabilities in childless 

4,311 9.5 455,605 8.0 

householdsc 4,600 10.2 774,726 13.7 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Prorated benefits equal the benefits paid to households multiplied by the ratio of participants with
 

selected characteristic to total household size.
 

b Noncitizens may be inside or outside the SNAP household.
 

c With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and time limits.
 

22
CHANGES IN THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS

The average household gross income increased in real dollars by $24 from fiscal year 2014 to 

fiscal year 2015, from $762 to $786, and the average household net income increased by $18 to 

$354 during the same period (Table 3.6). 

The percentage of households with zero gross income remained at 22 percent from fiscal year 

2014 to fiscal year 2015 (Table A.26). The percentage of households with zero net income had a 

slight decline from fiscal year 2014, which had the highest percentage (41 percent) of households 

with zero net income among the years analyzed in this report, to 40 percent in fiscal year 2015 

(Table A.26). The percentage of households with earnings increased from 31 percent in fiscal year 

2014 to 32 percent in fiscal year 2015. Households with TANF income remained at 6 percent in 

fiscal year 2015. 

The average household benefit decreased in real dollars, from $259 in fiscal year 2014 to $254 

in fiscal year 2015, as net income per household increased from $336 to $354 (Table 3.6). 

Table 3.6. Nominal and real values of selected characteristics, fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2015

. Fiscal year 2014 Fiscal year 2015 . . 

Characteristic Nominal 

value

Real value 

(in fiscal year 

2015 dollars) Nominal 

value

Percentage 

change in 

nominal 

values

Percentage 

change in real

values

Average gross income a

Per household $759 $762 $786 +3.5 +3.2

Per person 442 443 456 +3.3 +2.9

Average net income a

Per household 335 336 354 +5.7 +5.4

Per person 176 177 188 +6.8 +6.4

Average total deduction a 538 539 529 -1.6 -1.9

Average household benefit b 253 259 254 +0.3 -1.7

Maximum household benefit for 

a family of four b,c 632 645 649 +2.7 +0.7

Consumer price index (CPI)

All items 236.0 . 236.8 +0.3 .

Food at home 237.4 . 242.1 +2.0 . 

Sources: CPI-U average values: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nominal values: Fiscal Year 2014 and 

Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control samples.

a Real values are in constant fiscal year 2015 dollars. Fiscal year 2014 values were inflated by the change in the CPI-U for all items 

between fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2015 (+0.3 percent).

b Real values are in constant fiscal year 2015 dollars. Fiscal year 2014 values were inflated by the change in the CPI-U for food at 

home between fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2015 (+2.0 percent).

c The maximum benefit values were based on 100 percent of the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in June 2014 for a family of four 

living in the 48 contiguous States or the District of Columbia.

23
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ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS
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ACRONYMS

AFDC Aid to Families with Dependent Children

ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 

BBCE Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility

CPI-U Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers 

CPS ASEC Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement 

EBT Electronic Benefit Transfer

FNS U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service 

GA General Assistance

HHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

MFIP Minnesota Family Investment Program 

PA Public Assistance

SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

SNAP QC Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control

SSA Social Security Administration

SSI Supplemental Security Income

SSI-CAP SSI Combined Application Project 

SUA Standard Utility Allowance

TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture 

27
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DEFINITIONS

Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill).

This legislation, which reauthorized SNAP, 

was enacted on February 7, 2014. The bill 

maintained the program’s basic eligibility 

guidelines while reducing or eliminating the 

shelter expense deduction for some 

households with no energy costs and nominal 

energy assistance. The bill also provided 

additional SNAP funding for enhanced 

employment and training activities, and 

expanded antifraud efforts. 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 

of 2009 (ARRA). This legislation, which took 

effect on April 1, 2009, temporarily increased 

the maximum benefit to 113.6 percent of the 

June 2008 Thrifty Food Plan. As specified in 

subsequent legislation, this provision expired 

on October 31, 2013, and the maximum 

benefit returned to being based on 100 percent 

of the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in the 

preceding June. 

Broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE).

Policy under which households receive a 

TANF/Maintenance of Effort-funded noncash 

service that makes them categorically eligible 

for SNAP. The noncash service is usually in 

the form of a brochure or handout that 

provides information on State-provided 

assistance and services. Households meeting 

State-determined eligibility criteria receive 

this information upon application or 

recertification for SNAP.

Categorically eligible households. 

Households in which all members receive or 

are authorized to receive TANF, SSI, or GA 

benefits and therefore are deemed financially 

eligible for SNAP. Includes households 

receiving cash or noncash benefits or services 

that are at least 50 percent funded by TANF or 

Maintenance of Effort funds. Some States also 

confer categorical eligibility based on benefits 

or services that are less than 50 percent funded 

by TANF/Maintenance of Effort, and on 

households in which at least one member 

receives a benefit or service and the State

determines that the entire household benefits. 

If the purpose of the program conferring 

categorical eligibility is to prevent out-ofwedlock pregnancies or to foster or strengthen 

marriage, the household’s gross income must 

be under 200 percent of poverty. However, if 

the purpose of the program is to further 

workforce participation, this income limit 

does not apply.

Certification period. Length of time a 

household is certified to receive SNAP 

benefits. When the certification period 

expires, households must be recertified to 

continue receiving benefits. 

Child support payment deduction. 

Deduction from gross income in the eligibility 

and benefit calculation for households with 

legally obligated child support payments 

made to or for a nonmember of the household. 

States may choose to exclude child support 

payments from gross income rather than use 

the deduction. See also Deductions. 

Children. Individuals under age 18. 

Countable income. All earned or unearned 

income that is counted toward gross income. 

This includes most cash income (with the 

exception of specific types of income, such as 

loans) and excludes most noncash income or 

in-kind benefits. See also Gross income limit.

Countable resources. Cash on hand and 

resources that may be converted easily to cash, 

such as money in checking or savings 

accounts, savings certificates, stocks or bonds, 

and lump-sum payments. Such resources also 

include some nonliquid resources, although 

the family home, certain family vehicles, and 

business tools or property are not counted. See 

also Resource limit. 

Deductions. Allowable deductions from a 

household’s gross monthly income used to 

calculate SNAP net monthly income. The 

29
deductions shown in the appendix tables are 

those to which households were entitled. 

(MFIP and SSI-CAP participants are subject 

to different rules.) Total deductions to which a 

household is entitled do not always equal the 

difference between gross and net income 

amounts because net income may not be less 

than zero. See also Child support payment 

deduction, Dependent care deduction, Earned 

income deduction, Excess shelter expense 

deduction, Medical expense deduction, MFIP, 

SSI-CAP, Standard deduction, and Total 

deduction. 

Deemed income. Individual sponsors of 

certain noncitizens may be subject to sponsorto-noncitizen deeming, which counts the 

sponsor’s income and resources as part of the 

noncitizen’s income and resources when 

determining eligibility for SNAP.

Dependent care deduction. Deduction 

received by SNAP households for expenses 

involved in caring for dependents while other

household members work, seek employment, 

or attend school. See Deductions.

Earned income. Includes wages, salaries, 

self-employment, and other reported earned 

income.

Earned income deduction. Deduction 

received by households with earnings, equal to 

20 percent of the combined earnings of 

household members. (MFIP participants were 

entitled to a 50 percent earned income 

deduction in fiscal year 2015.) See also 

Deductions and Minnesota Family Investment 

Program. 

Elderly individuals. Adults age 60 or older. 

Electronic Benefit Transfer. Means of 

benefit delivery via Electronic Benefit 

Transfer card, similar to a debit card, used to 

purchase food at authorized retail stores. 

Entrant households. Households newly 

certified during fiscal year 2015 and in their 

first month of participation.

Excess shelter expense deduction. 

Deduction received by households with 

shelter costs, equal to those shelter costs that 

exceed 50 percent of the household’s 

countable income after all other potential 

deductions are subtracted from gross income. 

There is a limit on the shelter deduction for 

households without elderly members or 

individuals with disabilities. See also 

Deductions, Homeless household shelter 

estimate, and Appendix C. 

Expedited service households. Households 

with gross income less than $150 and 

countable resources equal to or less than $100 

and households with migrant or seasonal farm 

workers with countable resources equal to or 

less than $100 are eligible for expedited SNAP 

eligibility verification procedures. A State 

agency must review each SNAP application 

and conduct an eligibility interview within 

seven days of application submission. Eligible 

households must receive SNAP benefits 

within this time frame.

Gross income. Total monthly countable 

income of a household in dollars, before 

applying deductions. 

Gross income limit. SNAP monthly gross 

income eligibility standards, determined by 

household size; equal to 130 percent of 

Federal poverty guidelines. See also Appendix 

C and Countable income. 

Homeless household shelter estimate. Some 

States allow homeless households to deduct 

$143 for shelter expenses.

Household. Individuals who live in a 

residential unit and purchase and prepare food 

together. Additionally, spouses living 

together, and children under age 22 living with 

their parents must be considered a household, 

regardless of whether or not they purchase and 

prepare food together.

Individuals living alone. Individuals who 

reside in one-person SNAP households 

(although other nonparticipating individuals 

may live in the same residence). 

Individuals with disabilities. Under SNAP 

rules, a disabled individual is defined as one 

30
who receives Federal or State payments for the 

disabled or blind, receives a disability 

retirement benefit from a governmental 

agency, or receives an annuity under the 

Railroad Retirement Act and is either eligible 

for Medicare or is considered to be disabled 

based on SSI rules. A disabled veteran or a 

permanently disabled spouse or child of a 

veteran receiving veterans’ benefits is also

considered to be disabled for SNAP purposes. 

In this report, individuals with disabilities are 

those under age 60 who (1) were SSI 

recipients; (2) worked fewer than 30 hours per 

week, were exempted from work registration 

due to disability, and received Social Security

income, veterans’ benefits, or workers’ 

compensation; (3) were in a SNAP household 

without an elderly person but with a medical

expense deduction and some indication of 

disability such as work registration status, 

hours worked, or type of income received; or 

(4) were in a single-person household and 

received Social Security income. 

Initial certification households. Includes 

both households certified for the first time 

within the current certification period and 

previously certified households that have not 

received benefits for at least 30 days.

Lawful permanent residents. Noncitizens 

lawfully admitted for permanent resident 

status. 

Married-head households. Households with 

a spouse present or with a head of household 

in a unit with spouse outside of the unit. 

Maximum benefit. SNAP benefits are 

calculated by subtracting 30 percent of a 

household’s net income from the maximum 

possible benefit amount to which it is entitled

based on household size. The maximum 

benefit is based on 100 percent of the cost of 

the Thrifty Food Plan in the preceding June for 

a reference family of four, rounded to the 

lowest dollar increment. The maximum 

benefit is uniform throughout the contiguous 

United States but is different for Hawaii, 

Alaska, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. See 

also Appendix C. 

Medical expense deduction. Deduction 

available to households with elderly members 

or individuals with disabilities, equal to all 

unreimbursed medical expenses incurred by 

the elderly individual or individual with a 

disability that exceed $35. See also 

Deductions.

Medical deduction demonstrations. State 

programs that use a standard deduction 

amount for households with medical expenses 

below a specified limit. 

Metropolitan households. Households 

whose SNAP application was processed at an 

agency in a Census Bureau-defined

Metropolitan Statistical Area. A Metropolitan 

Statistical Area has at least one urbanized area 

with population of 50,000 or more and 

includes adjacent territory with a high degree 

of social and economic integration with the 

core, as measured by commuting ties.

Micropolitan households. Households 

whose SNAP application was processed at an 

agency in a Census Bureau-defined 

Micropolitan Statistical Area. A Micropolitan 

Statistical Area has at least one urban cluster 

of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 in

population and includes adjacent territory 

with a high degree of social and economic 

integration with the core, as measured by 

commuting ties.

Minimum benefit. Amount guaranteed to all 

eligible one- and two-person units except 

during the initial month of participation. The 

minimum benefit for all one- and two-person 

units was equal to 8 percent of the maximum 

benefit for a one-person household. Because 

it is derived from the maximum benefit, the 

minimum benefit also varies by geographic 

region and month of benefit receipt in fiscal 

year 2015. See also Appendix C. 

Minnesota Family Investment Program 

(MFIP). Minnesota’s cash and food 

assistance program, which jointly calculates 

SNAP benefits and cash assistance for 

participating households. 

31
Net income. Total monthly countable income 

of a household in dollars, after applying 

deductions. Net income is not calculated for 

MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in 

Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, 

Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New 

York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South 

Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia.

Net income limit. SNAP monthly net income 

eligibility standard, determined by household 

size, equal to 100 percent of the Federal

poverty guidelines. See also Appendix C. 

Noncitizen. In this report, “noncitizen” refers 

to individuals residing in the United States 

who are not natural-born or naturalized 

citizens. These include lawful permanent 

residents, refugees, asylees, deportees, and 

unauthorized aliens. Lawfully present

noncitizens are subject to additional 

nonfinancial eligibility criteria (see Chapter 

2). Unauthorized aliens are not eligible to 

receive SNAP benefits but they may be 

nonparticipating members of SNAP 

households. 

Non-elderly adults. Adults age 18 to 59. 

Nonimmigrant visitors to the United States. 

Noncitizens who have been admitted for a 

specified period, including tourists, students, 

and foreign nationals with work permits. 

Nonparticipating household head 

households. Households headed by someone 

ineligible for SNAP, such as an ineligible 

noncitizen. 

Other multiple-adult households.

Households with unmarried household head, 

two or more adults, and at least one child. 

Other noncitizen. In this report, “other 

noncitizen” refers to nonrefugee, lawful

permanent residents in the United States and 

eligible noncitizens who meet SNAP 

nonfinancial eligibility standards. See 

Noncitizen. 

Poverty guidelines. The poverty guidelines 

used by FNS are issued by HHS. They are 

developed on the basis of the poverty 

thresholds issued by the Census Bureau.

Dividing the guidelines by 12 and rounding up 

to the nearest dollar yields the monthly net 

income limits for SNAP. See also Appendix 

C. 

Preschool-age children. Children under age 

5. 

Pure public assistance (PA). A household is 

considered to be pure PA if each member of 

the household receives SSI, a cash TANF 

benefit, or GA income. 

Refugees. Noncitizens accorded refugee 

status. In this report, the term “refugee” 

includes refugees, asylees, and deportees. 

Resource limit. For all non-categorically 

eligible households without an elderly

member or individual with a disability, the 

resource limit was $2,250 in fiscal year 2015. 

Non-categorically eligible households with an 

elderly individual or individual with a 

disability were allowed up to $3,250 in 

countable resources. See also Countable 

resources.

Rural. Households whose SNAP application 

was processed at an agency not located in a 

Metropolitan Statistical Area or a 

Micropolitan Statistical Area.

School-age children. Children age 5 to 17. 

Shelter deduction. See Excess shelter 

expense deduction. 

Single adult with children households. 

Households with exactly one person age 18 or 

older, no spouse, and at least one person under 

age 18. 

Single-person households. Households with 

exactly one person.

SSI Combined Application Project (SSICAP). Joint FNS-SSA-State partnerships with 

a goal of streamlining the procedures for 

providing SNAP benefits to certain 

households eligible for SSI. 

32
Standard deduction. Deduction received by 

all households, which varies by household size 

and for areas outside of the 48 contiguous 

States and the District of Columbia to reflect 

price differences among geographic areas. See 

also Appendix C and Deductions. 

Standard Utility Allowance (SUA). 

Specified dollar amounts set by State agencies 

that States may use in place of actual utility 

costs to calculate a household’s total shelter 

expenses.

Student. Participant age 18 or older enrolled 

at least half time in a recognized school, 

training program, or institution of higher 

education. 

Thrifty Food Plan. Market basket of goods 

based on an economical and nutritious diet, 

adjusted for household size and composition. 

Used to determine maximum SNAP benefit 

amounts. 

Time limits and additional work 

requirements for adults age 18 to 49 

without disabilities in childless households.

SNAP participants without disabilities age 18 

to 49 who do not live with a household 

member under the age of 18 are generally 

subject to time limited participation unless 

they fulfill additional work requirements 

beyond the SNAP general work requirements. 

(See Work requirements.) In order to receive 

SNAP benefits for more than 3 months in a 36-

month period, these individuals are required to 

work or participate in a work program at least 

20 hours a week, or participate and comply 

with a workfare program. States can apply to 

waive this requirement in certain areas where 

there are insufficient jobs. States are also 

issued a limited number of exemptions from 

the requirement each year, which they can 

assign to individuals to let them receive 

benefits for a longer period of time. In this 

report, all adults meeting this definition, 

regardless of exemption status, are identified 

as Adults Age 18 to 49 Without Disabilities in 

Childless Households. 

Total deduction. Includes child support 

payment, dependent care, earned income, 

excess shelter expense, medical, and standard 

deductions to which SNAP households are 

entitled. In some cases, the total deduction 

exceeds the amount deducted from gross 

income because net income may not be less 

than zero. See also Deductions. 

Unearned income. Includes TANF, GA, SSI, 

Social Security, unemployment benefits, 

veterans’ benefits, workers’ compensation, 

other government benefits, contributions, 

deemed income, education loans, child 

support, foster care payments, wage 

supplementations, energy assistance, State 

diversion payments, and other unearned 

income.

Work requirements. Many SNAP 

participants without disabilities are required to 

register for work or be registered by the State 

agency, must participate in a State 

employment and training or workfare program 

if assigned by the State agency, and must 

agree to accept any suitable job offered to 

them. Individuals exempt from SNAP work 

registration rules include the following: 

• All individuals under age 16 or age 60 

and over, and some individuals age 16 

and 17 

• Individuals physically or mentally 

unfit for work

• Individuals complying with work 

requirements of other assistance 

programs under TANF

• Individuals responsible for the care of 

a dependent child under age 6 or the 

care of an incapacitated person

• Individuals receiving unemployment 

compensation 

• Regular participants in a drug 

addiction or alcohol treatment program 

33
• Individuals working 30 hours a week 

or earning more than an amount equal 

to 30 hours times the minimum wage

• Students enrolled at least half time in a 

school, training program, or institution 

of higher education. 

34
APPENDIX A

DETAILED TABLES OF SNAP HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
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Table A.1. Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by household composition, locality, countable income 

source, and SNAP benefit amount 

Household characteristic 

SNAP households 

Participants in households 

with household 

characteristic 

Monthly SNAP benefits 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Dollars 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 

Household composition 

22,293 100.0 45,184 100.0 5,667,680 100.0 

Children 9,510 42.7 30,774 68.1 3,735,409 65.9 

School-age 7,561 33.9 25,900 57.3 3,092,992 54.6 

Preschool -age 4,651 20.9 16,120 35.7 1,982,274 35.0 

No children 12,783 57.3 14,410 31.9 1,932,271 34.1 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 5,503 12.2 558,621 9.9 

No elderly individuals 17,932 80.4 39,681 87.8 5,109,059 90.1 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 4,498 20.2 8,349 18.5 867,438 15.3 

No non-elderly individuals with disabilities 17,795 79.8 36,835 81.5 4,800,242 84.7 

Adults age 18 to 49 without disabilities in childless householdsa 

No adults age 18 to 49 without disabilities in childless 

4,265 19.1 5,098 11.3 835,653 14.7 

households 18,029 80.9 40,086 88.7 4,832,027 85.3 

Noncitizens 1,335 6.0 3,216 7.1 397,500 7.0 

No noncitizens 

Locality 

20,958 94.0 41,968 92.9 5,270,180 93.0 

Metropolitan 18,325 82.2 36,952 81.8 4,691,737 82.8 

Micropolitanb 2,177 9.8 4,520 10.0 537,951 9.5 

Rural 1,451 6.5 3,087 6.8 365,625 6.5 

Unknown locality 

Countable income source 

340 1.5 625 1.4 72,367 1.3 

Gross income 17,350 77.8 37,610 83.2 4,296,496 75.8 

No gross income 4,943 22.2 7,574 16.8 1,371,184 24.2 

Net income 12,915 57.9 29,590 65.5 2,899,494 51.2 

No net income 8,837 39.6 15,011 33.2 2,679,596 47.3 

Not applicablec 541 2.4 584 1.3 88,590 1.6 

Earned income 7,081 31.8 19,943 44.1 2,144,030 37.8 

No earned income 15,212 68.2 25,241 55.9 3,523,650 62.2 

Unearned income 12,378 55.5 24,299 53.8 2,779,757 49.0 

No unearned income 9,915 44.5 20,885 46.2 2,887,923 51.0 

TANF income 1,293 5.8 3,850 8.5 523,030 9.2 

No TANF income 21,000 94.2 41,334 91.5 5,144,650 90.8 

GA income 694 3.1 1,052 2.3 152,366 2.7 

No GA income 21,599 96.9 44,132 97.7 5,515,314 97.3 

SSI 4,559 20.5 7,912 17.5 879,785 15.5 

No SSI 17,734 79.5 37,272 82.5 4,787,895 84.5 

Social Security income 5,451 24.5 8,026 17.8 735,626 13.0 

No Social Security income 

Gross countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines 

16,842 75.5 37,158 82.2 4,932,054 87.0 

No income 4,943 22.2 7,574 16.8 1,371,184 24.2 

>0-50% 4,458 20.0 11,611 25.7 1,844,063 32.5 

51-100% 8,983 40.3 17,876 39.6 2,017,783 35.6 

101-130% 2,663 11.9 5,866 13.0 359,260 6.3 

131+% 

SNAP benefit 

1,247 5.6 2,256 5.0 75,389 1.3 

Minimum benefit 1,610 7.2 1,931 4.3 25,781 0.5 

Maximum benefit 9,160 41.1 15,333 33.9 2,742,188 48.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit.
 

b A micropolitan area has at least one urban cluster of between 10,000 and 50,000 people and includes adjacent territory with a high degree of social and economic
 

integration with the core, as measured by commuting ties.
 

c Net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits.
 

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Table A.2. Average gross countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, gross and net countable income, total deduction, SNAP 

benefit, household size, and certification period of participating households by household composition, locality, countable income source, and 

SNAP benefit amount 

Household characteristic 

Total households Average values 

Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Gross 

countable 

income as a 

percentage 

of poverty 

guidelines 

(percent) 

Gross 

countable 

income 

(dollars) 

Net 

countable 

income 

(dollars)a 

Total 

deduction 

(dollars)b 

SNAP 

benefit 

(dollars) 

Household 

size 

(individuals) 

Certification 

period 

(months) 

Total 22,293 100.0 58.9 786 354 529 254 2.0 13.0 

Household composition 

Children 9,510 42.7 59.0 1,027 488 625 393 3.2 9.7 

School-age 7,561 33.9 60.2 1,081 523 640 409 3.4 9.7 

Preschool -age 4,651 20.9 56.4 1,027 481 632 426 3.5 9.6 

No children 12,783 57.3 58.8 606 251 454 151 1.1 15.4 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 85.6 912 434 542 128 1.3 19.9 

No elderly individuals 17,932 80.4 52.5 755 336 526 285 2.2 11.3 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 4,498 20.2 82.7 1,016 489 565 193 1.9 16.6 

No non-elderly individuals with 

disabilities 17,795 79.8 52.9 728 321 520 270 2.1 12.1 

Adults age 18 to 49 without disabilities in 

childless householdsc 4,265 19.1 27.0 304 116 360 196 1.2 9.6 

No adults age 18 to 49 without disabilities 

in childless households 18,029 80.9 66.5 900 412 570 268 2.2 13.8 

Noncitizens 1,335 6.0 59.2 911 387 626 298 2.4 13.3 

No noncitizens 20,958 94.0 58.9 778 352 523 251 2.0 13.0 

Locality 

Metropolitan 18,325 82.2 58.8 783 342 542 256 2.0 12.9 

Micropolitand 2,177 9.8 60.2 811 411 484 247 2.1 12.9 

Rural 1,451 6.5 57.4 773 419 433 252 2.1 13.0 

Unknown locality 340 1.5 67.1 833 372 526 213 1.8 19.7 

Countable income source 

Gross income 17,350 77.8 75.7 1,010 458 607 248 2.2 13.8 

No gross income 4,943 22.2 0.0 0 0 263 277 1.5 10.2 

Net income 12,915 57.9 86.2 1,180 596 583 225 2.3 13.3 

No net income 8,837 39.6 17.9 211 0 451 303 1.7 11.1 

Not applicable 541 2.4 78.1 765 – 60 164 1.1 37.6 

Earned income 7,081 31.8 80.8 1,277 590 731 303 2.8 9.7 

No earned income 15,212 68.2 48.8 557 241 432 232 1.7 14.5 

Unearned income 12,378 55.5 75.3 938 438 553 225 2.0 15.5 

No unearned income 9,915 44.5 38.5 596 254 500 291 2.1 9.8 

TANF income 1,293 5.8 47.3 779 325 519 404 3.0 11.1 

No TANF income 21,000 94.2 59.6 786 356 530 245 2.0 13.1 

GA income 694 3.1 48.8 578 198 508 220 1.5 14.4 

No GA income 21,599 96.9 59.3 792 359 530 255 2.0 13.0 

SSI 4,559 20.5 75.8 914 417 536 193 1.7 19.8 

No SSI 17,734 79.5 54.6 753 340 527 270 2.1 11.2 

Social Security income 5,451 24.5 93.7 1,041 519 558 135 1.5 17.7 

No Social Security income 16,842 75.5 47.7 703 302 520 293 2.2 11.5 

SNAP benefit 

Minimum benefit 1,610 7.2 131.1 1,380 1003 377 16 1.2 15.1 

Maximum benefit 9,160 41.1 20.2 233 0 451 299 1.7 12.0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP 

benefits are excluded from this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households column. 

b Because deductions are not used in their benefit determinations, 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits are excluded from 

this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households column.
 

c With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit.
 

d A micropolitan area has at least one urban cluster of between 10,000 and 50,000 people and includes adjacent territory with a high degree of social and economic
 

integration with the core, as measured by commuting ties.
 

– Not applicable. 

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Table A.3. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by amount 

of gross and net countable income, countable resources, and gross and net countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines 

Household characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly individuals Non-elderly individuals with 

disabilities 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 

Gross countable income 

22,293 100.0 9,510 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 

$0 4,943 22.2 1,267 13.3 304 7.0 0 0.0 

1-199 867 3.9 353 3.7 42 1.0 9 0.2 

200-399 1,325 5.9 744 7.8 90 2.1 18 0.4 

400-599 1,293 5.8 752 7.9 173 4.0 126 2.8 

600-799 4,359 19.6 1,078 11.3 1,355 31.1 1,998 44.4 

800-999 2,580 11.6 894 9.4 876 20.1 815 18.1 

1,000-1,249 2,318 10.4 1,009 10.6 758 17.4 600 13.3 

1,250-1,499 1,530 6.9 905 9.5 377 8.6 368 8.2 

1,500-1,999 1,810 8.1 1,358 14.3 292 6.7 347 7.7 

2,000+ 

Net countable income 

1,268 5.7 1,150 12.1 93 2.1 216 4.8 

$0 8,837 39.6 3,102 32.6 868 19.9 576 12.8 

1-199 2,822 12.7 1,211 12.7 592 13.6 757 16.8 

200-399 2,683 12.0 981 10.3 726 16.6 926 20.6 

400-599 2,379 10.7 913 9.6 751 17.2 794 17.7 

600-799 1,524 6.8 807 8.5 445 10.2 368 8.2 

800-999 1,194 5.4 698 7.3 320 7.3 268 6.0 

1,000+ 2,312 10.4 1,770 18.6 381 8.7 575 12.8 

Not applicablea 

Countable resources 

541 2.4 27 0.3 279 6.4 234 5.2 

Categorically eligibleb 20,264 90.9 8,491 89.3 4,078 93.5 4,182 93.0 

$0 1,252 5.6 603 6.3 94 2.1 168 3.7 

1-500 548 2.5 302 3.2 114 2.6 109 2.4 

501-1,000 123 0.6 63 0.7 39 0.9 23 0.5 

1,001-2,000 88 0.4 46 0.5 27 0.6 13 0.3 

2,001-3,250 

Gross countable income as a 

percentage of poverty guidelines 

18 0.1 6 0.1 8 0.2 3 0.1 

No gross income 4,943 22.2 1,267 13.3 304 7.0 0 0.0 

>0-25% 1,859 8.3 1,104 11.6 72 1.6 24 0.5 

26-50% 2,599 11.7 1,917 20.2 174 4.0 401 8.9 

51-75% 3,963 17.8 1,975 20.8 737 16.9 1,468 32.6 

76-100% 5,020 22.5 1,550 16.3 1,819 41.7 1,738 38.7 

101-125% 2,367 10.6 1,100 11.6 729 16.7 558 12.4 

126-130% 296 1.3 142 1.5 79 1.8 60 1.3 

131-150% 672 3.0 273 2.9 229 5.2 135 3.0 

151+% 

Net countable income as a 

percentage of poverty guidelines 

575 2.6 183 1.9 218 5.0 114 2.5 

No net income 8,837 39.6 3,102 32.6 868 19.9 576 12.8 

>0-25% 4,507 20.2 2,379 25.0 811 18.6 1,196 26.6 

26-50% 3,872 17.4 1,834 19.3 983 22.5 1,237 27.5 

51-75% 2,709 12.2 1,382 14.5 778 17.8 755 16.8 

76-100% 1,273 5.7 646 6.8 400 9.2 348 7.7 

101-125% 332 1.5 85 0.9 143 3.3 85 1.9 

126-130% 40 0.2 10 0.1 18 0.4 13 0.3 

131-150% 87 0.4 20 0.2 34 0.8 33 0.7 

151+% 95 0.4 25 0.3 47 1.1 21 0.5 

Not applicablea 541 2.4 27 0.3 279 6.4 234 5.2 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits. 

b Most categorically eligible households have no countable resources because the program does not consider resources in their eligibility determinations. However, five 

States (Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Texas) used resource limits between $5,000 and $25,000 when determining eligibility in all or part of fiscal year 

2015. 

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Table A.4. Distribution of participating households by household size and amount of countable gross and net income, resources, and gross 

and net income as a percentage of poverty guidelines 

Household 

characteristic 

Household size 

1 2 3 4 5 6+ 

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 

(000) (000) (000) (000) (000) (000) 

Total 11,711 100.0 4,153 100.0 2,958 100.0 1,969 100.0 943 100.0 558 100.0 

Gross countable 

income 

$0 3,555 30.4 656 15.8 401 13.5 209 10.6 83 8.8 40 7.1 

1-199 516 4.4 154 3.7 117 4.0 51 2.6 22 2.3 7 1.3 

200-399 637 5.4 322 7.8 178 6.0 124 6.3 45 4.8 19 3.4 

400-599 550 4.7 355 8.6 216 7.3 103 5.2 48 5.1 21 3.8 

600-799 3,146 26.9 567 13.6 354 12.0 181 9.2 77 8.1 34 6.1 

800-999 1,571 13.4 456 11.0 301 10.2 155 7.9 64 6.7 33 6.0 

1,000-1,249 1,021 8.7 626 15.1 343 11.6 188 9.6 90 9.6 49 8.7 

1,250-1,499 439 3.7 404 9.7 317 10.7 224 11.4 94 10.0 53 9.4 

1,500-1,999 249 2.1 421 10.1 529 17.9 338 17.1 182 19.3 90 16.2 

2,000+ 

Net countable income 

28 0.2 192 4.6 201 6.8 396 20.1 238 25.2 212 38.0 

$0 5,601 47.8 1,535 37.0 902 30.5 500 25.4 208 22.1 92 16.4 

1-199 1,528 13.0 556 13.4 405 13.7 207 10.5 80 8.5 46 8.2 

200-399 1,563 13.3 486 11.7 320 10.8 178 9.0 95 10.0 41 7.3 

400-599 1,288 11.0 448 10.8 330 11.2 187 9.5 84 8.9 42 7.5 

600-799 564 4.8 367 8.8 269 9.1 182 9.2 97 10.3 46 8.2 

800-999 362 3.1 301 7.2 249 8.4 160 8.1 72 7.6 50 8.9 

1,000-1,199 169 1.4 175 4.2 207 7.0 172 8.7 79 8.4 35 6.2 

1,200+ 118 1.0 274 6.6 270 9.1 380 19.3 227 24.0 208 37.2 

Not applicablea 

Countable resources 

519 4.4 11 0.3 7 0.2 3 0.2 1 0.1 1 0.1 

Categorically eligibleb 10,808 92.3 3,779 91.0 2,623 88.7 1,738 88.3 828 87.8 487 87.2 

$0 591 5.0 227 5.5 203 6.9 136 6.9 59 6.3 36 6.5 

1-500 215 1.8 108 2.6 98 3.3 67 3.4 38 4.0 22 3.9 

501-1,000 51 0.4 23 0.6 19 0.6 17 0.8 8 0.9 5 0.9 

1,001-2,000 37 0.3 13 0.3 14 0.5 10 0.5 9 0.9 6 1.1 

2,001-3,250 9 0.1 2 0.1 2 0.1 2 0.1 1 0.1 2 0.3 

Gross countable 

income as a percentage 

of poverty guidelines 

No gross income 3,555 30.4 656 15.8 401 13.5 209 10.6 83 8.8 40 7.1 

>0-25% 739 6.3 388 9.3 325 11.0 224 11.4 115 12.2 68 12.1 

26-50% 678 5.8 582 14.0 593 20.0 400 20.3 208 22.0 138 24.7 

51-75% 1,769 15.1 863 20.8 585 19.8 408 20.7 215 22.8 123 22.0 

76-100% 3,117 26.6 760 18.3 530 17.9 332 16.8 179 18.9 102 18.3 

101-125% 1,071 9.1 476 11.5 371 12.5 276 14.0 106 11.2 67 12.0 

126-130% 141 1.2 52 1.3 44 1.5 35 1.8 18 1.9 6 1.0 

131-150% 327 2.8 174 4.2 73 2.5 67 3.4 16 1.7 13 2.4 

151+% 314 2.7 201 4.8 37 1.2 18 0.9 4 0.4 2 0.3 

Net countable income 

as a percentage of 

poverty guidelines 

No net income 5,601 47.8 1,535 37.0 902 30.5 500 25.4 208 22.1 92 16.4 

>0-25% 1,931 16.5 910 21.9 765 25.8 485 24.6 256 27.2 160 28.6 

26-50% 1,770 15.1 690 16.6 598 20.2 431 21.9 239 25.3 144 25.7 

51-75% 1,089 9.3 552 13.3 464 15.7 364 18.5 146 15.4 95 17.1 

76-100% 493 4.2 251 6.0 220 7.4 169 8.6 81 8.6 59 10.5 

101-125% 201 1.7 90 2.2 4 0.1 17 0.9 12 1.3 8 1.5 

126-130% 20 0.2 20 0.5 – – 0 0.0 – – – – 

131-150% 44 0.4 44 1.1 – – – – – – – – 

151+% 44 0.4 50 1.2 – – – – – – – – 

Not applicablea 519 4.4 11 0.3 7 0.2 3 0.2 1 0.1 1 0.1 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits. 

b Most categorically eligible households have no countable resources because the program does not consider resources in their eligibility determinations. However, five 

States (Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Texas) used resource limits between $5,000 and $25,000 when determining eligibility in all or part of fiscal year 

2015. 

– No sample households in this category. 

40
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.5. Average gross and net countable income, average gross and net countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, 

average countable resources, and average benefit of participating households by household composition and size 

Household characteristic 

Total households Average values 

Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Gross 

countable 

income 

(dollars) 

Net countable 

income 

(dollars)a 

Gross 

countable 

income as a 

percentage of 

poverty 

guidelines 

(percent) 

Net countable 

income as a 

percentage of 

poverty 

guidelines 

(percent)a 

Countable 

resources 

among 

households 

with countable 

resources 

(dollars) 

SNAP benefit 

(dollars) 

Total 22,293 100.0 786 354 58.9 25.3 425 254 

Household composition 

Children 9,510 42.7 1,027 488 59.0 27.1 405 393 

School-age 7,561 33.9 1,081 523 60.2 28.2 417 409 

Preschool -age 4,651 20.9 1,027 481 56.4 25.4 432 426 

No children 12,783 57.3 606 251 58.8 23.9 448 151 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 912 434 85.6 39.8 563 128 

No elderly individuals 17,932 80.4 755 336 52.5 22.0 381 285 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 4,498 20.2 1,016 489 82.7 37.1 357 193 

No non-elderly individuals with 

disabilities 17,795 79.8 728 321 52.9 22.4 442 270 

Household size 

1 11,711 52.5 549 209 56.3 21.4 430 142 

2 4,153 18.6 852 383 64.9 29.2 389 253 

3 2,958 13.3 974 446 59.0 27.0 396 379 

4 1,969 8.8 1,224 620 61.5 31.2 403 465 

5 943 4.2 1,385 729 59.5 31.3 473 556 

6 366 1.6 1,625 910 60.9 34.1 628 657 

7 105 0.5 1,808 1,111 60.0 36.9 674 697 

8+ 88 0.4 1,970 1,221 53.9 33.2 543 925 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSICAP benefits are excluded from this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households column. 

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Table A.6. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with 

disabilities by type of countable income 

Type of income 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly individuals Non-elderly individuals 

with disabilities 

Number 

(000)a 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 22,293 100.0 9,510 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 

Countable earned income 7,081 31.8 5,219 54.9 321 7.4 483 10.7 

Wages and salaries 6,221 27.9 4,689 49.3 267 6.1 429 9.5 

Self -employment 914 4.1 594 6.2 59 1.4 55 1.2 

Other earned income 79 0.4 43 0.4 4 0.1 4 0.1 

Countable unearned income 12,378 55.5 4,745 49.9 3,921 89.9 4,495 99.9 

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 1,293 5.8 1,231 12.9 39 0.9 243 5.4 

General Assistance 694 3.1 138 1.5 157 3.6 141 3.1 

Supplemental Security Income 4,559 20.5 1,128 11.9 1,550 35.5 3,075 68.4 

Social Security 5,451 24.5 850 8.9 3,005 68.9 2,249 50.0 

Unemployment income 331 1.5 190 2.0 22 0.5 14 0.3 

Veterans' benefits 154 0.7 33 0.3 82 1.9 35 0.8 

Workers' compensation 53 0.2 21 0.2 9 0.2 21 0.5 

Other government benefitsb 130 0.6 43 0.5 61 1.4 47 1.1 

Household contributions 636 2.9 369 3.9 75 1.7 61 1.4 

Household deemed income 13 0.1 11 0.1 0 0.0 1 0.0 

Educational loans 7 0.0 6 0.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 

Child support enforcement payments 1,853 8.3 1,773 18.6 26 0.6 311 6.9 

Foster care payments 6 0.0 5 0.1 2 0.0 0 0.0 

State diversion payments 2 0.0 2 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 

Energy assistance income 1 0.0 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 

Wage supplementation 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 

Other unearned incomec 733 3.3 262 2.8 351 8.0 79 1.8 

TANF or GA 1,980 8.9 1,362 14.3 196 4.5 379 8.4 

TANF and earnings 314 1.4 305 3.2 5 0.1 15 0.3 

TANF and SSI 235 1.1 229 2.4 14 0.3 227 5.0 

TANF or SSI or GA 6,106 27.4 2,221 23.4 1,651 37.9 3,107 69.1 

(TANF or SSI or GA) and earnings 725 3.3 608 6.4 36 0.8 367 8.2 

TANF and child support 102 0.5 102 1.1 3 0.1 28 0.6 

SSI and Social Security 1,639 7.4 244 2.6 827 19.0 856 19.0 

SSI or Social Security 8,371 37.5 1,734 18.2 3,727 85.5 4,467 99.3 

SSI and earnings 387 1.7 287 3.0 31 0.7 365 8.1 

GA and earnings 49 0.2 37 0.4 3 0.1 10 0.2 

Earnings and child support 883 4.0 869 9.1 8 0.2 64 1.4 

No countable income 4,943 22.2 1,267 13.3 304 7.0 0 0.0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a The sum of individual income sources does not add to the total because households may receive income from more than one source.
 

b Examples of other government benefits include Black Lung Benefits, Railroad Retirement payments, and USDA payments to farmers.
 

c Examples of other unearned income include alimony and dividends and interest payments.
 

42
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.7. Average income, total deduction, SNAP benefit, and household size of participating households by type of countable 

income 

Type of income 

Total households Average values 

Number 

(000)a Percent 

Gross 

countable 

income 

(dollars) 

Net 

countable 

income 

(dollars)b 

Income 

source 

(dollars)c 

Total 

deduction 

(dollars)d 

SNAP 

benefit 

(dollars) 

Household 

size 

(individuals) 

Total 22,293 100.0 786 354 - 529 254 2.0 

Countable earned income 7,081 31.8 1,277 590 1,122 731 303 2.8 

Wages and salaries 6,221 27.9 1,353 640 1,188 747 295 2.9 

Self -employment 914 4.1 854 299 579 650 357 2.6 

Other earned income 79 0.4 703 272 333 532 299 2.2 

Countable unearned income 12,378 55.5 938 438 773 553 225 2.0 

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 1,293 5.8 779 325 393 519 404 3.0 

General Assistance 694 3.1 578 198 234 508 220 1.5 

Supplemental Security Income 4,559 20.5 914 417 600 536 193 1.7 

Social Security 5,451 24.5 1,041 519 844 558 135 1.5 

Unemployment income 331 1.5 1,113 626 809 517 240 2.4 

Veterans' benefits 154 0.7 1,110 630 529 505 144 1.7 

Workers' compensation 53 0.2 1,258 727 823 542 187 2.2 

Other government benefitse 130 0.6 1,212 699 401 560 191 2.1 

Household contributions 636 2.9 655 226 291 532 325 2.3 

Household deemed income 13 0.1 1,025 488 739 613 280 2.4 

Educational loans 7 0.0 1,216 460 277 801 446 3.6 

Child support enforcement payments 1,853 8.3 1,120 573 333 603 383 3.3 

Foster care payments 6 0.0 1,375 901 637 556 339 3.5 

State diversion payments 2 0.0 1,841 1118 50 723 569 6.1 

Energy assistance income 1 0.0 332 65 134 316 483 3.1 

Wage supplementation 1 0.0 1,470 1315 1,469 155 16 1.0 

Other unearned income f 733 3.3 1,108 589 404 570 194 1.9 

TANF or GA 1,980 8.9 707 279 339 515 340 2.5 

TANF and earnings 314 1.4 1,168 554 1,102 640 379 3.2 

TANF and SSI 235 1.1 1,200 697 1,030 510 339 3.3 

TANF or SSI or GA 6,106 27.4 837 358 558 530 236 1.9 

(TANF or SSI or GA) and earnings 725 3.3 1,462 783 1,382 704 321 3.3 

TANF and child support 102 0.5 1,053 545 523 553 398 3.4 

SSI and Social Security 1,639 7.4 897 427 846 499 153 1.5 

SSI or Social Security 8,371 37.5 1,000 483 877 557 163 1.6 

SSI and earnings 387 1.7 1,745 1012 1,609 754 273 3.4 

GA and earnings 49 0.2 1,289 635 1,084 699 312 3.0 

Earnings and child support 883 4.0 1,578 837 1,491 756 326 3.5 

No countable income 4,943 22.2 0 0 0 263 277 1.5 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a The sum of individual income sources does not add to the total because households may receive income from more than one source.
 

b Because net income is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized
 

SSI-CAP benefits are excluded from this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households 

column. 

c Average value of specified source over households with income from source.
 

d Because deductions are not used in their benefit determinations, 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits are excluded
 

from this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households column.
 

e Examples of other government benefits include Black Lung Benefits, Railroad Retirement payments, and USDA payments to farmers. 

f Examples of other unearned income include alimony and dividends and interest payments. 

43
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.8. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by 

countable earned and unearned income amounts 

Household characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly individuals Non-elderly individuals with 

disabilities 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 

Countable earned income 

22,293 100.0 9,510 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 

$0 15,212 68.2 4,291 45.1 4,040 92.6 4,014 89.3 

1-199 539 2.4 203 2.1 44 1.0 80 1.8 

200-399 612 2.7 327 3.4 53 1.2 49 1.1 

400-599 645 2.9 400 4.2 39 0.9 67 1.5 

600-799 807 3.6 553 5.8 37 0.8 55 1.2 

800-999 827 3.7 612 6.4 41 0.9 44 1.0 

1,000-1,249 917 4.1 691 7.3 28 0.6 59 1.3 

1,250-1,499 784 3.5 652 6.9 26 0.6 49 1.1 

1,500-1,999 1,106 5.0 969 10.2 44 1.0 46 1.0 

2,000+ 

Countable unearned income 

845 3.8 812 8.5 9 0.2 34 0.8 

$0 9,915 44.5 4,765 50.1 440 10.1 3 0.1 

1-199 990 4.4 655 6.9 45 1.0 17 0.4 

200-399 1,433 6.4 1,036 10.9 90 2.1 31 0.7 

400-599 1,134 5.1 747 7.9 185 4.3 160 3.6 

600-799 4,021 18.0 876 9.2 1,379 31.6 2,217 49.3 

800-999 1,933 8.7 435 4.6 865 19.8 842 18.7 

1,000-1,249 1,464 6.6 384 4.0 729 16.7 576 12.8 

1,250-1,499 743 3.3 279 2.9 342 7.8 330 7.3 

1,500+ 

Countable TANF income 

659 3.0 332 3.5 286 6.6 323 7.2 

$0 21,000 94.2 8,279 87.1 4,322 99.1 4,255 94.6 

1-199 255 1.1 230 2.4 18 0.4 84 1.9 

200-399 481 2.2 454 4.8 16 0.4 97 2.2 

400-599 350 1.6 344 3.6 4 0.1 44 1.0 

600-799 153 0.7 151 1.6 0 0.0 13 0.3 

800-999 48 0.2 48 0.5 0 0.0 3 0.1 

1,000+ 

Countable GA income 

5 0.0 5 0.1 0 0.0 2 0.0 

$0 21,599 96.9 9,372 98.5 4,204 96.4 4,357 96.9 

1-199 339 1.5 48 0.5 98 2.3 118 2.6 

200-399 263 1.2 33 0.4 43 1.0 15 0.3 

400-599 52 0.2 30 0.3 9 0.2 6 0.1 

600-799 20 0.1 14 0.1 6 0.1 1 0.0 

800-999 8 0.0 5 0.1 0 0.0 1 0.0 

1,000+ 

Countable TANF or GA 

income 

12 0.1 8 0.1 1 0.0 0 0.0 

$0 20,314 91.1 8,148 85.7 4,165 95.5 4,119 91.6 

1-199 590 2.6 273 2.9 116 2.7 198 4.4 

200-399 741 3.3 484 5.1 59 1.3 112 2.5 

400-599 400 1.8 371 3.9 13 0.3 50 1.1 

600-799 175 0.8 167 1.8 6 0.1 14 0.3 

800-999 56 0.3 53 0.6 0 0.0 4 0.1 

1,000+ 17 0.1 14 0.1 1 0.0 2 0.1 

See footnotes at end of table. 

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Table A.8. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by 

countable earned and unearned income amounts — Continued 

Household characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly individuals Non-elderly individuals with 

disabilities 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Countable SSI 

$0 17,734 79.5 8,382 88.1 2,811 64.5 1,423 31.6 

1-199 753 3.4 76 0.8 409 9.4 353 7.8 

200-399 514 2.3 55 0.6 252 5.8 269 6.0 

400-599 471 2.1 100 1.1 184 4.2 292 6.5 

600-799 2,211 9.9 663 7.0 484 11.1 1,737 38.6 

800-999 298 1.3 59 0.6 120 2.8 184 4.1 

1,000+ 313 1.4 175 1.8 100 2.3 239 5.3 

Maximum for one-persona 352 1.6 83 0.9 79 1.8 275 6.1 

Maximum for two-personsb 5 0.0 1 0.0 4 0.1 2 0.0 

Countable Social Security 

$0 16,842 75.5 8,660 91.1 1,356 31.1 2,249 50.0 

1-199 190 0.9 114 1.2 54 1.2 96 2.1 

200-399 439 2.0 103 1.1 197 4.5 201 4.5 

400-599 706 3.2 107 1.1 374 8.6 292 6.5 

600-799 1,285 5.8 157 1.6 720 16.5 533 11.9 

800-999 1,205 5.4 108 1.1 676 15.5 502 11.2 

1,000+ 1,625 7.3 261 2.7 983 22.6 623 13.9 

Other countable unearned 

income 

$0 18,541 83.2 6,926 72.8 3,755 86.1 3,948 87.8 

1-199 1,234 5.5 782 8.2 227 5.2 242 5.4 

200-399 1,081 4.9 796 8.4 157 3.6 150 3.3 

400-599 567 2.5 422 4.4 74 1.7 69 1.5 

600-799 307 1.4 202 2.1 49 1.1 33 0.7 

800-999 196 0.9 130 1.4 36 0.8 25 0.6 

1,000+ 363 1.6 249 2.6 63 1.4 31 0.7 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a The fiscal year 2015 maximum monthly SSI benefit for one person was $721 from October through December 2014 and $733 from January through 

September 2015. This row tabulates the number of households in which at least one person received the applicable maximum SSI benefit. 

b The fiscal year 2015 maximum monthly SSI benefit for two persons was $1,082 from October through December 2014 and $1,100 from January through 

September 2015. This row tabulates the number of households in which the two persons receive a combined SSI benefit of this amount. 

45
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.9. Distribution of participating households by type of deduction and household composition, countable income source, and SNAP 

benefit amount 

Household characteristic 

Total 

households 

Type of deduction 

Earned income Dependent care Excess shelter 

expense Medical expense Child support payment 

Number 

(000) 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Percent 

with 

maximuma 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 

Household composition 

22,293 7,063 31.7 823 3.7 15,050 67.5 24.3 1,085 4.9 453 2.0 

Children 9,510 5,216 54.9 820 8.6 7,245 76.2 36.7 102 1.1 217 2.3 

School-age 7,561 4,180 55.3 603 8.0 5,908 78.1 36.8 89 1.2 171 2.3 

Preschool -age 4,651 2,686 57.8 550 11.8 3,415 73.4 37.3 33 0.7 109 2.3 

No children 12,783 1,847 14.4 2 0.0 7,804 61.1 12.7 983 7.7 235 1.8 

Elderly individuals 4,361 319 7.3 8 0.2 3,275 75.1 0.1 697 16.0 38 0.9 

No elderly individuals 

Non-elderly individuals with 

17,932 6,744 37.6 815 4.5 11,775 65.7 31.0 387 2.2 415 2.3 

disabilities 

No non-elderly individuals 

4,498 472 10.5 68 1.5 3,627 80.6 0.1 407 9.0 149 3.3 

with disabilities 

Countable income source 

17,795 6,591 37.0 755 4.2 11,423 64.2 31.9 678 3.8 304 1.7 

Gross income 17,350 7,063 40.7 815 4.7 13,786 79.5 21.6 1,085 6.3 432 2.5 

No gross income 4,943 – – 8 0.2 1,263 25.6 53.2 0 0.0 21 0.4 

Net income 12,915 5,575 43.2 698 5.4 10,290 79.7 16.4 934 7.2 320 2.5 

No net income 8,837 1,483 16.8 125 1.4 4,760 53.9 41.3 150 1.7 133 1.5 

Not applicable b 541 5 0.9 – – – – – – – – – 

Earned income 7,081 7,063 99.7 773 10.9 5,672 80.1 36.8 102 1.4 246 3.5 

No earned income 15,212 – – 50 0.3 9,377 61.6 16.7 982 6.5 206 1.4 

Unearned income 12,378 2,094 16.9 342 2.8 9,766 78.9 13.9 1,078 8.7 263 2.1 

No unearned income 9,915 4,969 50.1 481 4.9 5,284 53.3 43.4 6 0.1 189 1.9 

TANF income 1,293 313 24.2 22 1.7 1,045 80.8 37.3 9 0.7 10 0.7 

No TANF income 21,000 6,750 32.1 800 3.8 14,005 66.7 23.3 1,075 5.1 443 2.1 

GA income 694 48 6.9 1 0.1 529 76.3 28.4 7 1.0 7 0.9 

No GA income 21,599 7,015 32.5 822 3.8 14,520 67.2 24.1 1,078 5.0 446 2.1 

SSI 4,559 375 8.2 59 1.3 3,471 76.1 0.2 111 2.4 75 1.6 

No SSI 17,734 6,688 37.7 764 4.3 11,578 65.3 31.5 973 5.5 378 2.1 

Social Security income 5,451 384 7.0 23 0.4 4,432 81.3 2.3 1,005 18.4 153 2.8 

No Social Security income 

SNAP benefit 

16,842 6,679 39.7 800 4.7 10,618 63.0 33.4 80 0.5 300 1.8 

Minimum benefit 1,610 414 25.7 15 1.0 867 53.9 1.7 347 21.6 25 1.6 

Maximum benefit 9,160 1,483 16.2 125 1.4 4,760 52.0 41.3 150 1.6 133 1.5 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Percentage of households with deduction that receive the maximum.
 

b Net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI -CAP households in States that use standardized SSI -CAP benefits.
 

– No sample households in this category. 

46
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.10. Average values of deductions of participating households by household composition, countable income source, and SNAP 

benefit amount 

Household characteristic 

Total 

households 

Average amount of deduction 

(dollars) 

Earned income a Dependent careb Excess shelter expensec Medical expenseb Child support 

paymentb 

Number 

(000) 

All 

households 

With 

deduction 

All 

households 

With 

deduction 

All 

households 

With 

deduction 

All 

households 

With 

deduction 

All 

households 

With 

deduction 

Total 

Household composition 

22,293 73 225 10 271 273 394 8 162 5 237 

Children 9,510 139 253 23 271 291 381 2 147 6 258 

School-age 7,561 143 259 22 279 301 384 2 142 6 254 

Preschool -age 4,651 150 260 34 287 274 372 1 158 6 273 

No children 12,783 22 146 0 241 258 406 13 164 4 218 

Elderly individuals 4,361 13 167 1 336 341 426 29 170 2 161 

No elderly individuals 17,932 87 228 13 271 257 385 3 149 6 244 

Non-elderly individuals 

with disabilities 

No non-elderly 

4,498 20 180 6 372 358 421 14 148 7 190 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Countable income 

source 

17,795 86 228 11 262 252 386 7 171 5 260 

Gross income 17,350 95 225 13 272 323 393 11 162 6 234 

No gross income 4,943 0 0 0 163 103 402 0 32 1 301 

Net income 12,915 114 262 15 266 278 349 10 143 6 224 

No net income 8,837 14 85 4 303 265 491 5 280 4 269 

Not applicable d 541 60 356 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Earned income 7,081 224 225 30 272 301 375 2 157 9 266 

No earned income 15,212 0 0 1 255 259 406 11 163 3 202 

Unearned income 12,378 35 194 8 284 332 403 15 162 5 204 

No unearned income 9,915 119 238 13 263 201 378 0 277 5 283 

TANF income 1,293 37 151 4 251 321 389 1 97 1 188 

No TANF income 21,000 76 228 11 272 270 395 9 163 5 238 

GA income 694 12 167 0 264 327 420 1 123 1 129 

No GA income 21,599 75 225 11 271 271 393 8 162 5 239 

SSI 4,559 19 195 6 385 346 404 4 146 3 140 

No SSI 17,734 85 227 11 262 256 391 9 164 5 256 

Social Security income 5,451 11 142 2 344 352 415 31 162 6 194 

No Social Security 

income 

SNAP benefit 

16,842 93 230 13 269 248 386 1 169 5 259 

Minimum benefit 1,610 72 279 2 196 119 221 27 125 2 141 

Maximum benefit 9,160 14 85 4 303 265 491 5 280 4 269 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determinations, 656,331 SSI -CAP households are excluded from this column. Thus, the average values 

are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households column. 

b Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 656,331 SSI -CAP households are excluded from this 

column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households column. 

c Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI -CAP households in States that use 

standardized SSI -CAP benefits are excluded from this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total 

Households column. 

d Net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits. 

47
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.11. Distribution of participating households by selected household characteristics and amount of deduction 

Household characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly 

individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Countable earned 

income 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 22,293 100.0 9,510 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 7,081 100.0 

Total deduction 

$0-154a 29 0.1 25 0.3 1 0.0 0 0.0 2 0.0 

155 4,620 20.7 956 10.0 616 14.1 363 8.1 2 0.0 

156-200 885 4.0 435 4.6 134 3.1 154 3.4 211 3.0 

201-300 1,406 6.3 420 4.4 430 9.9 409 9.1 287 4.1 

301-400 1,574 7.1 574 6.0 467 10.7 505 11.2 461 6.5 

401-500 1,870 8.4 810 8.5 424 9.7 542 12.1 610 8.6 

501-600 2,057 9.2 887 9.3 478 11.0 553 12.3 691 9.8 

601-700 3,390 15.2 1,821 19.1 432 9.9 512 11.4 876 12.4 

701-800 1,955 8.8 1,092 11.5 330 7.6 404 9.0 1,250 17.7 

801-900 1,510 6.8 904 9.5 227 5.2 300 6.7 1,046 14.8 

901-1,000 960 4.3 645 6.8 161 3.7 172 3.8 680 9.6 

1,001+ 1,524 6.8 942 9.9 383 8.8 349 7.7 959 13.5 

Not applicableb 512 2.3 – – 279 6.4 234 5.2 6 0.1 

Earned income deduction 

$0 14,574 65.4 4,293 45.1 3,696 84.8 3,715 82.6 12 0.2 

1-50 709 3.2 280 2.9 64 1.5 87 1.9 709 10.0 

51-100 797 3.6 468 4.9 52 1.2 68 1.5 797 11.3 

101-150 905 4.1 607 6.4 46 1.1 71 1.6 905 12.8 

151-200 1,030 4.6 760 8.0 51 1.2 62 1.4 1,030 14.5 

201-250 905 4.1 682 7.2 26 0.6 56 1.2 905 12.8 

251-300 781 3.5 648 6.8 26 0.6 47 1.1 781 11.0 

301-350 650 2.9 574 6.0 25 0.6 25 0.6 650 9.2 

351-400 452 2.0 395 4.2 19 0.4 21 0.5 452 6.4 

401+ 834 3.7 801 8.4 10 0.2 34 0.8 834 11.8 

Not applicablec 656 2.9 – – 346 7.9 311 6.9 6 0.1 

Dependent care deduction 

$0 20,785 93.2 8,662 91.1 4,007 91.9 4,119 91.6 6,297 88.9 

1-50 75 0.3 74 0.8 – – 7 0.2 64 0.9 

51-100 103 0.5 103 1.1 0 0.0 6 0.1 98 1.4 

101-150 119 0.5 119 1.2 – – 8 0.2 115 1.6 

151-200 88 0.4 88 0.9 1 0.0 1 0.0 84 1.2 

201-250 84 0.4 84 0.9 – – 4 0.1 83 1.2 

251-300 69 0.3 69 0.7 1 0.0 7 0.2 59 0.8 

301-350 63 0.3 63 0.7 3 0.1 3 0.1 62 0.9 

351-400 56 0.3 56 0.6 2 0.0 5 0.1 52 0.7 

401+ 165 0.7 164 1.7 1 0.0 25 0.6 156 2.2 

Not applicabled 685 3.1 27 0.3 346 7.9 311 6.9 11 0.2 

Medical expense deduction 

$0 20,523 92.1 9,381 98.6 3,317 76.1 3,780 84.0 6,968 98.4 

1-50 91 0.4 9 0.1 49 1.1 42 0.9 14 0.2 

51-100 402 1.8 41 0.4 271 6.2 138 3.1 41 0.6 

101-150 203 0.9 25 0.3 124 2.8 84 1.9 17 0.2 

151-200 159 0.7 15 0.2 92 2.1 70 1.6 11 0.2 

201-250 81 0.4 3 0.0 54 1.2 29 0.7 6 0.1 

251-300 27 0.1 0 0.0 18 0.4 10 0.2 1 0.0 

301+ 121 0.5 8 0.1 89 2.0 33 0.7 12 0.2 

Not applicabled 685 3.1 27 0.3 346 7.9 311 6.9 11 0.2 

See footnotes at end of table. 

48
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.11. Distribution of participating households by selected household characteristics and amount of deduction — Continued 

Household characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly 

individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Countable earned 

income 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Child support payment deduction 

$0 21,155 94.9 9,265 97.4 3,977 91.2 4,038 89.8 6,824 96.4 

1-50 66 0.3 23 0.2 9 0.2 27 0.6 25 0.3 

51-100 70 0.3 29 0.3 8 0.2 29 0.7 28 0.4 

101-150 55 0.2 27 0.3 5 0.1 21 0.5 27 0.4 

151-200 47 0.2 24 0.3 4 0.1 17 0.4 27 0.4 

201-250 48 0.2 26 0.3 4 0.1 14 0.3 30 0.4 

251-300 36 0.2 15 0.2 3 0.1 11 0.2 20 0.3 

301-350 31 0.1 18 0.2 3 0.1 6 0.1 23 0.3 

351-400 27 0.1 15 0.2 – – 7 0.1 18 0.3 

401+ 73 0.3 40 0.4 2 0.1 16 0.4 48 0.7 

Not applicablee 685 3.1 27 0.3 346 7.9 311 6.9 11 0.2 

Excess shelter expense deduction 

$0 6,702 30.1 2,237 23.5 807 18.5 637 14.2 1,398 19.7 

1-50 720 3.2 310 3.3 169 3.9 147 3.3 223 3.1 

51-100 648 2.9 271 2.8 180 4.1 204 4.5 228 3.2 

101-150 756 3.4 355 3.7 201 4.6 202 4.5 288 4.1 

151-200 871 3.9 381 4.0 239 5.5 238 5.3 330 4.7 

201-250 886 4.0 402 4.2 236 5.4 250 5.5 312 4.4 

251-300 1,012 4.5 488 5.1 221 5.1 265 5.9 405 5.7 

301-350 1,077 4.8 500 5.3 216 5.0 278 6.2 396 5.6 

351-400 1,133 5.1 548 5.8 222 5.1 275 6.1 433 6.1 

401-450 1,098 4.9 533 5.6 249 5.7 268 5.9 432 6.1 

451-489 724 3.2 337 3.5 152 3.5 191 4.2 295 4.2 

490 3,642 16.3 2,654 27.9 4 0.1 4 0.1 2,082 29.4 

491-550 591 2.7 97 1.0 275 6.3 317 7.0 41 0.6 

551-600 371 1.7 66 0.7 170 3.9 201 4.5 45 0.6 

601+ 1,521 6.8 303 3.2 740 17.0 789 17.5 165 2.3 

Not applicablee 541 2.4 27 0.3 279 6.4 234 5.2 11 0.2 

No deduction 6,702 30.1 2,237 23.5 807 18.5 637 14.2 1,398 19.7 

Deduction less than capf 8,934 40.1 4,131 43.4 2,088 47.9 2,318 51.5 3,344 47.2 

Deduction equal to cap 3,651 16.4 2,662 28.0 4 0.1 4 0.1 2,088 29.5 

Benefit less than maximum benefit 1,685 7.6 1,424 15.0 4 0.1 4 0.1 1,381 19.5 

Benefit equal to maximum benefit 1,966 8.8 1,238 13.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 706 10.0 

Deduction greater than cap 2,464 11.1 452 4.8 1,183 27.1 1,305 29.0 240 3.4 

Not applicablee 541 2.4 27 0.3 279 6.4 234 5.2 11 0.2 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a This row contains MFIP households, which do not receive a standard deduction, and households in the Virgin Islands, which receive a standard deduction
 

of $137 for one- to three-person households.
 

b Deductions are not used in the benefit determinations of SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits.
 

c This deduction is not used in the benefit determinations of SSI-CAP households.
 

d This deduction is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households.
 

e This deduction is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits.
 

f

 Households without elderly or disabled members are subject to a cap on their excess shelter deduction.
 

– No sample households in this category. 

49
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.12. Distribution of participating households by selected household characteristics and SNAP benefit amount, SNAP 

benefit as a percentage of the maximum benefit, and certification period 

Household characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Countable earned 

income 

Countable TANF 

income 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 22,293 100.0 9,510 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 7,081 100.0 1,293 100.0 

SNAP benefit 

Minimum benefit or lessa 1,648 7.4 178 1.9 852 19.5 480 10.7 426 6.0 16 1.2 

Greater than the minimum-$50 870 3.9 116 1.2 386 8.8 344 7.6 167 2.4 3 0.3 

51-100 1,685 7.6 300 3.2 685 15.7 642 14.3 412 5.8 20 1.5 

101-193 3,317 14.9 831 8.7 1,044 23.9 1,179 26.2 1,055 14.9 97 7.5 

194 31 0.1 14 0.1 10 0.2 7 0.1 13 0.2 0 0.0 

195-300 7,654 34.3 1,556 16.4 1,129 25.9 988 22.0 1,783 25.2 230 17.8 

301-400 3,027 13.6 2,529 26.6 189 4.3 343 7.6 1,324 18.7 369 28.5 

401-500 1,074 4.8 1,048 11.0 32 0.7 182 4.0 717 10.1 166 12.9 

501-600 1,478 6.6 1,443 15.2 21 0.5 146 3.2 581 8.2 182 14.0 

601+ 1,511 6.8 1,495 15.7 14 0.3 188 4.2 603 8.5 210 16.3 

Benefit as a percentage of the maximum 

Minimum 1,610 7.2 165 1.7 837 19.2 469 10.4 414 5.8 16 1.2 

< 25b 1,373 6.2 572 6.0 438 10.0 466 10.4 559 7.9 30 2.3 

25-50% 2,925 13.1 1,407 14.8 817 18.7 892 19.8 1,308 18.5 109 8.4 

51-75% 3,431 15.4 1,895 19.9 705 16.2 1,053 23.4 1,648 23.3 202 15.6 

76-99% 3,794 17.0 2,369 24.9 535 12.3 879 19.5 1,657 23.4 499 38.6 

Maximum 9,160 41.1 3,102 32.6 1,029 23.6 738 16.4 1,495 21.1 438 33.9 

Months in certification period 

Averagec 13 – 10 – 20 – 17 – 10 – 11 – 

Mediand 12 – 12 – 24 – 12 – 12 – 12 – 

1-5 293 1.3 133 1.4 23 0.5 23 0.5 100 1.4 12 0.9 

6 6,175 27.7 3,673 38.6 311 7.1 699 15.6 2,750 38.8 230 17.8 

7-11 411 1.8 214 2.3 43 1.0 67 1.5 138 1.9 56 4.3 

12 11,415 51.2 5,265 55.4 1,739 39.9 2,111 46.9 3,955 55.8 955 73.8 

13-23 190 0.9 68 0.7 50 1.1 54 1.2 44 0.6 6 0.4 

24 2,746 12.3 134 1.4 1,587 36.4 1,135 25.2 81 1.1 29 2.3 

25-35 67 0.3 1 0.0 43 1.0 24 0.5 1 0.0 – – 

36 605 2.7 10 0.1 341 7.8 230 5.1 1 0.0 1 0.1 

37+ 374 1.7 0 0.0 223 5.1 149 3.3 7 0.1 0 0.0 

Unknown 19 0.1 12 0.1 2 0.0 5 0.1 5 0.1 5 0.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a The minimum benefit, applicable to one- and two-person households, is equal to 8 percent of the maximum benefit for single-person households. See
 

Table C.6 for the fiscal year 2015 minimum benefit values.
 

b Does not include households with the minimum benefit.
 

c Average number of months in certification period. Percent not applicable in this row.
 

d Median number of months in certification period. Percent not applicable in this row.
 

– Not applicable. 

50
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.13. Distribution of participating households by type of most recent action and expedited service 

Most recent action and expedited 

service 

Total households Entrants Other households 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 22,293 100.0 893 100.0 21,400 100.0 

Initial certification 

Eligible for and receiving 

8,510 38.2 893 100.0 7,617 35.6 

expedited service 

Eligible for but did not receive 

2,703 12.1 453 50.7 2,250 10.5 

expedited service 512 2.3 54 6.0 458 2.1 

Not eligible for expedited service 5,296 23.8 387 43.3 4,909 22.9 

Recertification 

Eligible for and receiving 

13,783 61.8 – – 13,783 64.4 

expedited service 

Eligible for but did not receive 

210 0.9 – – 210 1.0 

expedited service 46 0.2 – – 46 0.2 

Not eligible for expedited service 13,526 60.7 – – 13,526 63.2 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

– By definition these are mutually exclusive categories. 

51
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.14. Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by household composition 

Household composition 

SNAP households 

Participants in households 

with household 

characteristic 

Monthly SNAP benefits 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Dollars 

(000) 

Percent 

Totala 22,293 100.0 45,184 100.0 5,667,680 100.0 

Children, elderly individuals, or individuals with 

disabilites 16,739 75.1 39,084 86.5 4,617,060 81.5 

Childrenb 9,510 42.7 30,774 68.1 3,735,409 65.9 

Single-adult household 5,587 25.1 16,589 36.7 2,118,520 37.4 

Male adult 446 2.0 1,199 2.7 152,096 2.7 

Female adult 5,141 23.1 15,390 34.1 1,966,424 34.7 

Multiple-adult household 2,629 11.8 11,288 25.0 1,209,562 21.3 

Married-head 1,610 7.2 7,051 15.6 721,826 12.7 

Other multiple-adult 1,019 4.6 4,237 9.4 487,736 8.6 

Children only 1,294 5.8 2,896 6.4 407,327 7.2 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 5,503 12.2 558,621 9.9 

Living alone 3,495 15.7 3,495 7.7 376,398 6.6 

Living with only elderly individuals 409 1.8 819 1.8 69,643 1.2 

Living with at least one non-elderly individual 456 2.0 1,188 2.6 112,579 2.0 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 4,498 20.2 8,349 18.5 867,438 15.3 

Living alone 2,761 12.4 2,761 6.1 311,579 5.5 

Not living alone 1,737 7.8 5,588 12.4 555,858 9.8 

Other householdsc 5,554 24.9 6,100 13.5 1,050,620 18.5 

Single-person 5,101 22.9 5,101 11.3 912,362 16.1 

Multiperson 453 2.0 999 2.2 138,258 2.4 

Adults age 18 to 49 without disabilities in childless 

householdsd 4,265 19.1 5,098 11.3 835,653 14.7 

Living alone 3,614 16.2 3,614 8.0 644,084 11.4 

Not living alone 650 2.9 1,484 3.3 191,569 3.4 

Single -person households 11,711 52.5 11,711 25.9 1,660,424 29.3 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a The sum of individual categories does not match the table total because a household may have more than one of the characteristics in the table.
 

b Individuals with missing age were assigned child or adult status based on their relationship to the household head.
 

c Households not containing children, elderly individuals, or non-elderly individuals with disabilities.
 

d With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit.
 

52
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.15. Average gross countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, gross and net countable income, total deduction, 

SNAP benefit, household size, and certification period of participating households by household composition 

Household composition 

Total households Average values 

Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Gross 

countable 

income as a 

percentage 

of poverty 

guidelines 

(percent) 

Gross 

countable 

income 

(dollars) 

Net 

countable 

income 

(dollars)a 

Total 

deduction 

(dollars)b 

SNAP 

benefit 

(dollars) 

Household 

size 

(individuals) 

Certification 

period 

(months) 

Totalc 22,293 100.0 58.9 786 354 529 254 2.0 13.0 

Children, elderly individuals, or 

individuals with disabilities 16,739 75.1 70.5 963 446 591 276 2.3 14.1 

Childrend 9,510 42.7 59.0 1,027 488 625 393 3.2 9.7 

Single-adult household 5,587 25.1 55.5 899 414 575 379 3.0 9.8 

Male adult 446 2.0 57.5 880 435 546 341 2.7 10.1 

Female adult 5,141 23.1 55.3 900 412 578 382 3.0 9.8 

Multiple-adult household 2,629 11.8 68.2 1,422 759 733 460 4.3 9.6 

Married-head 1,610 7.2 72.3 1,532 838 762 448 4.4 9.5 

Other multiple-adult 1,019 4.6 61.8 1,249 635 688 479 4.2 9.8 

Children only 1,294 5.8 55.7 777 254 620 315 2.2 9.4 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 85.6 912 434 542 128 1.3 19.9 

Living alone 3,495 15.7 84.2 821 359 524 108 1.0 21.0 

Living with only elderly individuals 409 1.8 97.3 1,277 708 602 170 2.0 18.9 

Living with at least one non-elderly 

individual 456 2.0 85.3 1,280 718 612 247 2.6 11.9 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 4,498 20.2 82.7 1,016 489 565 193 1.9 16.6 

Living alone 2,761 12.4 86.0 838 319 550 113 1.0 20.0 

Not living alone 1,737 7.8 77.4 1,299 736 586 320 3.2 11.1 

Other householdse 5,554 24.9 23.9 251 87 346 189 1.1 9.8 

Single-person 5,101 22.9 21.5 210 68 327 179 1.0 9.8 

Multiperson 453 2.0 51.2 715 299 559 305 2.2 9.7 

Adults age 18 to 49 without disabilities in 

childless householdsf 4,265 19.1 27.0 304 116 360 196 1.2 9.6 

Living alone 3,614 16.2 21.2 206 70 320 178 1.0 9.6 

Not living alone 650 2.9 59.7 846 371 583 295 2.3 10.0 

Single -person households 11,711 52.5 56.3 549 209 441 142 1.0 15.5 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized
 

SSI-CAP benefits are excluded from this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households 

column. 

b Because deductions are not used in their benefit determinations, 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits are excluded 

from this column. Thus, the average values are based on fewer households than the number shown in the Total Households column.
 

c The sum of individual categories does not match the table total because a household may have more than one of the characteristics in the table.
 

d Individuals with missing age were assigned child or adult status based on their relationship to the household head.
 

e Households not containing children, elderly individuals, or non-elderly individuals with disabilities.
 

f With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit.
 

53
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.16. Distribution of participating households by countable income type and household composition 

Household composition 

Total households 

Countable income type 

Earned income Zero gross 

income TANF income GA income SSI Social Security income 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totala 

Children, elderly individuals, 

or individuals with 

22,293 100.0 7,081 100.0 4,943 100.0 1,293 100.0 694 100.0 4,559 100.0 5,451 100.0 

disabilities 16,739 75.1 5,627 79.5 1,568 31.7 1,246 96.4 383 55.1 4,558 100.0 5,439 99.8 

Childrenb 9,510 42.7 5,219 73.7 1,267 25.6 1,231 95.2 138 19.9 1,128 24.7 850 15.6 

Single-adult household 5,587 25.1 2,519 35.6 926 18.7 829 64.1 91 13.1 692 15.2 565 10.4 

Male adult 446 2.0 167 2.4 100 2.0 62 4.8 6 0.9 42 0.9 77 1.4 

Female adult 5,141 23.1 2,351 33.2 826 16.7 767 59.3 85 12.2 649 14.2 488 8.9 

Multiple-adult household 2,629 11.8 1,790 25.3 239 4.8 211 16.3 36 5.2 380 8.3 267 4.9 

Married-head 1,610 7.2 1,175 16.6 141 2.9 102 7.9 16 2.4 180 4.0 138 2.5 

Other multiple-adult 1,019 4.6 614 8.7 98 2.0 108 8.4 20 2.8 200 4.4 129 2.4 

Children only 1,294 5.8 910 12.9 102 2.1 191 14.8 11 1.6 56 1.2 18 0.3 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 321 4.5 304 6.2 39 3.0 157 22.7 1,550 34.0 3,005 55.1 

Living alone 

Living with only elderly 

3,495 15.7 157 2.2 275 5.6 5 0.4 132 19.0 1,264 27.7 2,435 44.7 

individuals 

Living with at least one 

409 1.8 37 0.5 14 0.3 1 0.1 13 1.9 159 3.5 279 5.1 

non-elderly individual 

Non-elderly individuals with 

456 2.0 127 1.8 15 0.3 32 2.5 12 1.7 126 2.8 291 5.3 

disabilities 4,498 20.2 483 6.8 – – 243 18.8 141 20.3 3,075 67.4 2,249 41.3 

Living alone 2,761 12.4 111 1.6 – – 3 0.2 86 12.4 1,750 38.4 1,533 28.1 

Not living alone 1,737 7.8 372 5.3 – – 240 18.6 55 7.9 1,325 29.1 716 13.1 

Other householdsc 5,554 24.9 1,455 20.5 3,375 68.3 47 3.6 311 44.9 1 0.0 12 0.2 

Single-person 5,101 22.9 1,201 17.0 3,242 65.6 39 3.0 301 43.3 0 0.0 2 0.0 

Multiperson 

Adults age 18 to 49 without 

disabilities in childless 

453 2.0 254 3.6 133 2.7 8 0.6 11 1.5 0 0.0 10 0.2 

householdsd 4,265 19.1 1,124 15.9 2,475 50.1 41 3.2 207 29.8 123 2.7 160 2.9 

Living alone 3,614 16.2 860 12.1 2,355 47.6 32 2.5 192 27.7 0 0.0 1 0.0 

Not living alone 650 2.9 265 3.7 120 2.4 9 0.7 14 2.1 122 2.7 159 2.9 

Single-person households 11,711 52.5 1,690 23.9 3,555 71.9 108 8.4 520 74.9 3,016 66.2 3,979 73.0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a The sum of individual categories does not match the table total because a household may have more than one of the characteristics in the table.
 

b Individuals with missing age were assigned child or adult status based on their relationship to the household head.
 

c Households not containing children, elderly individuals, or non-elderly individuals with disabilities.
 

d With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit.
 

– No sample households in this category. 

54
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.17. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with disabilities by 

selected characteristics 

Household characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children School-age 

children 

Preschool -age 

children 

Elderly 

individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 

(000) (000) (000) (000) (000) (000) 

Total 

Household composition 

22,293 100.0 9,510 100.0 7,561 100.0 4,651 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 

Children 9,510 42.7 9,510 100.0 7,561 100.0 4,651 100.0 188 4.3 1,364 30.3 

School-age 7,561 33.9 7,561 79.5 7,561 100.0 2,702 58.1 177 4.0 1,200 26.7 

Preschool-age 4,651 20.9 4,651 48.9 2,702 35.7 4,651 100.0 29 0.7 492 10.9 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 188 2.0 177 2.3 29 0.6 4,361 100.0 106 2.4 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 

Countable income source and resources 

4,498 20.2 1,364 14.3 1,200 15.9 492 10.6 106 2.4 4,498 100.0 

Gross income 17,350 77.8 8,243 86.7 6,676 88.3 3,972 85.4 4,057 93.0 4,498 100.0 

No gross income 4,943 22.2 1,267 13.3 885 11.7 679 14.6 304 7.0 – – 

Net income 12,915 57.9 6,381 67.1 5,251 69.5 3,071 66.0 3,213 73.7 3,688 82.0 

No net income 8,837 39.6 3,102 32.6 2,290 30.3 1,566 33.7 868 19.9 576 12.8 

Not applicablea 541 2.4 27 0.3 20 0.3 13 0.3 279 6.4 234 5.2 

Earned income 7,081 31.8 5,219 54.9 4,181 55.3 2,687 57.8 321 7.4 483 10.7 

Unearned income 12,378 55.5 4,745 49.9 3,968 52.5 2,087 44.9 3,921 89.9 4,495 99.9 

TANF income 1,293 5.8 1,231 12.9 911 12.0 649 13.9 39 0.9 243 5.4 

GA income 694 3.1 138 1.5 111 1.5 66 1.4 157 3.6 141 3.1 

SSI 4,559 20.5 1,128 11.9 992 13.1 420 9.0 1,550 35.5 3,075 68.4 

Social Security income 5,451 24.5 850 8.9 769 10.2 235 5.1 3,005 68.9 2,249 50.0 

Countable resources 

Deductions 

908 4.1 483 5.1 386 5.1 232 5.0 219 5.0 177 3.9 

Total deduction 21,757 97.6 9,487 99.8 7,544 99.8 4,641 99.8 4,082 93.6 4,264 94.8 

Standard deduction 21,752 97.6 9,482 99.7 7,541 99.7 4,637 99.7 4,082 93.6 4,264 94.8 

Earned income deduction 7,063 31.7 5,216 54.9 4,180 55.3 2,686 57.8 319 7.3 472 10.5 

Dependent care deduction 823 3.7 820 8.6 603 8.0 550 11.8 8 0.2 68 1.5 

Excess shelter expense deduction 15,050 67.5 7,245 76.2 5,908 78.1 3,415 73.4 3,275 75.1 3,627 80.6 

Medical expense deduction 1,085 4.9 102 1.1 89 1.2 33 0.7 697 16.0 407 9.0 

Child support payment deduction 

SNAP benefit 

453 2.0 217 2.3 171 2.3 109 2.3 38 0.9 149 3.3 

Minimum benefit or lessb 1,648 7.4 178 1.9 138 1.8 47 1.0 852 19.5 480 10.7 

Greater than the minimum-$100 2,555 11.5 416 4.4 306 4.0 162 3.5 1,071 24.6 986 21.9 

101-200 9,465 42.5 1,182 12.4 865 11.4 481 10.3 1,999 45.8 1,840 40.9 

201-300 1,537 6.9 1,219 12.8 939 12.4 546 11.7 184 4.2 334 7.4 

301+ 7,089 31.8 6,515 68.5 5,314 70.3 3,415 73.4 256 5.9 859 19.1 

Minimum benefit 1,610 7.2 165 1.7 126 1.7 45 1.0 837 19.2 469 10.4 

Maximum benefit 

Household size 

9,160 41.1 3,102 32.6 2,290 30.3 1,566 33.7 1,029 23.6 738 16.4 

1 11,711 52.5 364 3.8 220 2.9 144 3.1 3,495 80.2 2,761 61.4 

2 4,153 18.6 2,867 30.2 1,895 25.1 1,155 24.8 700 16.0 720 16.0 

3 2,958 13.3 2,841 29.9 2,255 29.8 1,377 29.6 92 2.1 416 9.2 

4 1,969 8.8 1,943 20.4 1,733 22.9 1,031 22.2 53 1.2 309 6.9 

5 943 4.2 937 9.9 904 12.0 537 11.6 10 0.2 167 3.7 

6+ 558 2.5 558 5.9 554 7.3 406 8.7 12 0.3 124 2.8 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits.
 

b The minimum benefit, applicable to one- and two-person households, is equal to 8 percent of the maximum benefit for single-person households. See Table
 

C.6 for the fiscal year 2015 minimum benefit values. 

– No sample households in this category. 

55
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.18. Average values of selected characteristics for participating households with children, elderly individuals, and nonelderly individuals with disabilities 

Household characteristic Average 

values 

Average values for households with: 

Children School-age 

children 

Preschool-age 

children 

Elderly 

individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals 

with 

disabilities 

Countable income (dollars) 

Gross income 786 1,027 1,081 1,027 912 1,016 

Net income a 354 488 523 481 434 489 

Earned income 356 693 717 750 61 95 

Unearned income 429 334 365 277 850 921 

TANF income 23 52 50 58 2 17 

GA income 7 6 5 7 6 3 

SSI 123 90 101 71 178 447 

Social Security income 

Countable income as a percentage of 

poverty guidelines (percent) 

206 71 81 39 606 413 

Gross income 58.9 59.0 60.2 56.4 85.6 82.7 

Net income a 

Deductions (dollars) 

24.7 27.0 28.1 25.3 37.2 35.1 

Total deduction b 

Earned income deduction 

529 625 640 632 542 565 

All householdsc 73 139 143 150 13 20 

Households with deduction 

Dependent care deduction 

225 253 259 260 167 180 

All householdsd 10 23 22 34 1 6 

Households with deduction 

Excess shelter expense deduction 

271 271 279 287 336 372 

All householdse 273 291 301 274 341 358 

Households with deduction 

Medical expense deduction 

394 381 384 372 426 421 

All householdsd 8 2 2 1 29 14 

Households with deduction 

Child support payment deduction 

162 147 142 158 170 148 

All householdse 5 6 6 6 2 7 

Households with deduction 237 258 254 273 161 190 

SNAP benefit (dollars) 254 393 409 426 128 193 

Household size (individuals) 2.0 3.2 3.4 3.5 1.3 1.9 

Certification period (months) 13.0 9.7 9.7 9.6 19.9 16.6 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determination, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this
 

category.
 

b Because deductions are not used in their benefit determination, 512,275 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this category.
 

c Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determination, 656,331 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this category.
 

d Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determination, 29,149 MFIP households and 656,331 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this
 

category.
 

e Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determination, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this
 

category.
 

56
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.19. Distribution of participating households with countable earned and unearned income by selected characteristics 

Household characteristic Total households 

Countable income type 

Earned income Unearned income TANF income GA income 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 

Household composition 

22,293 100.0 7,081 100.0 12,378 100.0 1,293 100.0 694 100.0 

Children 9,510 42.7 5,219 73.7 4,745 38.3 1,231 95.2 138 19.9 

School-age 7,561 33.9 4,181 59.0 3,968 32.1 911 70.4 111 16.0 

Preschool -age 4,651 20.9 2,687 38.0 2,087 16.9 649 50.1 66 9.5 

Elderly individuals 4,361 19.6 321 4.5 3,921 31.7 39 3.0 157 22.7 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities 

Countable income source 

4,498 20.2 483 6.8 4,495 36.3 243 18.8 141 20.3 

Gross income 17,350 77.8 7,081 100.0 12,378 100.0 1,293 100.0 694 100.0 

No gross incomea 4,943 22.2 – – – – – – – – 

Net income 12,915 57.9 5,581 78.8 9,207 74.4 828 64.0 344 49.6 

No net income 8,837 39.6 1,489 21.0 2,631 21.3 438 33.9 335 48.3 

Not applicableb 541 2.4 11 0.2 541 4.4 27 2.1 14 2.1 

Earned income 7,081 31.8 7,081 100.0 2,109 17.0 314 24.3 49 7.0 

Unearned income 12,378 55.5 2,109 29.8 12,378 100.0 1,293 100.0 694 100.0 

TANF income 1,293 5.8 314 4.4 1,293 10.4 1,293 100.0 8 1.1 

GA income 694 3.1 49 0.7 694 5.6 8 0.6 694 100.0 

SSI 4,559 20.5 387 5.5 4,559 36.8 235 18.1 202 29.1 

Social Security income 

Deductions 

5,451 24.5 393 5.5 5,451 44.0 99 7.6 113 16.3 

Total deduction 21,757 97.6 7,075 99.9 11,841 95.7 1,270 98.2 680 97.9 

Standard deduction 21,752 97.6 7,070 99.8 11,837 95.6 1,266 97.9 680 97.9 

Earned income deduction 7,063 31.7 7,063 99.7 2,094 16.9 313 24.2 48 6.9 

Dependent care deduction 823 3.7 773 10.9 342 2.8 22 1.7 1 0.1 

Excess shelter expense deduction 15,050 67.5 5,672 80.1 9,766 78.9 1,045 80.8 529 76.3 

Medical expense deduction 1,085 4.9 102 1.4 1,078 8.7 9 0.7 7 1.0 

Child support payment deduction 

SNAP benefit 

453 2.0 246 3.5 263 2.1 10 0.7 7 0.9 

Minimum benefit or lessc 1,648 7.4 426 6.0 1,413 11.4 16 1.2 24 3.5 

Greater than the minimum-$100 2,555 11.5 579 8.2 2,183 17.6 23 1.8 63 9.1 

101-200 9,465 42.5 1,879 26.5 4,485 36.2 183 14.2 452 65.2 

201-300 1,537 6.9 974 13.7 882 7.1 144 11.2 33 4.8 

301+ 7,089 31.8 3,225 45.5 3,414 27.6 927 71.7 121 17.5 

Minimum benefit 1,610 7.2 414 5.8 1,380 11.1 16 1.2 24 3.4 

Maximum benefit 

Household size 

9,160 41.1 1,495 21.1 2,953 23.9 438 33.9 350 50.4 

1 11,711 52.5 1,690 23.9 6,767 54.7 108 8.4 520 74.9 

2 4,153 18.6 1,650 23.3 2,352 19.0 458 35.4 74 10.6 

3 2,958 13.3 1,590 22.5 1,506 12.2 354 27.3 48 6.9 

4 1,969 8.8 1,199 16.9 949 7.7 211 16.3 30 4.4 

5 943 4.2 583 8.2 495 4.0 97 7.5 16 2.4 

6+ 558 2.5 369 5.2 309 2.5 66 5.1 6 0.8 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Some States allow child support expenses to be subtracted before gross income is calculated. As a result, it is possible to have countable income but no
 

gross income.
 

b Net income is not used in the benefit determinations of MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits.
 

c The minimum benefit, applicable to one- and two-person households, is equal to 8 percent of the maximum benefit for single-person households. See Table
 

C.6 for the fiscal year 2015 minimum benefit values. 

– No sample households in this category. 

57
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.20. Average values of selected characteristics for participating households with countable earned and unearned income 

Household characteristic Average 

values 

Average values for households with countable: 

Earned 

income 

Unearned 

income TANF income GA income 

Countable income (dollars) 

Gross income 786 1,277 938 779 578 

Net income a 354 590 438 325 198 

Earned income 356 1,122 164 180 58 

Unearned income 429 155 773 599 520 

TANF income 23 16 41 393 5 

GA income 7 2 13 1 234 

SSI 123 36 221 132 166 

Social Security income 

Countable income as a percentage of 

poverty guidelines (percent) 

206 41 372 44 98 

Gross income 58.9 80.8 75.3 47.3 48.8 

Net income a 

Deductions (dollars) 

24.7 35.5 32.1 18.3 14.8 

Total deduction b 

Earned income deduction 

529 731 553 519 508 

All householdsc 73 224 35 37 12 

Households with deduction 

Dependent care deduction 

225 225 194 151 167 

All householdsd 10 30 8 4 0 

Households with deduction 

Excess shelter expense deduction 

271 272 284 251 264 

All householdse 273 301 332 321 327 

Households with deduction 

Medical expense deduction 

394 375 403 389 420 

All householdsd 8 2 15 1 1 

Households with deduction 

Child support payment deduction 

162 157 162 97 123 

All householdse 5 9 5 1 1 

Households with deduction 237 266 204 188 129 

SNAP benefit (dollars) 254 303 225 404 220 

Household size (individuals) 2.0 2.8 2.0 3.0 1.5 

Certification period (months) 13.0 9.7 15.5 11.1 14.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determination, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this
 

category.
 

b Because deductions are not used in their benefit determination, 512,275 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this category.
 

c Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determination, 656,331 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this category.
 

d Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determination, 29,149 MFIP households and 656,331 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this
 

category.
 

e Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determination, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this
 

category.
 

58
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.21. Distribution of participating households with selected household characteristics by race and Hispanic status of 

household head 

Characteristic 

Total households 

Households with: 

Children Elderly 

individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Countable earned 

income 

Countable TANF 

income 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 

Race and Hispanic statusa of 

household head 

22,293 100.0 9,510 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 7,081 100.0 1,293 100.0 

White, not Hispanic 8,757 39.3 3,092 32.5 1,857 42.6 2,047 45.5 2,454 34.7 292 22.5 

African American, not Hispanic 5,747 25.8 2,335 24.5 915 21.0 1,271 28.3 1,560 22.0 375 29.0 

Hispanic, any race 2,538 11.4 1,133 11.9 575 13.2 347 7.7 858 12.1 262 20.3 

Asian, not Hispanic 561 2.5 194 2.0 250 5.7 38 0.9 195 2.8 23 1.7 

Native American, not Hispanic 

Multiple races reported, 

241 1.1 121 1.3 30 0.7 40 0.9 73 1.0 20 1.6 

not Hispanic 192 0.9 73 0.8 58 1.3 47 1.0 60 0.8 18 1.4 

Race unknown 2,788 12.5 1,125 11.8 673 15.4 641 14.3 829 11.7 98 7.5 

Nonparticipating household headb 1,470 6.6 1,437 15.1 3 0.1 66 1.5 1,053 14.9 206 15.9 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Codes to allow reporting of multiple races were implemented beginning in April 2007. We have grouped the codes together to form general race and 

ethnicity categories. “White, not Hispanic” includes “white, not Hispanic or Latino”; “African American, not Hispanic” includes “black or African 

American, not Hispanic or Latino” and “(black or African American) and white”; “Hispanic, any race” includes “Hispanic” and “(Hispanic or Latino) with 

any race or race combination”; “Asian, not Hispanic” includes “Asian,” “Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander,” and “Asian and white”; “Native 

American, not Hispanic” includes “American Indian or Alaska Native,” “(American Indian or Alaska Native) and white,” and “(American Indian or Alaska 

Native) and (black or African American)”; “Multiple races reported, not Hispanic” includes individuals who reported more than one race and who do not 

fit into any previously mentioned value; and “Race unknown” includes “Racial/ethnic data not available” and “Racial/ethnic data not recorded.” Reporting 

of race and ethnicity is now voluntary and was missing for 15 percent of participants in fiscal year 2015. As a result, fiscal year 2015 race and ethnicity 

distributions are not comparable to distributions for years prior to fiscal year 2007. 

b This category includes some households with no household head and no adult listed on the file. 

59
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.22. Distribution of participating households by presence of a household member with selected characteristics 

Characteristic 

Total households Average 

value 

Households with: 

Children Elderly 

individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Countable earned 

income 

Countable TANF 

income 

Number 

(000) 

Percent SNAP 

benefit 

(dollars) 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 22,293 100.0 254 9,510 100.0 4,361 100.0 4,498 100.0 7,081 100.0 1,293 100.0 

Citizenship 

U.S.-born citizen 20,612 92.5 259 9,382 98.7 3,315 76.0 4,343 96.6 6,792 95.9 1,241 95.9 

Naturalized citizen 1,460 6.5 254 468 4.9 748 17.2 169 3.8 443 6.3 47 3.7 

Refugee 163 0.7 348 75 0.8 40 0.9 13 0.3 63 0.9 30 2.3 

Other noncitizen 1,179 5.3 291 533 5.6 417 9.6 95 2.1 510 7.2 68 5.3 

Citizen children living with participating 

noncitizen adults 453 2.0 422 453 4.8 29 0.7 42 0.9 331 4.7 40 3.1 

Citizen children living with 

nonparticipating noncitizen adults 1,369 6.1 340 1,369 14.4 5 0.1 55 1.2 1,067 15.1 207 16.0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

60
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.23. Gender and SNAP benefits of participants by selected demographic characteristics 

Participant characteristic 

Total participants Female participants Male participants Prorated benefitsb 

Number 

(000) Percenta Number 

(000) Percenta Number (000) Percenta Dollars (000) 

Percent 

Total 

Age 

45,184 100.0 25,637 56.7 19,547 43.3 5,667,680 100.0 

Child 19,891 44.0 9,858 21.8 10,034 22.2 2,439,391 43.0 

Preschool -age (4 or younger) 6,119 13.5 3,014 6.7 3,105 6.9 778,638 13.7 

School-age (5 to 17) 13,772 30.5 6,843 15.1 6,928 15.3 1,660,753 29.3 

Non-elderly adult 20,494 45.4 12,728 28.2 7,766 17.2 2,736,440 48.3 

18 to 35 10,159 22.5 6,608 14.6 3,551 7.9 1,365,106 24.1 

36 to 59 10,335 22.9 6,120 13.5 4,214 9.3 1,371,334 24.2 

Elderly individual (60 or older) 

Citizenship 

4,799 10.6 3,052 6.8 1,748 3.9 491,849 8.7 

U.S.-born citizen 41,542 91.9 23,462 51.9 18,080 40.0 5,191,519 91.6 

Naturalized citizen 1,786 4.0 1,156 2.6 631 1.4 228,982 4.0 

Refugee 361 0.8 186 0.4 175 0.4 48,920 0.9 

Other noncitizen 

Citizen children living with 

1,495 3.3 833 1.8 662 1.5 198,259 3.5 

noncitizen adultsc 

Non-elderly individuals with 

3,921 8.7 1,934 4.3 1,988 4.4 505,721 8.9 

disabilities 5,283 11.7 2,926 6.5 2,356 5.2 547,033 9.7 

Children with disabilities 971 2.2 391 0.9 581 1.3 91,428 1.6 

Non-elderly adults with disabilities 

Adults age 18 to 49 without 

disabilities in childless 

4,311 9.5 2,536 5.6 1,776 3.9 455,605 8.0 

householdsd 

Race and Hispanic statuse 

4,600 10.2 2,022 4.5 2,578 5.7 774,726 13.7 

White, not Hispanic 16,574 36.7 9,405 20.8 7,170 15.9 2,020,624 35.7 

African American, not Hispanic 11,772 26.1 6,846 15.2 4,926 10.9 1,513,410 26.7 

Hispanic, any race 7,730 17.1 4,336 9.6 3,394 7.5 1,004,995 17.7 

Asian, not Hispanic 1,301 2.9 716 1.6 585 1.3 177,058 3.1 

Native American, not Hispanic 560 1.2 302 0.7 258 0.6 69,815 1.2 

Multiple races reported, not Hispanic 431 1.0 257 0.6 175 0.4 58,175 1.0 

Race unknown 6,816 15.1 3,776 8.4 3,039 6.7 823,602 14.5 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Percent of all participants. 

b Prorated benefits equal the benefits paid to households multiplied by the ratio of participants with selected characteristic to total household size. 

c Noncitizens may be inside or outside the SNAP unit. 

d With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit. 

e Codes to allow reporting of multiple races were implemented beginning in April 2007. We have grouped the codes together to form general race and 

ethnicity categories. “White, not Hispanic” includes “white, not Hispanic or Latino”; “African American, not Hispanic” includes “black or African 

American, not Hispanic or Latino” and “(black or African American) and white”; “Hispanic, any race” includes “Hispanic” and “(Hispanic or Latino) 

with any race or race combination”; “Asian, not Hispanic” includes “Asian,” “Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander,” and “Asian and white”; “Native 

American, not Hispanic” includes “American Indian or Alaska Native,” “(American Indian or Alaska Native) and white,” and “(American Indian or 

Alaska Native) and (black or African American)”; “Multiple races reported, not Hispanic” includes individuals who reported more than one race and who 

do not fit into any previously mentioned value; and “Race unknown” includes “Racial/ethnic data not available” and “Racial/ethnic data not recorded.” 

Reporting of race and ethnicity is now voluntary and was missing for 15 percent of participants in fiscal year 2015. As a result, fiscal year 2015 race and 

ethnicity distributions are not comparable to distributions for years prior to fiscal year 2007. 

61
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.24. Distribution of participants by Thrifty Food Plan gender-age groups and household size 

Participant characteristic 

Household size 

Total 

(000) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+ 

Total 45,184 11,711 8,305 8,875 7,876 4,717 2,193 732 773 

Children under age 12 

1 or younger 2,371 65 511 681 549 294 159 55 57 

2 to 3 years 2,430 58 462 690 611 330 161 63 55 

4 to 5 years 2,593 41 433 730 656 393 204 75 61 

6 to 8 years 3,891 70 627 985 1,014 659 324 95 117 

9 to 11 years 3,217 53 443 820 862 569 257 98 114 

Females 25,637 6,259 5,191 5,248 4,389 2,592 1,167 394 397 

1 or younger 1,176 31 268 362 252 151 64 26 22 

2 to 3 years 1,197 26 238 332 302 152 84 33 29 

4 to 5 years 1,268 20 214 338 327 202 104 35 27 

6 to 8 years 1,908 45 324 444 507 320 168 47 53 

9 to 11 years 1,600 30 202 428 427 281 121 50 61 

12 to 13 years 1,022 7 157 250 245 195 95 36 38 

14 to 18 years 1,960 53 338 506 448 343 144 54 74 

19 to 50 years 10,222 2,205 2,396 2,359 1,769 917 375 110 92 

51 to 70 years 3,919 2,715 841 219 101 31 8 2 2 

71 or older 1,366 1,128 213 10 11 0 3 0 0 

Males 19,547 5,452 3,114 3,627 3,487 2,125 1,027 338 376 

1 or younger 1,195 34 244 320 297 143 94 29 36 

2 to 3 years 1,233 32 224 358 309 178 77 29 26 

4 to 5 years 1,325 21 219 392 329 191 100 39 34 

6 to 8 years 1,983 25 302 541 507 339 156 48 65 

9 to 11 years 1,617 23 241 392 435 289 135 48 53 

12 to 13 years 934 12 123 268 245 176 68 20 22 

14 to 18 years 2,042 44 393 507 517 316 163 42 60 

19 to 50 years 5,709 2,889 562 695 745 452 212 78 76 

51 to 70 years 2,877 2,029 532 147 99 42 20 5 4 

71 or older 633 344 274 8 5 1 1 0 0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

62
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table A.25. Distribution of household heads, all participants, and non-elderly adult participants by work registration status and 

employment status 

Employment/work registration status 

Household heads All participants Non-elderly adult participants 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Total 22,293 100.0 45,184 100.0 20,494 100.0 

Work registration status 

Work registrant 5,250 23.5 6,939 15.4 6,601 32.2 

Mandatory Employment and Training program participant 2,191 9.8 2,778 6.1 2,758 13.5 

Voluntary Employment and Training program participant 324 1.5 411 0.9 402 2.0 

Not Employment and Training program participant 2,735 12.3 3,750 8.3 3,440 16.8 

Exempt 15,499 69.5 38,129 84.4 13,793 67.3 

For disability 5,837 26.2 6,919 15.3 4,458 21.8 

For reason other than disability 9,662 43.3 31,210 69.1 9,335 45.5 

Nonregistrant, should have registered 72 0.3 99 0.2 97 0.5 

Nonparticipating household heada 1,470 6.6 – – – – 

Unknown 3 0.0 17 0.0 4 0.0 

Employment and Training program status 

Total participating in Employment and Training programb 1,998 9.0 4,985 11.0 2,444 11.9 

Not participating in Employment and Training program 18,825 84.4 40,193 89.0 18,048 88.1 

Nonparticipating household heada 1,470 6.6 – – – – 

Unknown 1 0.0 7 0.0 2 0.0 

Employment status 

Total employed 5,270 23.6 6,517 14.4 6,234 30.4 

Self -employed, farming 5 0.0 7 0.0 6 0.0 

Self -employed, nonfarming 566 2.5 726 1.6 675 3.3 

Migrant farm labor 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 

Non-migrant farm labor 2 0.0 3 0.0 3 0.0 

Active-duty military service 0 0.0 1 0.0 1 0.0 

Employed by other 4,695 21.1 5,780 12.8 5,549 27.1 

Unemployed and looking for work 4,385 19.7 5,703 12.6 5,520 26.9 

Not in labor force and not looking for work 11,165 50.1 32,949 72.9 8,735 42.6 

Nonparticipating household heada 1,470 6.6 – – – – 

Unknown 4 0.0 14 0.0 5 0.0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Household heads who are not participating with the household. Some household heads in this category are ineligible for SNAP or are in separate SNAP
 

units not included in the SNAP QC sample. This category also includes some households with no adult listed on the file.
 

b Employment and Training may be provided through SNAP or another program.
 

– Not applicable. 

63
 

. . 

Table A.26. Comparison of participating households with key SNAP household characteristics for fiscal years 1989 to 2015 

Time period 

Total 

households 

(000) 

Percentage of households with: 

Zero gross 

income 

Zero net 

income a 

Minimum 

benefit 

Elderly 

individuals Children 

Non-elderly 

individuals 

with 

disabilities b 

AFDC c/ 

TANF Ear

Fiscal year 1989 7,217 7.1 18.3 7.5 19.3 60.4 9.1 41.9 1

Fiscal year 1990 7,811 7.4 19.3 5.0 18.1 60.3 8.9 42.0 1

Fiscal year 1991 8,863 8.3 20.5 4.1 16.5 60.4 9.0 40.5 1

Fiscal year 1992 10,059 9.6 21.9 3.6 15.4 62.2 9.5 39.5 2

Fiscal year 1993 10,791 9.7 23.7 4.0 15.5 62.1 10.7 39.4 2

Fiscal year 1994 11,091 10.2 23.8 4.5 15.8 61.1 12.5 38.1 2

Fiscal year 1995 10,883 9.7 25.0 4.3 16.0 59.7 18.9 38.3 2

Fiscal year 1996 10,552 10.2 24.9 4.5 16.2 59.5 20.2 36.6 2

Fiscal year 1997 9,452 9.2 22.7 6.6 17.6 58.3 22.3 34.6 2

Fiscal year 1998 8,246 8.8 20.8 8.3 18.2 58.3 24.4 31.4 2

Fiscal year 1999 7,670 8.5 20.6 9.7 20.1 55.7 26.4 27.3 2

Fiscal year 2000 7,335 8.4 20.1 10.9 21.0 53.9 27.5 25.8 2

Fiscal year 2001 7,450 9.4 22.2 11.2 20.4 53.6 27.7 23.1 2

Fiscal year 2002 8,201 10.5 24.3 10.7 18.7 54.1 27.0 20.9 2

Fiscal year 2003 8,971 12.7 27.7 7.0 17.1 55.1 22.1 17.2 2

Fiscal year 2004 10,069 13.1 29.7 5.9 17.3 54.3 22.7 16.2 2

Fiscal year 2005 10,852 13.7 30.0 5.2 17.1 53.7 23.0 14.5 2

Fiscal year 2006 11,313 14.1 31.0 6.2 17.9 52.0 23.1 13.0 2

Fiscal year 2007 11,561 14.7 31.4 6.6 17.8 51.0 23.8 12.1 2

Fiscal year 2008 12,464 16.2 33.6 6.7 18.5 50.6 22.6 10.6 2

Fiscal year 2009 14,981 17.6 36.0 4.1 16.6 49.9 21.2 9.7 2

Fiscal year 2010 18,369 19.7 38.3 3.8 15.5 48.7 19.8 8.0 2

Fiscal year 2011 20,803 20.0 39.4 4.2 16.5 47.1 20.2 7.6 3

See notes at the end of the table. 

64
 

. . 

Table A.26. (continued) 

Time period 

Total 

households 

(000) 

Percentage of households with: 

Zero gross 

income 

Zero net 

income a 

Minimum 

benefit 

Elderly 

individuals Children 

Non-elderly 

individuals 

with 

disabilities b 

AFDC c/ 

TANF Ear

Fiscal year 2012 22,046 20.5 38.4 4.8 17.2 45.3 20.0 7.1 3

Fiscal year 2013 22,802 21.5 39.4 5.2 17.4 44.8 20.3 6.5 3

Fiscal year 2014 22,445 21.9 40.6 6.4 19.0 43.6 20.4 6.1 3

Fiscal year 2015 22,293 22.2 39.6 7.2 19.6 42.7 20.2 5.8 3

Source: Fiscal Years 1989 to 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control samples. Note: Fiscal year analysis files were not developed for the years before 1989. The fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2015 estimates differ m

earlier years and, in some cases, from estimates presented in reports prior to 2009. Under the current methodology, the weighting of the Sto FNS' Program Operations counts of households to account for receipt of benefits in error or for disaster assistance. In addition, thadjusted Program Operations counts of households, individuals, and benefit amounts. Beginning with the fiscal year 2009 report, we 

Program Operations data from Missouri for every fiscal year from 2003 to 2008. 

a Beginning in 2004, net income is not calculated for MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits. b The substantial increase in 1995 and decrease in 2003 are in part a result of changes in the definition of a household with an individual with a disabil

households were defined as those with SSI and no members over age 59. In 1995, that definition changed to households with at least one member und

least one member age 18 to 61 who received Social Security income, veterans’ benefits, or other government benefits as a result of a disability. Due to 

2003, the definition changed again, to households with individuals under the age of 60 with SSI income, a medical expense deduction and without an 

elderly adult who worked fewer than 30 hours a week and received Social Security income, veterans’ benefits, or workers’ compensation. In 2015, the 

disabilities was expanded to also include non-elderly adults in single-person SNAP households who received Social Security income. 

c Aid to Families with Dependent Children. 

65
 

. 

Table A.27. Comparison of average nominal and real values of key SNAP household characteristics for fiscal years 1989 to 2015 

Time period 

Gross income 

(dollars) 

Net income 

(dollars)a 

Total deduction 

(dollars) b 

SNAP benefit 

(dollars) 

Gross i

perc

poverty 

(p

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value c 

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value c 

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value c 

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value d 

Fiscal year 1989 442 844 247 472 216 412 132 257 

Fiscal year 1990 453 821 251 455 225 408 150 275 

Fiscal year 1991 464 807 253 440 235 408 162 289 

Fiscal year 1992 478 807 258 435 250 422 170 301 

Fiscal year 1993 490 803 258 423 262 429 170 294 

Fiscal year 1994 507 810 268 428 272 435 168 282 

Fiscal year 1995 514 798 265 412 283 440 172 280 

Fiscal year 1996 528 797 275 415 287 433 174 273 

Fiscal year 1997 558 823 299 441 291 429 169 259 

Fiscal year 1998 584 848 321 466 294 427 165 248 

Fiscal year 1999 603 857 338 480 299 425 162 239 

Fiscal year 2000 620 852 355 488 298 410 158 228 

Fiscal year 2001 624 834 353 472 311 416 163 228 

Fiscal year 2002 633 838 355 470 324 429 173 239 

Fiscal year 2003 608 782 317 408 346 445 192 259 

Fiscal year 2004 634 795 312 391 382 479 197 256 

Fiscal year 2005 644 781 316 383 390 473 209 267 

Fiscal year 2006 668 784 323 379 410 481 208 261 

Fiscal year 2007 684 781 325 371 430 491 212 255 

Fiscal year 2008 693 762 329 362 441 485 222 251 

Fiscal year 2009 711 785 329 363 471 520 272 306 

Fiscal year 2010 731 794 336 365 491 533 287 322 

Fiscal year 2011 744 790 338 359 508 539 281 305 

See notes at the end of the table. 

66
 

. 

Table A.27. (continued) 

Time period 

Gross income 

(dollars) 

Net income 

(dollars)a 

Total deduction 

(dollars) b 

SNAP benefit 

(dollars) 

Gross i

perc

poverty 

(p

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value c 

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value c 

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value c 

Nominal 

value 

Real 

value d 

Fiscal year 2012 755 782 343 355 512 530 274 287 

Fiscal year 2013 758 773 344 351 522 532 271 281 

Fiscal year 2014 759 762 335 336 538 539 253 259 

Fiscal year 2015 786 786 354 354 529 529 254 254 

Sources: CPI-U values: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nominal values: Fiscal Years 1989 to 2015 Supplemental Nut

Control samples. 

Note: The fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2015 estimates differ methodologically from estimates for earlier years and, in some cases, f

prior to 2009. Under the current methodology, the weighting of the SNAP QC data reflects adjustments to FNS' Program Operations c

receipt of benefits in error or for disaster assistance. In addition, the weighted SNAP QC data match adjusted Program Operations coubenefit amounts. Beginning with the fiscal year 2009 report, we also incorporated corrected SNAP Program Operations data from Missoto 2008. 

a Beginning in 2004, net income is not calculated for MFIP households or SSI-CAP households in States with standardized SSI-CAP benefit amounts. b Some of the change in average total deductions and average net income between 2003 and 2004 may be attributable to two changes in the SNAP QC d

we revised the way certain deductions are calculated to correct for inconsistencies and data entry errors. Second, given that deductions are not used i

CAP participants in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits are excluded from the average total deduction calculation beginning in 2004. 

c Real values are in constant fiscal year 2015 dollars adjusted by changes in the CPI-U for all items. d Real values are in constant fiscal year 2015 dollars adjusted by changes in the CPI-U for food at home. 

67
Table A.28. Comparison of number of SNAP participants by gender and age for fiscal years 1989 to 2015 

Time period

Total

participants

(000)

Female 

participants

(000)

Male 

participants 

(000)

Children 

(age 0 to 17)

(000)

Non-elderly 

adults

(age 18 to 59)

(000)

Elderly 

individuals

(age 60 or older)

(000)

Fiscal year 1989 18,956 11,334 7,612 9,447 7,623 1,562

Fiscal year 1990 20,440 12,169 8,265 10,143 8,245 1,574

Fiscal year 1991 22,988 13,679 9,300 11,967 9,397 1,624

Fiscal year 1992 25,775 15,204 10,566 13,368 10,700 1,703

Fiscal year 1993 27,595 16,276 11,316 14,213 11,499 1,870

Fiscal year 1994 28,009 16,453 11,552 14,410 11,615 1,955

Fiscal year 1995 26,955 16,025 10,926 13,883 11,118 1,923

Fiscal year 1996 25,926 15,373 10,549 13,214 10,783 1,895

Fiscal year 1997 23,117 13,880 9,233 11,871 9,385 1,834

Fiscal year 1998 19,969 11,967 7,926 10,546 7,772 1,637

Fiscal year 1999 18,149 10,878 7,226 9,354 7,090 1,699

Fiscal year 2000 17,091 10,198 6,891 8,765 6,623 1,702

Fiscal year 2001 17,297 10,347 6,949 8,841 6,789 1,660

Fiscal year 2002 19,041 11,269 7,769 9,712 7,636 1,687

Fiscal year 2003 20,764 12,211 8,552 10,554 8,516 1,691

Fiscal year 2004 23,279 13,697 9,573 11,635 9,720 1,920

Fiscal year 2005 24,794 14,656 10,132 12,363 10,383 2,046

Fiscal year 2006 25,472 14,957 10,515 12,514 10,732 2,227

Fiscal year 2007 25,775 15,120 10,655 12,605 10,909 2,261

Fiscal year 2008 27,607 16,151 11,456 13,359 11,732 2,515

Fiscal year 2009 32,889 18,854 14,035 15,617 14,543 2,728

Fiscal year 2010 39,759 22,405 17,354 18,516 18,121 3,122

Fiscal year 2011 44,148 24,936 19,212 19,926 20,452 3,770

Fiscal year 2012 46,022 25,945 20,076 20,500 21,367 4,154

Fiscal year 2013 47,098 26,447 20,651 20,889 21,845 4,365

Fiscal year 2014 45,874 25,762 20,112 20,271 20,952 4,651

Fiscal year 2015 45,184 25,637 19,547 19,891 20,494 4,799

Source: Fiscal Years 1989 to 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control samples.

Notes: The fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2015 estimates differ methodologically from estimates for earlier years and, in 

some cases, from estimates presented in prior reports. Under the current methodology, the weighting of the SNAP QC data 

reflects adjustments to FNS’s Program Operations counts of households to account for receipt of benefits in error or for 

disaster assistance. In addition, the weighted SNAP QC data match adjusted Program Operations counts of households, 

individuals, and benefit amounts. Beginning with the fiscal year 2009 report, we also incorporated corrected SNAP Program 

Operations data from Missouri for every fiscal year from 2003 to 2008. Additionally, beginning with the fiscal year 2014 

report, we used revised versions of the fiscal year 2007 through fiscal year 2012 SNAP QC datafiles that better reflect State

BBCE and vehicle rules and newly identify non-elderly individuals with a disability, similar to the SNAP QC files since 

fiscal year 2013. As a result, totals for these years may vary slightly from those printed in the fiscal year reports.

The number of participants by gender and age do not sum to the total number of SNAP participants in certain years because 

some individuals have missing or unknown gender or age and are excluded from those columns.

68
APPENDIX B

DETAILED TABLES OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS BY STATE
This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.
 

 

Table B.1. Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by State 

State 

SNAP households Participants in households Monthly SNAP benefits 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Dollars 

(000) 

Percent 

Totala 22,293 100.0 45,184 100.0 5,667,680 100.0 

Alabama 416 1.9 886 2.0 110,402 1.9 

Alaska 34 0.2 81 0.2 13,933 0.2 

Arizona 436 2.0 986 2.2 118,174 2.1 

Arkansas 209 0.9 456 1.0 51,913 0.9 

California 2,070 9.3 4,346 9.6 606,913 10.7 

Colorado 230 1.0 489 1.1 63,249 1.1 

Connecticut 246 1.1 437 1.0 59,317 1.0 

Delaware 71 0.3 147 0.3 18,567 0.3 

District of Columbia 79 0.4 140 0.3 17,647 0.3 

Florida 2,008 9.0 3,654 8.1 470,937 8.3 

Georgia 834 3.7 1,789 4.0 225,391 4.0 

Guam 15 0.1 46 0.1 8,730 0.2 

Hawaii 94 0.4 185 0.4 40,761 0.7 

Idaho 83 0.4 194 0.4 22,307 0.4 

Illinois 1,047 4.7 2,010 4.4 266,509 4.7 

Indiana 372 1.7 812 1.8 98,963 1.7 

Iowa 183 0.8 387 0.9 41,487 0.7 

Kansas 122 0.5 273 0.6 30,999 0.5 

Kentucky 363 1.6 758 1.7 90,054 1.6 

Louisiana 387 1.7 855 1.9 107,005 1.9 

Maine 104 0.5 200 0.4 23,108 0.4 

Maryland 402 1.8 771 1.7 93,226 1.6 

Massachusetts 442 2.0 767 1.7 96,252 1.7 

Michigan 822 3.7 1,565 3.5 193,554 3.4 

Minnesota 233 1.0 476 1.1 50,199 0.9 

Mississippi 295 1.3 633 1.4 75,541 1.3 

Missouri 397 1.8 840 1.9 104,102 1.8 

Montana 54 0.2 115 0.3 13,759 0.2 

Nebraska 77 0.3 172 0.4 19,835 0.3 

Nevada 207 0.9 408 0.9 48,335 0.9 

New Hampshire 50 0.2 102 0.2 10,692 0.2 

New Jersey 452 2.0 899 2.0 107,414 1.9 

New Mexico 200 0.9 443 1.0 54,045 1.0 

New York 1,638 7.3 2,971 6.6 412,093 7.3 

North Carolina 793 3.6 1,611 3.6 191,186 3.4 

North Dakota 24 0.1 52 0.1 6,418 0.1 

Ohio 804 3.6 1,646 3.6 201,022 3.5 

Oklahoma 266 1.2 584 1.3 70,314 1.2 

Oregon 439 2.0 772 1.7 92,512 1.6 

Pennsylvania 917 4.1 1,821 4.0 222,016 3.9 

Rhode Island 100 0.4 173 0.4 22,845 0.4 

South Carolina 376 1.7 798 1.8 99,379 1.8 

South Dakota 43 0.2 98 0.2 12,333 0.2 

Tennessee 606 2.7 1,215 2.7 154,317 2.7 

Texas 1,550 7.0 3,703 8.2 436,285 7.7 

Utah 87 0.4 223 0.5 25,676 0.5 

Vermont 45 0.2 84 0.2 10,225 0.2 

Virgin Islands 12 0.1 27 0.1 4,601 0.1 

Virginia 395 1.8 840 1.9 99,556 1.8 

Washington 568 2.5 1,058 2.3 126,481 2.2 

West Virginia 180 0.8 361 0.8 39,505 0.7 

Wisconsin 402 1.8 792 1.8 83,846 1.5 

Wyoming 14 0.1 32 0.1 3,752 0.1 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

71
 

 

Table B.2. Average values of selected characteristics by State 

State 

Average values 

Gross countable 

income as a 

percentage of 

poverty 

guidelines 

(percent) 

Gross 

countable 

income 

(dollars) 

Net 

countable 

income 

(dollars)a 

Total 

deduction 

(dollars)b 

SNAP 

benefit 

(dollars) 

Household 

size 

(individuals) 

Certification 

period 

(months) 

Total 58.9 786 354 529 254 2.0 13.0 

Alabama 54.5 728 351 459 265 2.1 15.0 

Alaska 50.0 899 451 647 409 2.4 7.3 

Arizona 55.7 799 412 468 271 2.3 10.2 

Arkansas 52.1 729 430 364 248 2.2 17.8 

California 44.5 649 250 533 293 2.1 12.4 

Colorado 57.2 780 314 582 274 2.1 10.9 

Connecticut 65.4 824 249 723 241 1.8 16.4 

Delaware 62.9 841 354 582 262 2.1 14.3 

District of Columbia 50.8 632 349 459 222 1.8 14.8 

Florida 54.8 717 299 513 235 1.8 9.5 

Georgia 50.6 701 352 442 270 2.1 7.6 

Guam 61.0 1,033 546 596 567 3.0 12.0 

Hawaii 58.3 906 499 480 435 2.0 11.5 

Idaho 64.3 902 431 558 269 2.3 10.6 

Illinois 52.7 679 289 483 254 1.9 11.8 

Indiana 54.4 756 370 470 266 2.2 11.4 

Iowa 65.6 896 500 478 227 2.1 7.3 

Kansas 62.4 867 437 509 255 2.2 13.5 

Kentucky 50.2 681 385 372 248 2.1 10.1 

Louisiana 52.2 716 347 436 276 2.2 16.0 

Maine 79.3 1,000 410 659 222 1.9 12.1 

Maryland 63.7 833 384 544 232 1.9 8.6 

Massachusetts 75.4 917 320 706 218 1.7 18.1 

Michigan 61.4 789 349 553 235 1.9 15.8 

Minnesota 66.6 885 523 462 215 2.0 13.2 

Mississippi 48.7 671 371 373 256 2.1 19.1 

Missouri 51.6 704 348 448 263 2.1 16.2 

Montana 60.0 806 379 520 253 2.1 15.3 

Nebraska 62.1 857 419 542 258 2.2 12.4 

Nevada 60.3 805 417 469 234 2.0 7.6 

New Hampshire 78.9 1,044 484 634 214 2.0 7.4 

New Jersey 67.9 878 382 571 238 2.0 15.5 

New Mexico 54.0 762 370 478 270 2.2 15.1 

New York 73.2 904 298 759 252 1.8 20.3 

North Carolina 62.4 821 432 484 241 2.0 8.2 

North Dakota 72.0 930 354 665 262 2.1 8.2 

Ohio 62.8 815 380 525 250 2.0 11.9 

Oklahoma 53.1 722 382 424 264 2.2 15.7 

Oregon 66.8 848 374 571 211 1.8 12.0 

Pennsylvania 70.7 911 366 676 242 2.0 16.3 

Rhode Island 71.8 868 275 764 228 1.7 16.4 

South Carolina 50.8 685 343 419 264 2.1 8.3 

South Dakota 61.0 847 340 608 287 2.3 13.5 

Tennessee 48.4 640 320 393 255 2.0 11.8 

Texas 60.2 875 429 523 282 2.4 12.4 

Utah 58.3 895 453 526 294 2.6 7.5 

Vermont 87.0 1,118 350 921 228 1.9 15.7 

Virgin Islands 49.9 694 391 355 369 2.2 8.8 

Virginia 58.8 782 389 457 252 2.1 14.1 

Washington 65.1 848 369 582 223 1.9 15.3 

West Virginia 58.2 764 457 394 220 2.0 16.2 

Wisconsin 75.6 979 523 537 209 2.0 11.6 

Wyoming 59.8 857 412 530 277 2.3 10.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP 

benefits are excluded from this column. 

b Because deductions are not used in their benefit determinations, 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits are excluded from 

this column. 

72
 

 

 

Table B.3. Distribution of participating households by poverty status and by State 

State Total 

households 

Gross countable income as a percentage of the poverty guidelines 

Zero gross income 1% to 50% 51% to 100% 101% or more 

Number 

(000) 

Number 

(000) Row percent Number (000) Row percent Number (000) Row percent Number (000) Row percent 

Totala 22,293 4,943 22.2 4,458 20.0 8,983 40.3 3,910 17.5 

Alabama 416 93 22.3 91 21.8 177 42.5 56 13.4 

Alaska 34 9 27.3 9 27.1 11 31.9 5 13.7 

Arizona 436 109 24.9 95 21.8 156 35.7 77 17.5 

Arkansas 209 50 23.7 43 20.6 94 45.1 22 10.5 

California 2,070 587 28.3 748 36.1 478 23.1 257 12.4 

Colorado 230 44 19.2 53 23.2 98 42.6 34 14.9 

Connecticut 246 53 21.6 41 16.6 94 38.1 58 23.6 

Delaware 71 11 16.1 18 25.8 26 37.1 15 21.0 

District of Columbia 79 25 31.5 18 22.5 25 31.7 11 14.3 

Florida 2,008 623 31.0 285 14.2 739 36.8 361 18.0 

Georgia 834 246 29.4 162 19.4 312 37.4 115 13.8 

Guam 15 2 11.9 5 34.6 5 29.3 4 24.2 

Hawaii 94 15 16.4 24 26.0 39 42.0 15 15.6 

Idaho 83 11 13.2 16 19.1 41 49.9 15 17.9 

Illinois 1,047 309 29.5 174 16.6 420 40.1 145 13.8 

Indiana 372 86 23.1 74 20.0 163 43.7 49 13.2 

Iowa 183 34 18.6 35 19.1 67 36.8 47 25.5 

Kansas 122 19 15.5 23 18.7 60 49.6 20 16.3 

Kentucky 363 92 25.4 71 19.5 167 46.1 33 9.0 

Louisiana 387 85 21.9 89 22.9 172 44.4 42 10.7 

Maine 104 12 11.6 11 10.5 49 47.3 32 30.6 

Maryland 402 83 20.7 82 20.3 148 36.9 89 22.1 

Massachusetts 442 64 14.4 66 14.9 200 45.3 112 25.4 

Michigan 822 198 24.0 120 14.6 351 42.6 154 18.7 

Minnesota 233 14 6.1 65 28.0 104 44.6 50 21.3 

Mississippi 295 79 26.7 60 20.3 129 43.8 27 9.2 

Missouri 397 100 25.2 80 20.1 167 42.2 50 12.5 

Montana 54 12 22.9 9 15.8 23 43.0 10 18.2 

Nebraska 77 12 15.2 16 20.8 36 47.0 13 17.1 

Nevada 207 49 23.7 40 19.2 77 37.1 41 20.0 

New Hampshire 50 6 11.5 5 9.6 24 47.9 15 30.9 

New Jersey 452 56 12.3 92 20.5 207 45.8 97 21.4 

New Mexico 200 37 18.3 56 27.8 82 41.2 25 12.7 

New York 1,638 135 8.3 315 19.2 865 52.8 323 19.7 

North Carolina 793 198 24.9 145 18.3 282 35.5 168 21.2 

North Dakota 24 3 11.9 5 18.5 10 42.7 7 26.9 

Ohio 804 157 19.6 121 15.1 379 47.2 146 18.1 

Oklahoma 266 56 21.1 62 23.2 116 43.6 32 12.1 

Oregon 439 95 21.6 74 16.8 161 36.6 110 25.0 

Pennsylvania 917 144 15.7 136 14.9 405 44.2 231 25.2 

Rhode Island 100 17 17.0 14 13.6 44 43.9 26 25.5 

South Carolina 376 90 23.9 89 23.7 155 41.0 43 11.3 

South Dakota 43 8 18.0 8 18.9 20 46.3 7 16.8 

Tennessee 606 171 28.3 124 20.4 250 41.3 61 10.0 

Texas 1,550 321 20.7 291 18.8 654 42.2 284 18.3 

Utah 87 17 19.5 17 19.1 39 45.1 14 16.2 

Vermont 45 5 10.1 5 10.4 19 42.6 17 36.9 

Virgin Islands 12 2 17.6 5 38.6 4 29.6 2 14.3 

Virginia 395 65 16.4 90 22.7 183 46.4 57 14.5 

Washington 568 118 20.7 99 17.5 212 37.3 140 24.6 

West Virginia 180 38 21.2 34 18.8 82 45.5 26 14.6 

Wisconsin 402 78 19.5 47 11.8 155 38.6 121 30.1 

Wyoming 14 3 18.5 2 18.3 7 49.7 2 13.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

73
 

 

Table B.4. Distribution of participating households by shelter-related characteristics and by State 

State 

Households with 

shelter deduction 

Households at the 

shelter cap 

Average 

monthly shelter 

expense 

Average 

monthly shelter 

expense among 

households 

with expense 

Average shelter 

deductiona 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Dollars Dollars Dollars 

Totalb 15,050 67.5 3,651 16.4 591 760 394 

Alabama 279 67.0 39 9.4 462 603 312 

Alaska 23 67.9 3 9.2 596 717 434 

Arizona 256 58.6 60 13.7 474 670 324 

Arkansas 107 51.0 9 4.5 356 512 246 

California 1,463 70.7 646 31.2 591 788 408 

Colorado 175 76.0 63 27.5 684 816 424 

Connecticut 197 80.3 86 35.1 936 1,156 601 

Delaware 54 76.2 14 19.9 668 819 412 

District of Columbia 62 78.2 5 6.6 474 516 318 

Florida 1,281 63.8 259 12.9 538 791 405 

Georgia 481 57.6 95 11.4 450 670 341 

Guam 6 41.2 0 2.2 306 452 237 

Hawaii 45 48.6 5 5.6 401 581 301 

Idaho 66 79.9 13 15.5 620 694 343 

Illinois 660 63.0 134 12.8 497 714 385 

Indiana 242 65.0 43 11.6 498 686 339 

Iowa 124 67.5 22 12.1 517 633 298 

Kansas 90 73.9 12 10.2 541 629 317 

Kentucky 204 56.3 16 4.5 368 511 255 

Louisiana 240 61.9 34 8.9 438 595 298 

Maine 86 82.5 19 18.3 847 954 503 

Maryland 284 70.6 74 18.4 617 757 369 

Massachusetts 365 82.6 95 21.6 878 1,005 554 

Michigan 570 69.3 153 18.6 622 802 432 

Minnesota 143 61.2 21 9.1 524 697 351 

Mississippi 140 47.5 13 4.4 354 508 267 

Missouri 257 64.7 33 8.4 434 585 295 

Montana 37 67.8 9 17.1 582 758 392 

Nebraska 59 76.4 14 17.7 615 693 365 

Nevada 129 62.4 22 10.7 499 695 336 

New Hampshire 41 82.1 9 18.2 819 894 445 

New Jersey 347 76.8 83 18.5 691 821 427 

New Mexico 124 62.2 31 15.6 480 625 339 

New York 1,144 69.8 429 26.2 978 1,017 541 

North Carolina 496 62.5 90 11.3 513 687 340 

North Dakota 18 74.9 6 23.4 720 853 472 

Ohio 568 70.6 128 15.9 603 756 404 

Oklahoma 172 64.7 23 8.6 444 573 287 

Oregon 316 71.9 82 18.6 655 840 428 

Pennsylvania 782 85.3 240 26.2 819 881 478 

Rhode Island 97 96.8 39 39.5 955 974 540 

South Carolina 181 48.2 22 5.9 363 548 306 

South Dakota 30 70.3 11 25.3 691 867 465 

Tennessee 321 53.1 35 5.7 376 610 304 

Texas 1,064 68.7 161 10.4 526 664 326 

Utah 60 68.5 15 16.8 557 701 326 

Vermont 45 99.4 16 36.6 1,218 1,218 635 

Virgin Islands 5 41.7 1 5.0 278 402 208 

Virginia 273 69.0 38 9.7 491 604 302 

Washington 443 78.0 99 17.4 667 807 408 

West Virginia 113 63.1 14 7.9 421 526 263 

Wisconsin 277 68.9 60 15.0 639 792 385 

Wyoming 10 71.8 2 14.7 563 677 325 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Over households with a shelter deduction.
 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total.
 

74
 

 

 

Table B.5. Distribution of participating households by household composition and by State 

State 

Households with: 

Children Elderly individuals 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Single adults with 

children 

Adults age 18 to 49 

without disabilities in 

childless householdsa 

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 

(000) (000) (000) (000) (000) 

Totalb 9,510 42.7 4,361 19.6 4,498 20.2 5,587 25.1 4,265 19.1 

Alabama 197 47.2 68 16.3 102 24.5 136 32.8 76 18.2 

Alaska 16 45.9 7 19.4 5 15.6 8 22.8 7 20.9 

Arizona 216 49.4 74 16.9 62 14.3 115 26.4 76 17.5 

Arkansas 97 46.2 34 16.0 54 25.7 62 29.8 45 21.4 

California 1,106 53.4 157 7.6 26 1.3 517 25.0 589 28.4 

Colorado 111 48.3 42 18.3 40 17.4 63 27.3 36 15.7 

Connecticut 77 31.4 54 21.9 51 20.9 48 19.6 59 23.9 

Delaware 34 47.7 10 14.2 13 19.0 23 32.3 11 15.8 

District of Columbia 26 32.4 14 17.1 15 19.5 17 21.9 23 28.5 

Florida 705 35.1 454 22.6 338 16.8 367 18.3 500 24.9 

Georgia 382 45.8 145 17.4 144 17.2 247 29.6 185 22.2 

Guam 10 65.3 3 17.1 1 3.8 3 19.8 2 13.1 

Hawaii 35 37.4 23 24.5 14 15.5 19 19.8 19 19.8 

Idaho 42 51.0 14 17.3 21 25.5 20 23.8 10 11.6 

Illinois 407 38.9 210 20.0 174 16.6 259 24.7 251 23.9 

Indiana 175 47.1 52 14.0 95 25.5 112 30.0 65 17.4 

Iowa 79 42.9 28 15.4 37 19.9 48 26.3 40 21.9 

Kansas 58 48.0 20 16.4 36 29.5 35 28.5 10 8.3 

Kentucky 154 42.6 61 16.8 103 28.5 98 27.1 78 21.5 

Louisiana 190 49.0 67 17.2 95 24.5 149 38.5 62 15.9 

Maine 38 36.2 26 24.7 36 34.6 20 19.2 10 9.2 

Maryland 163 40.6 78 19.3 77 19.0 111 27.6 96 23.8 

Massachusetts 140 31.7 130 29.5 134 30.3 100 22.6 60 13.6 

Michigan 282 34.3 163 19.8 213 25.9 154 18.7 190 23.1 

Minnesota 98 41.9 50 21.4 61 26.0 53 22.8 30 12.8 

Mississippi 126 42.7 52 17.7 65 22.0 82 27.9 67 22.9 

Missouri 173 43.7 65 16.4 103 26.0 111 28.0 72 18.1 

Montana 23 42.7 10 17.7 13 24.3 15 27.6 10 18.8 

Nebraska 37 48.1 14 17.9 20 25.8 24 31.1 9 11.4 

Nevada 85 41.3 40 19.6 33 15.8 41 20.0 44 21.1 

New Hampshire 21 42.3 10 19.7 21 41.5 13 25.3 4 8.6 

New Jersey 197 43.5 127 28.2 98 21.7 112 24.8 50 11.0 

New Mexico 97 48.3 36 17.9 35 17.3 53 26.7 36 17.9 

New York 507 30.9 549 33.5 401 24.5 274 16.8 225 13.7 

North Carolina 344 43.4 136 17.1 159 20.1 223 28.2 167 21.1 

North Dakota 11 45.5 6 24.7 6 23.4 8 31.4 2 8.8 

Ohio 345 42.9 160 19.9 222 27.6 232 28.8 110 13.7 

Oklahoma 125 46.9 46 17.1 67 25.0 78 29.4 34 12.9 

Oregon 137 31.2 90 20.4 81 18.5 70 15.9 119 27.2 

Pennsylvania 357 39.0 206 22.5 268 29.2 243 26.5 131 14.3 

Rhode Island 33 33.5 26 26.0 25 25.1 20 20.3 17 17.2 

South Carolina 181 48.0 65 17.2 71 18.7 129 34.2 62 16.5 

South Dakota 20 47.0 7 15.7 11 24.8 12 28.7 7 16.0 

Tennessee 251 41.5 105 17.4 124 20.5 161 26.5 146 24.2 

Texas 908 58.6 305 19.7 332 21.5 486 31.4 102 6.6 

Utah 49 56.0 13 14.6 16 17.9 26 30.3 8 9.7 

Vermont 15 33.2 13 29.4 13 29.7 9 19.7 5 11.5 

Virgin Islands 6 50.6 3 20.1 1 5.4 4 31.5 2 19.9 

Virginia 191 48.3 87 22.0 91 23.0 128 32.5 40 10.0 

Washington 204 36.0 95 16.8 126 22.2 108 19.0 146 25.7 

West Virginia 70 38.6 32 17.9 51 28.4 41 23.1 38 21.0 

Wisconsin 153 38.2 80 19.9 97 24.2 94 23.4 82 20.3 

Wyoming 7 53.7 2 13.8 3 21.9 5 37.8 1 10.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit. 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

75
 

 

Table B.6. Distribution of participating households by selected countable income sources and by State 

State 

Households with countable: 

TANFa GA SSI Social Security Earned income 

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 

(000) (000) (000) (000) (000) 

Totalb 1,293 5.8 694 3.1 4,559 20.5 5,451 24.5 7,081 31.8 

Alabama 11 2.5 – – 89 21.4 114 27.4 126 30.3 

Alaska 4 11.0 10 28.2 6 16.4 8 22.4 9 25.1 

Arizona 10 2.4 – – 67 15.5 78 17.8 161 36.9 

Arkansas 5 2.4 1 0.4 50 23.8 57 27.3 59 28.4 

California 476 23.0 111 5.4 – – 138 6.7 805 38.9 

Colorado – – 37 16.1 40 17.6 51 22.3 81 35.2 

Connecticut 13 5.4 19 7.7 45 18.5 74 30.0 65 26.6 

Delaware 4 5.5 6 9.0 10 13.9 15 21.6 24 33.5 

District of Columbia 14 17.3 0 0.5 15 18.5 17 21.0 15 18.9 

Florida 61 3.0 – – 391 19.5 451 22.5 557 27.8 

Georgia 14 1.7 – – 151 18.1 187 22.4 265 31.8 

Guam 2 13.9 0 1.0 – – 3 19.0 8 50.7 

Hawaii 5 5.5 5 5.1 18 19.5 22 23.9 36 38.8 

Idaho 2 2.5 10 11.6 17 20.7 24 29.2 36 43.1 

Illinois 39 3.8 18 1.7 179 17.1 238 22.7 313 29.8 

Indiana 9 2.3 – – 81 21.8 95 25.5 128 34.3 

Iowa 10 5.4 – – 31 16.7 45 24.5 77 41.8 

Kansas 5 4.2 – – 32 26.4 36 29.4 42 34.8 

Kentucky 16 4.5 2 0.5 95 26.2 90 24.8 93 25.7 

Louisiana 2 0.5 4 0.9 106 27.5 94 24.2 116 29.9 

Maine 7 6.6 27 26.2 26 25.1 45 42.8 28 26.8 

Maryland 22 5.6 17 4.3 81 20.1 91 22.8 124 30.8 

Massachusetts 34 7.7 20 4.5 147 33.1 158 35.8 91 20.7 

Michigan 30 3.7 6 0.7 201 24.5 236 28.8 235 28.5 

Minnesota 27 11.7 17 7.5 62 26.4 67 28.6 78 33.5 

Mississippi 6 1.9 – – 75 25.4 80 27.0 74 25.0 

Missouri 24 5.9 0 0.1 87 21.8 113 28.5 98 24.8 

Montana 3 5.8 1 1.0 12 21.6 16 29.4 17 31.5 

Nebraska 7 8.6 3 4.5 17 21.6 23 29.7 26 33.2 

Nevada 9 4.5 0 0.2 32 15.6 45 21.7 76 36.9 

New Hampshire 2 3.4 8 15.9 13 26.2 22 44.9 15 29.3 

New Jersey 29 6.5 30 6.6 126 27.8 127 28.2 118 26.1 

New Mexico 17 8.6 4 1.9 39 19.3 44 22.1 76 37.8 

New York 76 4.6 198 12.1 576 35.1 531 32.4 436 26.6 

North Carolina 10 1.2 – – 138 17.4 201 25.4 284 35.8 

North Dakota 1 3.9 0 1.7 5 19.4 9 35.9 8 34.2 

Ohio 43 5.4 10 1.3 202 25.1 239 29.8 239 29.7 

Oklahoma 6 2.2 65 24.6 64 24.0 70 26.1 81 30.4 

Oregon 23 5.3 3 0.8 80 18.1 115 26.3 152 34.7 

Pennsylvania 58 6.3 2 0.2 267 29.1 290 31.7 266 29.0 

Rhode Island 5 4.7 0 0.3 23 23.1 35 34.5 26 25.6 

South Carolina 12 3.2 0 0.1 65 17.1 90 23.9 123 32.7 

South Dakota 2 5.4 0 0.7 9 19.8 13 29.5 16 36.3 

Tennessee 39 6.4 – – 117 19.3 153 25.2 170 28.0 

Texas 26 1.7 – – 314 20.3 339 21.9 643 41.5 

Utah 2 2.2 1 0.9 14 16.4 18 21.0 35 40.2 

Vermont 5 10.1 1 1.5 12 26.1 20 45.8 12 27.8 

Virgin Islands 1 4.7 0 3.1 – – 2 19.9 5 43.8 

Virginia 26 6.6 3 0.7 97 24.6 111 28.1 127 32.2 

Washington 23 4.0 47 8.2 112 19.8 132 23.2 177 31.1 

West Virginia 1 0.7 5 2.7 46 25.7 52 29.0 49 27.4 

Wisconsin 16 3.9 1 0.3 77 19.1 123 30.7 155 38.6 

Wyoming 0 1.8 – – 3 22.3 3 23.1 5 39.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a This does not include households receiving a noncash benefit or a noncountable cash benefit (for example, households participating in MFIP).
 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total.
 

– No sample data in this category. 

76
 

 

Table B.7. Average values of selected countable income sources by State 

State 

Average countable values (dollars)a 

TANFb GA SSI Social Security Earned income 

Total 393 234 600 844 1,122 

Alabama 190 – 552 826 1,033 

Alaska 689 358 584 845 1,304 

Arizona 254 – 622 837 1,257 

Arkansas 147 209 627 766 1,067 

California 510 237 – 994 983 

Colorado – 306 582 803 1,092 

Connecticut 491 176 609 889 1,237 

Delaware 282 114 643 983 1,235 

District of Columbia 289 274 636 746 1,232 

Florida 212 – 599 862 1,217 

Georgia 264 – 572 853 1,045 

Guam 179 112 – 824 1,475 

Hawaii 520 344 576 821 1,296 

Idaho 126 48 560 778 1,126 

Illinois 306 49 599 868 986 

Indiana 186 – 608 792 1,027 

Iowa 336 – 568 890 1,126 

Kansas 302 – 566 783 1,192 

Kentucky 242 385 600 798 1,011 

Louisiana 225 409 556 698 1,040 

Maine 391 11 538 946 1,345 

Maryland 529 184 625 872 1,204 

Massachusetts 437 312 638 900 1,280 

Michigan 366 200 592 850 1,182 

Minnesotac 1 200 642 789 1,160 

Mississippi 140 – 549 716 1,074 

Missouri 228 50 574 795 1,158 

Montana 457 325 550 790 1,164 

Nebraska 310 123 537 817 1,152 

Nevada 312 307 623 916 1,145 

New Hampshire 464 173 607 843 1,308 

New Jersey 342 166 625 895 1,243 

New Mexico 342 241 558 721 1,068 

New York 487 372 630 792 1,113 

North Carolina 275 – 582 917 1,163 

North Dakota 242 221 500 844 1,240 

Ohio 379 237 618 860 1,045 

Oklahoma 236 41 567 752 1,040 

Oregon 437 370 554 907 1,200 

Pennsylvania 375 364 651 851 1,203 

Rhode Island 432 232 637 914 1,176 

South Carolina 217 289 584 817 976 

South Dakota 392 223 532 801 1,093 

Tennessee 181 – 538 793 960 

Texas 175 – 583 843 1,204 

Utah 420 262 600 790 1,296 

Vermont 530 56 613 910 1,528 

Virgin Islands 325 197 – 835 939 

Virginia 278 342 544 822 1,029 

Washington 367 118 605 853 1,326 

West Virginia 275 305 598 806 1,053 

Wisconsin 485 326 660 944 1,150 

Wyoming 488 – 544 745 1,167 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Average values are over households with income source.
 

b This does not include households receiving a noncash benefit or a noncountable cash benefit (for example, households participating in MFIP).
 

c TANF income is not included in MFIP gross income or used in the MFIP benefit calculation. Because of Federal Quality Control System constraints, this means
 

that only a placeholder TANF amount, typically $1, may be reported for MFIP households in the SNAP Quality Control datafile.
 

– No sample data in this category. 

77
 

 

Table B.8. Distribution of participating households by earnings-related characteristics and by State 

State 

Households with earnings Average earned income deduction (dollars) 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Average earnings 

(dollars) 

All householdsa Households with 

deduction 

Totalb 7,081 31.8 1,122 73 225 

Alabama 126 30.3 1,033 62 206 

Alaska 9 25.1 1,304 65 261 

Arizona 161 36.9 1,257 93 251 

Arkansas 59 28.4 1,067 61 213 

California 805 38.9 983 76 196 

Colorado 81 35.2 1,092 77 218 

Connecticut 65 26.6 1,237 66 247 

Delaware 24 33.5 1,235 83 247 

District of Columbia 15 18.9 1,232 46 246 

Florida 557 27.8 1,217 69 243 

Georgia 265 31.8 1,045 66 209 

Guam 8 50.7 1,475 149 295 

Hawaii 36 38.8 1,296 100 259 

Idaho 36 43.1 1,126 97 225 

Illinois 313 29.8 986 59 197 

Indiana 128 34.3 1,027 70 205 

Iowa 77 41.8 1,126 94 225 

Kansas 42 34.8 1,192 83 239 

Kentucky 93 25.7 1,011 52 203 

Louisiana 116 29.9 1,040 63 208 

Maine 28 26.8 1,345 72 269 

Maryland 124 30.8 1,204 76 240 

Massachusetts 91 20.7 1,280 54 256 

Michigan 235 28.5 1,182 68 236 

Minnesota 78 33.5 1,160 82 277 

Mississippi 74 25.0 1,074 59 215 

Missouri 98 24.8 1,158 57 231 

Montana 17 31.5 1,164 73 236 

Nebraska 26 33.2 1,152 76 230 

Nevada 76 36.9 1,145 84 229 

New Hampshire 15 29.3 1,308 77 261 

New Jersey 118 26.1 1,243 65 248 

New Mexico 76 37.8 1,068 82 213 

New York 436 26.6 1,113 77 224 

North Carolina 284 35.8 1,163 85 232 

North Dakota 8 34.2 1,240 85 248 

Ohio 239 29.7 1,045 62 210 

Oklahoma 81 30.4 1,040 63 208 

Oregon 152 34.7 1,200 83 241 

Pennsylvania 266 29.0 1,203 72 240 

Rhode Island 26 25.6 1,176 60 235 

South Carolina 123 32.7 976 68 195 

South Dakota 16 36.3 1,093 81 220 

Tennessee 170 28.0 960 54 192 

Texas 643 41.5 1,204 100 241 

Utah 35 40.2 1,296 104 260 

Vermont 12 27.8 1,528 85 305 

Virgin Islands 5 43.8 939 82 188 

Virginia 127 32.2 1,029 67 206 

Washington 177 31.1 1,326 96 265 

West Virginia 49 27.4 1,053 58 210 

Wisconsin 155 38.6 1,150 89 230 

Wyoming 5 39.4 1,167 92 233 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Because the earnings deduction is not used in their benefit determinations, 656,331 SSI-CAP households are excluded from this column.
 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total.
 

78
 

 

 

 

 

 

Table B.9. Distribution of entrant households with and without expedited service by State 

State 

Total entrant 

households 

Entrant households eligible for 

and receiving expedited service 

Entrant households eligible for 

but not receiving expedited 

service 

Entrant households not eligible 

for expedited service 

Number 

(000) 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totala 893 453 50.7 54 6.0 387 43.3 

Alabama 16 7 43.9 1 5.4 8 50.7 

Alaska 1 1 51.0 0 23.2 0 25.8 

Arizona 21 11 53.9 – – 9 46.1 

Arkansas 14 6 39.9 0 3.1 8 57.1 

California 92 58 63.6 4 4.6 29 31.8 

Colorado 18 12 66.7 0 1.5 6 31.9 

Connecticut 9 6 70.0 0 2.6 2 27.4 

Delaware 2 1 47.4 0 4.4 1 48.2 

District of Columbia 3 2 69.2 0 2.1 1 28.7 

Florida 70 40 57.6 2 2.5 28 39.9 

Georgia 33 11 34.0 4 13.0 17 53.0 

Guam 0 0 51.0 0 8.4 0 40.7 

Hawaii 4 1 32.2 0 2.8 3 65.0 

Idaho 5 2 35.4 – – 3 64.6 

Illinois 22 13 60.7 4 19.2 4 20.0 

Indiana 20 9 47.8 2 11.3 8 40.9 

Iowa 6 2 30.2 1 22.9 3 46.8 

Kansas 5 3 55.9 1 11.5 2 32.6 

Kentucky 16 5 32.5 0 2.8 10 64.7 

Louisiana 22 3 14.0 2 7.2 17 78.8 

Maine 2 1 50.6 – – 1 49.4 

Maryland 20 7 36.8 2 7.8 11 55.4 

Massachusetts 20 9 43.2 2 9.3 10 47.5 

Michigan 21 15 70.8 – – 6 29.2 

Minnesota 7 2 33.4 0 3.2 4 63.3 

Mississippi 6 3 48.9 – – 3 51.1 

Missouri 22 12 55.3 1 6.0 9 38.7 

Montana 3 1 47.1 – – 1 52.9 

Nebraska 4 2 47.2 0 13.2 1 39.6 

Nevada 10 6 57.9 1 6.8 4 35.3 

New Hampshire 3 1 55.9 0 2.3 1 41.8 

New Jersey 9 4 50.0 0 5.0 4 45.0 

New Mexico 6 3 49.5 – – 3 50.5 

New York 48 37 76.6 – – 11 23.4 

North Carolina 24 14 59.4 1 3.1 9 37.5 

North Dakota 1 1 60.9 – – 0 39.1 

Ohio 26 10 39.2 2 9.7 13 51.1 

Oklahoma 34 14 40.7 1 3.4 19 55.9 

Oregon 15 9 57.8 1 8.8 5 33.4 

Pennsylvania 31 20 66.2 1 2.5 10 31.3 

Rhode Island 3 2 61.3 – – 1 38.7 

South Carolina 16 6 36.8 1 8.7 9 54.5 

South Dakota 2 1 48.1 0 6.0 1 45.9 

Tennessee 20 10 50.2 2 10.9 8 38.9 

Texas 102 37 36.6 11 10.5 54 52.9 

Utah 4 1 33.1 0 4.4 3 62.5 

Vermont 2 1 39.0 0 9.4 1 51.6 

Virgin Islands 0 0 34.9 0 26.4 0 38.7 

Virginia 8 4 56.0 0 5.6 3 38.5 

Washington 23 10 41.6 2 7.7 12 50.7 

West Virginia 8 3 45.7 1 7.1 4 47.2 

Wisconsin 17 12 67.9 – – 6 32.1 

Wyoming 1 0 32.1 0 7.3 1 60.6 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

– No sample data in this category. 

79
 

 

 

Table B.10. Distribution of participating households by race and Hispanic status of household head and by State 

State 

Race and Hispanic status a of household head 

White, 

not Hispanic 

African American, 

not Hispanic 

Hispanic, 

any race 

Other, 

not Hispanicb Missing/unknownc 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totald 8,757 39.3 5,747 25.8 2,538 11.4 994 4.5 4,257 19.1 

Alabama 166 40.0 230 55.2 4 1.0 2 0.4 14 3.5 

Alaska 14 41.6 1 2.6 1 1.6 15 45.0 3 9.2 

Arizona 191 43.7 43 10.0 119 27.3 46 10.5 37 8.6 

Arkansas 119 57.0 76 36.5 3 1.6 3 1.4 7 3.5 

California 516 24.9 306 14.8 680 32.9 115 5.6 453 21.9 

Colorado 44 19.1 10 4.5 31 13.3 4 1.7 142 61.4 

Connecticut 106 43.2 57 23.1 64 26.0 4 1.5 15 6.3 

Delaware 5 7.1 4 6.3 0 0.4 0 0.4 61 85.8 

District of Columbia 2 2.0 72 90.5 2 2.6 1 0.7 3 4.2 

Florida 686 34.2 577 28.8 548 27.3 27 1.4 169 8.4 

Georgia 272 32.6 495 59.4 14 1.7 14 1.7 39 4.6 

Guam 0 1.2 0 0.4 – – 12 78.9 3 19.5 

Hawaii 17 18.4 1 1.2 3 2.8 52 55.5 21 22.0 

Idaho 67 81.3 1 1.2 7 8.7 1 1.2 6 7.6 

Illinois 335 32.0 256 24.4 70 6.7 19 1.8 367 35.0 

Indiana 239 64.2 98 26.3 13 3.6 3 0.9 19 5.1 

Iowa 101 54.9 18 9.8 5 2.8 4 1.9 56 30.5 

Kansas 60 49.0 15 12.5 4 3.5 3 2.3 40 32.7 

Kentucky 297 81.7 52 14.5 2 0.6 3 0.9 8 2.3 

Louisiana 121 31.3 207 53.3 5 1.2 5 1.4 50 12.9 

Maine 97 93.5 3 3.3 0 0.1 2 1.9 1 1.2 

Maryland 135 33.6 222 55.2 13 3.2 12 3.0 20 5.0 

Massachusetts 239 53.9 61 13.8 89 20.2 20 4.5 33 7.5 

Michigan 416 50.6 253 30.7 19 2.4 15 1.9 119 14.4 

Minnesota 127 54.5 54 23.1 7 3.0 24 10.4 21 9.2 

Mississippi 85 28.8 164 55.7 1 0.4 2 0.8 42 14.3 

Missouri 242 61.1 89 22.4 4 0.9 5 1.3 57 14.3 

Montana 36 66.7 0 0.8 0 0.7 10 19.2 7 12.6 

Nebraska 43 55.8 12 15.3 5 6.1 3 4.0 14 18.8 

Nevada 89 43.2 50 24.3 33 16.2 13 6.4 20 9.9 

New Hampshire 38 76.8 1 2.6 1 2.3 1 1.0 9 17.3 

New Jersey 151 33.5 138 30.7 90 19.8 22 4.9 50 11.1 

New Mexico 40 20.0 5 2.4 76 37.8 26 13.1 53 26.7 

New York 584 35.6 422 25.8 335 20.5 201 12.3 96 5.8 

North Carolina 319 40.2 392 49.4 13 1.6 27 3.4 42 5.4 

North Dakota 17 67.4 2 6.8 0 0.4 6 23.3 1 2.1 

Ohio 512 63.7 271 33.7 1 0.1 9 1.1 11 1.4 

Oklahoma 129 48.4 39 14.5 10 3.6 25 9.4 64 24.0 

Oregon 329 74.9 20 4.7 8 1.9 27 6.2 54 12.4 

Pennsylvania 510 55.6 274 29.9 6 0.6 108 11.8 18 2.0 

Rhode Island 52 52.2 11 10.9 23 23.0 3 3.0 11 10.9 

South Carolina 147 39.1 205 54.5 5 1.3 4 1.0 15 4.0 

South Dakota 22 50.8 2 3.7 1 1.5 14 32.5 5 11.5 

Tennessee 101 16.7 64 10.5 – – 2 0.4 438 72.3 

Texas 130 8.4 166 10.7 200 12.9 18 1.1 1,036 66.8 

Utah 60 69.3 3 3.0 5 5.5 6 6.8 13 15.4 

Vermont 27 60.2 1 2.3 – – 1 2.3 16 35.2 

Virgin Islands 1 4.5 10 76.3 2 13.4 0 0.3 1 5.5 

Virginia 190 48.0 167 42.4 6 1.6 10 2.5 22 5.5 

Washington 115 20.2 16 2.8 7 1.2 24 4.2 407 71.7 

West Virginia 168 93.5 6 3.3 – – 0 0.2 5 3.0 

Wisconsin 238 59.3 102 25.5 3 0.7 17 4.4 41 10.2 

Wyoming 10 73.0 0 3.6 1 6.6 1 7.1 1 9.7 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Codes to allow reporting of multiple races were implemented beginning in April 2007. We have grouped the codes together to form general race and ethnicity categories.
 

Reporting of race and ethnicity is now voluntary and was missing for 15 percent of participants in fiscal year 2015. As a result, fiscal year 2015 race and ethnicity distributions
 

are not comparable to distributions for years prior to fiscal year 2007.
 

b Other includes household heads that are Asian, Native American, or who reported multiple races that do not fit into previous categories.
 

c Missing/unknown includes household heads for which racial/ethnic information was not recorded on the application, is not available because the application was not found, or
 

is unknown, and households with no household head and no adult listed on the file. 

d Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

– No sample data in this category. 

80
 

 

 

 

Table B.11. Distribution of participating households by use of standard utility allowance and by State 

State 

Total 

households 

Standard utility allowance (SUA)-usage and entitlementa 

Households with 

heating/cooling SUA 

Households with another 

SUA 

Households with no SUA 

Number 

(000) 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totalb 22,293 13,613 61.1 1,828 8.2 6,311 28.3 

Alabama 416 280 67.1 13 3.1 124 29.7 

Alaska 34 13 37.9 14 40.0 8 22.1 

Arizona 436 243 55.6 36 8.2 156 35.9 

Arkansas 209 111 52.9 8 3.8 90 43.2 

California 2,070 1,338 64.6 59 2.9 673 32.5 

Colorado 230 144 62.5 35 15.2 51 22.3 

Connecticut 246 196 79.9 1 0.4 48 19.6 

Delaware 71 54 76.8 1 2.0 15 21.2 

District of Columbia 79 69 86.6 1 1.9 9 11.5 

Florida 2,008 1,066 53.1 135 6.7 807 40.2 

Georgia 834 488 58.5 28 3.4 318 38.1 

Guam 15 – – 8 50.9 8 49.1 

Hawaii 94 1 1.1 45 48.0 48 50.9 

Idaho 83 60 72.5 10 12.1 13 15.3 

Illinois 1,047 508 48.5 124 11.8 416 39.7 

Indiana 372 214 57.4 11 3.0 148 39.6 

Iowa 183 119 65.1 21 11.6 43 23.3 

Kansas 122 86 70.5 12 9.8 24 19.6 

Kentucky 363 213 58.8 25 6.8 123 34.0 

Louisiana 387 237 61.1 25 6.5 118 30.6 

Maine 104 72 69.4 17 16.3 15 14.2 

Maryland 402 212 52.6 68 17.0 114 28.3 

Massachusetts 442 338 76.4 38 8.5 67 15.2 

Michigan 822 483 58.8 112 13.6 219 26.6 

Minnesota 233 121 51.8 34 14.8 49 20.9 

Mississippi 295 165 56.0 4 1.4 101 34.1 

Missouri 397 243 61.3 24 6.0 130 32.7 

Montana 54 33 61.2 3 5.8 18 33.0 

Nebraska 77 54 69.9 6 8.2 17 21.8 

Nevada 207 116 56.3 7 3.3 83 40.3 

New Hampshire 50 27 54.9 13 25.5 10 19.6 

New Jersey 452 268 59.2 61 13.4 124 27.4 

New Mexico 200 118 59.2 16 7.8 62 31.2 

New York 1,638 925 56.5 284 17.3 50 3.1 

North Carolina 793 502 63.3 34 4.3 239 30.2 

North Dakota 24 17 68.7 2 9.5 5 21.7 

Ohio 804 530 66.0 36 4.5 237 29.5 

Oklahoma 266 169 63.4 26 9.8 71 26.8 

Oregon 439 310 70.6 25 5.6 105 23.8 

Pennsylvania 917 803 87.5 9 1.0 71 7.8 

Rhode Island 100 96 96.3 0 0.2 3 3.5 

South Carolina 376 192 51.1 2 0.5 157 41.7 

South Dakota 43 28 64.2 2 3.7 13 29.8 

Tennessee 606 304 50.2 20 3.2 282 46.5 

Texas 1,550 996 64.3 165 10.6 389 25.1 

Utah 87 50 57.7 12 14.0 25 28.4 

Vermont 45 45 99.5 0 0.5 – – 

Virgin Islands 12 – – 0 2.5 12 97.5 

Virginia 395 220 55.6 49 12.3 125 31.7 

Washington 568 362 63.7 88 15.5 118 20.7 

West Virginia 180 122 67.8 8 4.7 49 27.5 

Wisconsin 402 245 61.1 49 12.2 107 26.7 

Wyoming 14 8 59.3 1 8.1 4 32.7 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Because this deduction is not used in their benefit determinations, 29,149 MFIP households and 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSICAP benefits are excluded from this category.
 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total.
 

– No sample data in this category. 

81
 

 

 

Table B.12. Distribution of participating categorically eligible households by public assistance status and by State 

State 

Total 

households 

Categorically eligible households 

Total households Pure public assistance 

householdsa 

Other categorically eligible 

householdsb 

Number 

(000) 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totalc 22,293 20,264 90.9 4,957 22.2 15,306 68.7 

Alabama 416 416 100.0 67 16.2 349 83.8 

Alaska 34 12 34.2 11 31.3 1 2.9 

Arizona 436 436 100.0 60 13.8 376 86.2 

Arkansas 209 37 17.6 34 16.1 3 1.5 

California 2,070 2,070 100.0 550 26.6 1,520 73.4 

Colorado 230 230 100.0 48 20.8 183 79.2 

Connecticut 246 246 100.0 60 24.4 186 75.6 

Delaware 71 71 100.0 15 21.1 56 78.9 

District of Columbia 79 79 100.0 22 27.5 58 72.5 

Florida 2,008 2,008 100.0 345 17.2 1,663 82.8 

Georgia 834 834 100.0 114 13.7 720 86.3 

Guam 15 15 100.0 2 14.6 13 85.4 

Hawaii 94 94 100.0 24 25.2 70 74.8 

Idaho 83 83 100.0 15 17.6 68 82.4 

Illinois 1,047 1,047 100.0 176 16.8 871 83.2 

Indiana 372 64 17.2 61 16.5 3 0.8 

Iowa 183 183 100.0 31 17.2 152 82.8 

Kansas 122 31 25.3 29 23.5 2 1.8 

Kentucky 363 363 100.0 72 19.9 291 80.1 

Louisiana 387 153 39.6 75 19.4 78 20.1 

Maine 104 104 100.0 28 26.6 76 73.4 

Maryland 402 402 100.0 92 23.0 310 77.0 

Massachusetts 442 441 99.7 166 37.5 275 62.2 

Michigan 822 822 100.0 178 21.7 644 78.3 

Minnesota 233 233 99.9 100 42.8 133 57.1 

Mississippi 295 295 100.0 55 18.5 240 81.5 

Missouri 397 99 24.9 81 20.4 18 4.5 

Montana 54 54 100.0 12 21.5 43 78.5 

Nebraska 77 77 100.0 20 25.7 57 74.3 

Nevada 207 207 100.0 32 15.5 174 84.5 

New Hampshire 50 33 65.5 13 25.9 20 39.7 

New Jersey 452 452 100.0 147 32.6 304 67.4 

New Mexico 200 200 100.0 49 24.3 151 75.7 

New York 1,638 1,638 100.0 662 40.4 976 59.6 

North Carolina 793 793 100.0 105 13.2 688 86.8 

North Dakota 24 24 100.0 5 20.8 19 79.2 

Ohio 804 804 100.0 194 24.1 610 75.9 

Oklahoma 266 266 100.0 57 21.4 209 78.6 

Oregon 439 439 100.0 92 21.0 347 79.0 

Pennsylvania 917 917 100.0 260 28.3 657 71.7 

Rhode Island 100 100 100.0 23 22.5 78 77.5 

South Carolina 376 376 100.0 52 13.9 324 86.1 

South Dakota 43 11 26.5 9 20.2 3 6.3 

Tennessee 606 123 20.3 114 18.8 9 1.5 

Texas 1,550 1,550 100.0 230 14.9 1,319 85.1 

Utah 87 18 21.1 14 15.6 5 5.5 

Vermont 45 45 100.0 14 31.1 31 68.9 

Virgin Islands 12 12 100.0 1 6.4 12 93.6 

Virginia 395 103 26.2 97 24.5 7 1.7 

Washington 568 568 100.0 134 23.7 433 76.3 

West Virginia 180 180 100.0 39 21.9 141 78.1 

Wisconsin 402 402 100.0 70 17.4 332 82.6 

Wyoming 14 3 19.6 3 19.4 0 0.2 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Pure PA households are those in which each member (1) received SSI, (2) was covered by a cash TANF benefit, or (3) received GA income.
 

b These households are identified as categorically eligible in the SNAP Quality Control data but are not pure cash PA households. Most are likely eligible through
 

broad-based categorical eligibility or because of the receipt of noncash TANF benefits or services such as child care or transportation subsidies. Most of these
 

households meet the Federal SNAP eligibility criteria.
 

c Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total.
 
 

 

 

 

Table B.13. Distribution of participating households by poverty status and by State, and effect of SNAP benefits on the poverty status of 

SNAP households 

State 

Distribution of households in relation to poverty guidelinea 

Based on cash only Based on cash and SNAP benefits Difference in percentage points 

50 percent 

or less 

51 to 100 

percent 

101 percent 

or more 

50 percent 

or less 

51 to 100 

percent 

101 percent 

or more 

50 percent 

or less 

51 to 100 

percent 

101 percent 

or more 

Totalb 42.2 40.3 17.5 29.8 42.8 27.4 -12.4 2.5 9.9 

Alabama 44.1 42.5 13.4 30.5 49.5 20.0 -13.6 7.0 6.6 

Alaska 54.3 31.9 13.7 34.1 41.7 24.2 -20.2 9.7 10.5 

Arizona 46.7 35.7 17.5 35.0 41.0 24.0 -11.7 5.2 6.5 

Arkansas 44.4 45.1 10.5 32.9 49.6 17.5 -11.4 4.5 7.0 

California 64.5 23.1 12.4 38.8 41.6 19.6 -25.6 18.5 7.1 

Colorado 42.4 42.6 14.9 27.9 48.6 23.5 -14.5 6.0 8.6 

Connecticut 38.2 38.1 23.6 29.4 32.4 38.2 -8.9 -5.7 14.6 

Delaware 41.8 37.1 21.0 28.8 39.5 31.7 -13.1 2.4 10.7 

District of Columbia 54.0 31.7 14.3 40.9 40.1 19.0 -13.1 8.4 4.7 

Florida 45.2 36.8 18.0 37.6 36.6 25.7 -7.6 -0.1 7.8 

Georgia 48.9 37.4 13.8 37.8 41.5 20.6 -11.0 4.2 6.8 

Guam 46.5 29.3 24.2 21.7 35.1 43.2 -24.7 5.7 19.0 

Hawaii 42.4 42.0 15.6 21.2 48.4 30.3 -21.2 6.4 14.8 

Idaho 32.3 49.9 17.9 21.6 48.9 29.5 -10.6 -1.0 11.6 

Illinois 46.1 40.1 13.8 35.3 42.4 22.2 -10.8 2.4 8.4 

Indiana 43.1 43.7 13.2 31.7 44.8 23.5 -11.4 1.1 10.2 

Iowa 37.7 36.8 25.5 27.0 41.8 31.1 -10.7 5.0 5.7 

Kansas 34.1 49.6 16.3 21.5 53.1 25.4 -12.6 3.6 9.1 

Kentucky 44.9 46.1 9.0 34.7 51.5 13.7 -10.1 5.4 4.7 

Louisiana 44.8 44.4 10.7 31.5 50.3 18.2 -13.3 5.8 7.5 

Maine 22.1 47.3 30.6 14.9 40.9 44.2 -7.1 -6.5 13.6 

Maryland 41.0 36.9 22.1 29.7 40.8 29.5 -11.3 3.9 7.4 

Massachusetts 29.3 45.3 25.4 17.5 37.1 45.4 -11.8 -8.2 20.0 

Michigan 38.7 42.6 18.7 30.0 40.8 29.1 -8.7 -1.8 10.5 

Minnesota 34.1 44.6 21.3 27.3 42.5 30.3 -6.8 -2.1 8.9 

Mississippi 47.0 43.8 9.2 36.1 49.0 14.9 -10.9 5.2 5.7 

Missouri 45.3 42.2 12.5 34.6 46.0 19.5 -10.7 3.8 6.9 

Montana 38.7 43.0 18.2 27.7 45.4 27.0 -11.1 2.3 8.7 

Nebraska 35.9 47.0 17.1 23.6 49.5 26.9 -12.3 2.6 9.8 

Nevada 42.9 37.1 20.0 32.9 39.6 27.4 -10.0 2.6 7.4 

New Hampshire 21.1 47.9 30.9 14.5 43.6 41.9 -6.6 -4.4 10.9 

New Jersey 32.8 45.8 21.4 21.7 46.2 32.1 -11.1 0.5 10.7 

New Mexico 46.1 41.2 12.7 30.2 48.8 21.1 -15.9 7.6 8.3 

New York 27.5 52.8 19.7 13.7 39.8 46.5 -13.8 -13.0 26.8 

North Carolina 43.2 35.5 21.2 31.4 39.8 28.8 -11.8 4.3 7.5 

North Dakota 30.4 42.7 26.9 21.3 41.4 37.3 -9.2 -1.3 10.5 

Ohio 34.6 47.2 18.1 24.7 47.1 28.3 -10.0 -0.1 10.1 

Oklahoma 44.3 43.6 12.1 32.5 50.1 17.3 -11.7 6.5 5.2 

Oregon 38.4 36.6 25.0 28.3 38.2 33.6 -10.2 1.6 8.6 

Pennsylvania 30.6 44.2 25.2 19.6 45.6 34.9 -11.0 1.4 9.6 

Rhode Island 30.6 43.9 25.5 21.8 38.8 39.4 -8.7 -5.1 13.9 

South Carolina 47.6 41.0 11.3 34.9 45.6 19.5 -12.7 4.6 8.1 

South Dakota 36.9 46.3 16.8 25.7 44.0 30.3 -11.2 -2.3 13.5 

Tennessee 48.7 41.3 10.0 37.9 45.9 16.2 -10.8 4.6 6.2 

Texas 39.5 42.2 18.3 27.4 45.5 27.1 -12.1 3.3 8.7 

Utah 38.6 45.1 16.2 27.6 45.6 26.8 -11.0 0.5 10.6 

Vermont 20.5 42.6 36.9 13.5 22.7 63.8 -7.0 -19.9 26.9 

Virgin Islands 56.2 29.6 14.3 31.5 42.9 25.6 -24.7 13.3 11.3 

Virginia 39.1 46.4 14.5 24.6 54.7 20.7 -14.5 8.4 6.2 

Washington 38.2 37.3 24.6 29.3 37.6 33.1 -8.9 0.4 8.5 

West Virginia 40.0 45.5 14.6 28.6 51.2 20.2 -11.3 5.7 5.6 

Wisconsin 31.4 38.6 30.1 23.1 34.8 42.1 -8.2 -3.8 12.0 

Wyoming 36.8 49.7 13.4 25.1 47.1 27.8 -11.7 -2.6 14.4 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Defined as the fiscal year 2015 SNAP net income screen (see Appendix C).
 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total.
 

83
 

Table B.14. Distribution of participants by age and by State 

State 

Preschool-age 

children 

School-age 

children 

Total 

children 

Non-elderly 

adults 

Elderly 

adults 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totala 6,119 13.5 13,772 30.5 19,891 44.0 20,494 45.4 4,799 10.6 

Alabama 119 13.4 278 31.4 397 44.8 418 47.2 71 8.0 

Alaska 11 13.1 25 30.7 35 43.7 39 47.6 7 8.7 

Arizona 137 13.9 341 34.6 478 48.5 424 43.0 84 8.5 

Arkansas 63 13.9 137 30.0 200 43.9 220 48.3 36 7.9 

California 718 16.5 1,600 36.8 2,319 53.4 1,855 42.7 173 4.0 

Colorado 71 14.5 164 33.5 235 48.0 210 42.9 45 9.1 

Connecticut 47 10.7 107 24.6 154 35.3 224 51.3 59 13.4 

Delaware 22 14.8 44 30.2 66 45.0 70 47.4 11 7.6 

District of Columbia 16 11.6 35 24.9 51 36.4 75 53.4 14 10.2 

Florida 453 12.4 995 27.2 1,448 39.6 1,694 46.4 512 14.0 

Georgia 238 13.3 571 31.9 809 45.2 823 46.0 157 8.8 

Guam 8 17.1 18 39.6 26 56.7 17 36.3 3 7.0 

Hawaii 23 12.7 51 27.5 74 40.2 85 46.2 25 13.6 

Idaho 30 15.7 65 33.3 95 49.0 84 43.0 16 8.0 

Illinois 269 13.4 574 28.6 843 41.9 939 46.7 228 11.4 

Indiana 118 14.5 261 32.2 379 46.7 378 46.6 55 6.7 

Iowa 54 14.0 113 29.1 167 43.1 189 48.8 31 8.1 

Kansas 43 15.7 87 32.0 130 47.7 121 44.3 22 8.0 

Kentucky 95 12.5 218 28.7 313 41.2 380 50.1 66 8.7 

Louisiana 124 14.5 283 33.1 407 47.6 379 44.3 70 8.1 

Maine 21 10.6 48 24.2 70 34.8 101 50.8 29 14.4 

Maryland 97 12.6 225 29.2 322 41.8 364 47.3 85 11.0 

Massachusetts 80 10.5 188 24.5 268 34.9 354 46.1 145 19.0 

Michigan 186 11.9 396 25.3 582 37.2 808 51.7 175 11.2 

Minnesota 69 14.5 147 30.9 216 45.4 207 43.4 53 11.2 

Mississippi 78 12.3 199 31.5 277 43.7 301 47.6 55 8.7 

Missouri 111 13.2 254 30.2 365 43.4 405 48.2 71 8.4 

Montana 17 14.9 31 27.3 48 42.2 56 48.8 10 9.0 

Nebraska 27 15.6 58 34.0 85 49.5 72 42.0 15 8.5 

Nevada 54 13.3 125 30.6 179 44.0 184 45.0 45 11.0 

New Hampshire 12 11.8 29 28.4 41 40.1 50 49.4 11 10.5 

New Jersey 127 14.2 270 30.0 397 44.1 360 40.1 142 15.8 

New Mexico 61 13.8 145 32.6 206 46.4 198 44.8 39 8.8 

New York 292 9.8 758 25.5 1,050 35.3 1,290 43.4 631 21.2 

North Carolina 203 12.6 493 30.6 696 43.2 764 47.4 151 9.4 

North Dakota 10 18.2 14 25.9 23 44.1 23 43.1 7 12.8 

Ohio 211 12.8 482 29.3 693 42.1 779 47.3 174 10.6 

Oklahoma 91 15.6 176 30.2 267 45.8 269 46.1 48 8.1 

Oregon 74 9.6 200 25.9 275 35.6 401 52.0 96 12.4 

Pennsylvania 237 13.0 498 27.3 734 40.3 857 47.1 229 12.6 

Rhode Island 19 11.0 47 27.0 66 38.0 80 46.6 27 15.5 

South Carolina 113 14.2 253 31.7 366 45.9 363 45.5 69 8.7 

South Dakota 16 16.7 30 30.6 46 47.3 44 45.0 8 7.7 

Tennessee 180 14.9 334 27.5 515 42.4 587 48.3 113 9.3 

Texas 625 16.9 1,435 38.8 2,060 55.6 1,304 35.2 339 9.2 

Utah 38 17.1 80 36.0 118 53.1 91 40.8 14 6.1 

Vermont 8 9.4 22 25.6 30 35.0 41 48.5 14 16.5 

Virgin Islands 4 15.2 8 30.8 13 46.0 12 43.6 3 10.4 

Virginia 118 14.0 259 30.8 376 44.8 372 44.2 92 11.0 

Washington 131 12.3 282 26.6 412 39.0 542 51.2 104 9.8 

West Virginia 42 11.6 95 26.2 137 37.9 189 52.4 35 9.7 

Wisconsin 103 13.0 213 27.0 316 39.9 387 48.9 88 11.2 

Wyoming 5 15.7 11 34.1 16 49.8 14 44.1 2 6.1 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

84
 

 

 

 

Table B.15. Distribution of participants by disability status and by State 

State 

Children with 

disabilities 

Non-elderly adults 

with disabilities 

Non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities 

Adults age 18 to 49 

without disabilities 

in childless 

householdsa 

Adults age 18 to 49 

without disabilities 

not subject to work 

requirements or a 

time limit 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totalb 971 2.2 4,311 9.5 5,283 11.7 4,600 10.2 9,070 20.1 

Alabama 14 1.5 98 11.1 112 12.6 87 9.8 191 21.6 

Alaska 1 1.2 5 6.6 6 7.8 8 9.7 20 24.9 

Arizona 12 1.2 61 6.2 73 7.4 82 8.4 221 22.4 

Arkansas 19 4.3 48 10.5 67 14.8 50 10.9 101 22.2 

California – – 26 0.6 26 0.6 634 14.6 829 19.1 

Colorado 12 2.4 39 7.9 50 10.3 37 7.6 109 22.2 

Connecticut 9 2.0 53 12.1 62 14.1 63 14.3 80 18.3 

Delaware 4 2.4 12 8.4 16 10.8 12 8.1 34 23.2 

District of Columbia 4 2.6 15 10.7 19 13.3 24 17.4 25 17.8 

Florida 97 2.7 308 8.4 405 11.1 521 14.3 614 16.8 

Georgia 31 1.7 137 7.7 168 9.4 207 11.6 378 21.1 

Guam – – 1 1.3 1 1.3 3 5.5 12 24.9 

Hawaii 1 0.7 15 8.1 16 8.8 20 10.9 37 20.2 

Idaho 4 1.9 20 10.4 24 12.3 10 5.4 47 24.1 

Illinois 33 1.6 160 7.9 193 9.6 266 13.2 394 19.6 

Indiana 27 3.3 92 11.3 119 14.6 68 8.4 182 22.4 

Iowa 6 1.4 37 9.5 42 10.9 42 10.9 86 22.2 

Kansas 7 2.7 34 12.5 42 15.3 11 4.0 63 23.1 

Kentucky 26 3.4 101 13.3 127 16.7 87 11.4 160 21.1 

Louisiana 21 2.5 88 10.3 109 12.8 67 7.8 188 22.0 

Maine 4 1.9 37 18.7 41 20.6 10 5.1 44 22.2 

Maryland 25 3.3 70 9.1 96 12.4 102 13.2 149 19.3 

Massachusetts 19 2.4 137 17.8 155 20.2 64 8.3 120 15.6 

Michigan 35 2.2 209 13.4 244 15.6 209 13.3 303 19.3 

Minnesota 12 2.6 59 12.5 72 15.1 31 6.5 96 20.1 

Mississippi 21 3.3 59 9.3 80 12.6 81 12.7 131 20.7 

Missouri 17 2.0 99 11.8 115 13.7 78 9.3 188 22.4 

Montana 2 2.1 13 11.6 16 13.7 11 9.9 26 22.9 

Nebraska 2 1.1 20 11.5 22 12.6 9 5.4 36 21.1 

Nevada 7 1.6 30 7.4 37 9.0 47 11.5 80 19.6 

New Hampshire 4 4.0 21 20.5 25 24.6 4 4.3 22 21.2 

New Jersey 11 1.2 102 11.3 113 12.5 54 6.0 163 18.1 

New Mexico 9 1.9 32 7.2 41 9.1 39 8.9 103 23.3 

New York 51 1.7 400 13.5 451 15.2 247 8.3 474 16.0 

North Carolina 36 2.2 148 9.2 184 11.4 181 11.2 346 21.5 

North Dakota 1 1.2 6 10.7 6 11.9 2 4.5 13 24.7 

Ohio 46 2.8 219 13.3 265 16.1 118 7.2 368 22.4 

Oklahoma 10 1.7 64 11.0 74 12.7 36 6.2 138 23.6 

Oregon 11 1.5 80 10.4 91 11.9 126 16.4 143 18.5 

Pennsylvania 74 4.1 263 14.4 337 18.5 142 7.8 363 19.9 

Rhode Island 5 3.0 24 14.0 29 17.0 18 10.3 29 16.6 

South Carolina 15 1.8 66 8.3 81 10.1 68 8.5 178 22.3 

South Dakota 1 1.3 10 10.4 12 11.8 7 7.4 23 23.6 

Tennessee 17 1.4 118 9.7 136 11.2 156 12.9 254 20.9 

Texas 122 3.3 285 7.7 407 11.0 110 3.0 770 20.8 

Utah 3 1.1 15 6.7 18 7.9 9 3.9 57 25.7 

Vermont 2 2.2 14 17.0 16 19.3 5 6.5 17 20.0 

Virgin Islands 0 0.2 1 2.3 1 2.5 3 9.4 7 24.9 

Virginia 17 2.0 88 10.4 104 12.4 42 5.0 199 23.7 

Washington 21 2.0 123 11.6 144 13.6 156 14.7 217 20.5 

West Virginia 9 2.4 52 14.5 61 17.0 42 11.7 78 21.5 

Wisconsin 35 4.5 93 11.8 129 16.3 89 11.2 158 19.9 

Wyoming 0 1.3 3 8.9 3 10.2 1 4.7 8 25.6 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a With some exceptions, these participants are subject to work requirements and a time limit. 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

– No sample data in this category. 

85
 

 

Table B.16. Distribution of participants by citizenship status and by State 

State 

All participants U.S.-born citizens Naturalized 

citizens Refugees Other noncitizens 

Citizen children 

living with a 

noncitizena 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totalb 45,184 100.0 41,542 100.0 1,786 100.0 361 100.0 1,495 100.0 3,921 100.0 

Alabama 886 2.0 882 2.1 1 0.1 1 0.4 1 0.1 30 0.8 

Alaska 81 0.2 77 0.2 2 0.1 – – 2 0.1 2 0.0 

Arizona 986 2.2 898 2.2 24 1.4 10 2.9 53 3.6 137 3.5 

Arkansas 456 1.0 452 1.1 1 0.1 – – 2 0.2 13 0.3 

California 4,346 9.6 3,850 9.3 224 12.5 28 7.9 244 16.3 1,150 29.3 

Colorado 489 1.1 447 1.1 16 0.9 14 4.0 12 0.8 55 1.4 

Connecticut 437 1.0 399 1.0 18 1.0 3 0.8 17 1.1 21 0.5 

Delaware 147 0.3 144 0.3 2 0.1 – – 1 0.0 8 0.2 

District of Columbia 140 0.3 136 0.3 2 0.1 0 0.1 3 0.2 5 0.1 

Florida 3,654 8.1 2,944 7.1 373 20.9 68 19.0 269 18.0 307 7.8 

Georgia 1,789 4.0 1,747 4.2 17 1.0 2 0.7 22 1.5 97 2.5 

Guam 46 0.1 42 0.1 3 0.1 – – 2 0.1 9 0.2 

Hawaii 185 0.4 169 0.4 10 0.6 – – 6 0.4 12 0.3 

Idaho 194 0.4 187 0.4 2 0.1 1 0.4 4 0.3 13 0.3 

Illinois 2,010 4.4 1,871 4.5 64 3.6 8 2.2 67 4.5 157 4.0 

Indiana 812 1.8 796 1.9 6 0.3 4 1.2 7 0.4 39 1.0 

Iowa 387 0.9 367 0.9 8 0.4 6 1.8 6 0.4 19 0.5 

Kansas 273 0.6 261 0.6 3 0.2 4 1.1 5 0.4 20 0.5 

Kentucky 758 1.7 746 1.8 1 0.0 2 0.6 9 0.6 17 0.4 

Louisiana 855 1.9 854 2.1 – – – – 1 0.1 11 0.3 

Maine 200 0.4 191 0.5 3 0.1 3 0.7 3 0.2 2 0.0 

Maryland 771 1.7 740 1.8 14 0.8 3 0.7 15 1.0 44 1.1 

Massachusetts 767 1.7 655 1.6 63 3.5 6 1.6 43 2.9 32 0.8 

Michigan 1,565 3.5 1,470 3.5 52 2.9 18 4.9 25 1.7 33 0.9 

Minnesota 476 1.1 418 1.0 28 1.5 23 6.5 7 0.5 17 0.4 

Mississippi 633 1.4 632 1.5 1 0.1 – – 1 0.0 6 0.2 

Missouri 840 1.9 819 2.0 9 0.5 7 1.9 5 0.3 12 0.3 

Montana 115 0.3 114 0.3 0 0.0 – – 0 0.0 0 0.0 

Nebraska 172 0.4 159 0.4 5 0.3 5 1.4 3 0.2 15 0.4 

Nevada 408 0.9 379 0.9 12 0.7 1 0.3 16 1.1 62 1.6 

New Hampshire 102 0.2 98 0.2 1 0.1 2 0.5 1 0.1 1 0.0 

New Jersey 899 2.0 752 1.8 88 4.9 3 0.7 57 3.8 110 2.8 

New Mexico 443 1.0 425 1.0 4 0.2 – – 15 1.0 45 1.2 

New York 2,971 6.6 2,256 5.4 447 25.0 33 9.1 235 15.7 233 5.9 

North Carolina 1,611 3.6 1,570 3.8 20 1.1 2 0.6 19 1.3 90 2.3 

North Dakota 52 0.1 47 0.1 1 0.1 3 1.0 0 0.0 1 0.0 

Ohio 1,646 3.6 1,595 3.8 15 0.9 19 5.3 16 1.1 29 0.7 

Oklahoma 584 1.3 569 1.4 5 0.3 3 1.0 6 0.4 24 0.6 

Oregon 772 1.7 720 1.7 26 1.4 2 0.5 24 1.6 78 2.0 

Pennsylvania 1,821 4.0 1,753 4.2 20 1.1 24 6.8 24 1.6 46 1.2 

Rhode Island 173 0.4 152 0.4 10 0.6 1 0.2 10 0.7 13 0.3 

South Carolina 798 1.8 793 1.9 – – 3 0.9 2 0.1 28 0.7 

South Dakota 98 0.2 93 0.2 0 0.0 4 1.0 1 0.0 3 0.1 

Tennessee 1,215 2.7 1,196 2.9 7 0.4 5 1.3 7 0.5 58 1.5 

Texas 3,703 8.2 3,432 8.3 88 4.9 16 4.4 167 11.2 646 16.5 

Utah 223 0.5 210 0.5 5 0.3 6 1.7 2 0.2 16 0.4 

Vermont 84 0.2 82 0.2 1 0.0 2 0.4 0 0.0 1 0.0 

Virgin Islands 27 0.1 22 0.1 3 0.2 0 0.1 2 0.1 1 0.0 

Virginia 840 1.9 804 1.9 18 1.0 6 1.7 12 0.8 27 0.7 

Washington 1,058 2.3 952 2.3 62 3.5 6 1.7 39 2.6 90 2.3 

West Virginia 361 0.8 360 0.9 – – – – 1 0.0 1 0.0 

Wisconsin 792 1.8 781 1.9 4 0.2 1 0.3 6 0.4 34 0.9 

Wyoming 32 0.1 32 0.1 0 0.0 – – 0 0.0 0 0.0 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.
 

a Noncitizens may be inside or outside the SNAP unit.
 

b Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total.
 

– No sample data in this category. 

86
 

Table B.17. Distribution of noncitizen participants by age and by State 

State 

Total noncitizen 

participants Children Non-elderly adults Elderly adults 

Number 

(000) 

Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent Number 

(000) 

Percent 

Totala 1,856 330 17.8 1,029 55.5 497 26.8 

Alabama 2 1 34.1 2 65.9 – – 

Alaska 2 1 40.6 1 44.6 0 14.9 

Arizona 64 11 17.6 35 55.8 17 26.7 

Arkansas 2 0 8.6 1 52.0 1 39.3 

California 272 30 11.2 209 77.0 32 11.8 

Colorado 26 7 28.5 14 55.2 4 16.4 

Connecticut 20 3 16.4 12 58.4 5 25.2 

Delaware 1 – – 1 77.2 0 22.8 

District of Columbia 3 0 8.6 1 52.7 1 38.7 

Florida 338 46 13.7 213 63.2 78 23.1 

Georgia 25 3 10.3 12 49.6 10 40.1 

Guam 2 0 3.3 1 48.1 1 48.6 

Hawaii 6 1 21.9 2 34.5 3 43.6 

Idaho 5 1 20.1 2 33.3 3 46.6 

Illinois 75 6 7.4 34 45.9 35 46.7 

Indiana 11 2 14.9 8 67.9 2 17.2 

Iowa 12 2 20.1 7 54.4 3 25.4 

Kansas 9 3 27.0 5 48.3 2 24.6 

Kentucky 11 3 28.3 6 54.8 2 16.9 

Louisiana 1 – – 0 52.4 0 47.6 

Maine 6 2 36.4 3 51.8 1 11.8 

Maryland 18 4 20.2 8 42.7 7 37.1 

Massachusetts 49 9 18.1 20 41.5 20 40.4 

Michigan 42 10 22.5 22 51.1 11 26.4 

Minnesota 31 12 39.8 16 51.8 3 8.4 

Mississippi 1 – – 1 100.0 – – 

Missouri 12 3 24.0 7 56.3 2 19.7 

Montana 0 – – 0 100.0 – – 

Nebraska 8 3 36.6 4 54.7 1 8.7 

Nevada 17 2 11.4 10 57.5 5 31.1 

New Hampshire 3 1 31.6 1 42.6 1 25.9 

New Jersey 60 11 18.6 28 45.9 21 35.5 

New Mexico 15 0 2.7 8 56.9 6 40.4 

New York 268 62 23.2 100 37.4 106 39.4 

North Carolina 21 7 31.4 12 57.3 2 11.3 

North Dakota 4 1 33.8 2 46.1 1 20.2 

Ohio 35 9 25.3 22 61.6 5 13.1 

Oklahoma 10 3 28.9 6 60.1 1 11.0 

Oregon 26 4 16.8 16 60.7 6 22.5 

Pennsylvania 48 15 31.8 25 53.0 7 15.1 

Rhode Island 10 4 36.4 4 37.3 3 26.3 

South Carolina 5 1 24.4 4 75.6 – – 

South Dakota 4 1 33.0 2 58.9 0 8.1 

Tennessee 12 1 11.3 8 65.5 3 23.2 

Texas 183 27 14.9 90 49.1 66 36.0 

Utah 8 3 32.8 5 55.3 1 11.8 

Vermont 2 1 27.8 1 66.4 0 5.7 

Virgin Islands 2 0 24.3 1 55.6 0 20.1 

Virginia 18 6 32.6 7 39.8 5 27.6 

Washington 45 4 8.2 27 60.2 14 31.7 

West Virginia 1 0 23.0 0 46.0 0 31.1 

Wisconsin 7 3 42.0 3 51.7 0 6.4 

Wyoming 0 – – 0 100.0 – – 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

a Due to rounding, the sum of individual categories may not match the table total. 

– No sample data in this category. 

87
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APPENDIX C

FISCAL YEAR 2015 SNAP PARAMETERS
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Table C.1. 2014 HHS poverty income guidelines

Household size

Contiguous United States,

Guam, and the Virgin Islands Alaska Hawaii

 1 $11,670 $14,580 $13,420

 2 15,730 19,660 18,090

 3 19,790 24,740 22,760

 4 23,850 29,820 27,430

 5 27,910 34,900 32,100

 6 31,970 39,980 36,770

 7 36,030 45,060 41,440

 8 40,090 50,140 46,110

Each additional member +4,060 +5,080 +4,670

Source: 79 Federal Register 3593, January 22, 2014. 

Note: HHS issued these numbers, which provide the basis for the fiscal year 2015 SNAP gross and net monthly income 

eligibility standards. 

Table C.2. SNAP maximum allowable gross monthly income eligibility standards in fiscal year 2015 

Household size

Contiguous United States, Guam, 

and the Virgin Islands Alaska Hawaii

1 $1,265 $1,580 $1,454

2 1,705 2,130 1,960

3 2,144 2,681 2,466

4 2,584 3,231 2,972

5 3,024 3,781 3,478

6 3,464 4,332 3,984

7 3,904 4,882 4,490

8 4,344 5,432 4,996

Each additional member +440 +551 +506

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Note: The fiscal year 2015 SNAP gross monthly income limits were based on the 2014 poverty guidelines issued by HHS 

(see Table C.1). FNS derived the fiscal year 2015 gross income limits by multiplying the 2014 poverty guidelines 

by 130 percent, dividing the results by 12, and then rounding up to the nearest dollar. 

91
Table C.3. SNAP maximum allowable net monthly income eligibility standards in fiscal year 2015 

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Note: The fiscal year 2015 SNAP net monthly income limits were based on the 2014 poverty guidelines issued by HHS 

(see Table C.1). FNS derived the fiscal year 2015 net income limits by dividing the 2014 poverty guidelines by 12 

and rounding up to the nearest dollar. 

Table C.4. Value of standard SNAP deductions and maximum excess shelter expense deductions in the 

contiguous United States and outlying areas in fiscal year 2015 

Contiguous 

Deduction United States Alaska Hawaii Guam Virgin Islands

Standard deduction . . . . . 

1 to 2 people $155 $266 $219 $312 $137

3 people 155 266 219 312 137

4 people 165 266 219 330 165

5 people 193 266 222 387 193

6 or more people 221 277 255 443 221

Maximum excess shelter 

expense deduction 490 782 660 575 386

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Notes: The Homeless Household Shelter Estimate was $143.

Certain State-specific programs did not apply all Federal SNAP deductions in the benefit calculation. Only the 

earnings deduction was used in the benefit calculation for MFIP households. No deductions were used for SSI-CAP 

households with standardized benefits. States with nonstandardized SSI-CAP benefits used the standard deduction 

and the excess shelter deduction when calculating benefit levels for SSI-CAP households.

Contiguous United States, Guam, 

Household size and the Virgin Islands Alaska Hawaii

1 $973 $1,215 $1,119

2 1,311 1,639 1,508

3 1,650 2,062 1,897

4 1,988 2,485 2,286

5 2,326 2,909 2,675

6 2,665 3,332 3,065

7 3,003 3,755 3,454

8 3,341 4,179 3,843

Each additional member +339 +424 +390

92
Table C.5. Value of maximum monthly SNAP benefit in the contiguous United States and outlying areas in 

fiscal year 2015

Household

size

Contiguous 

United States

Alaska 

Urban

Alaska 

Rural I

Alaska 

Rural II Hawaii Guam

Virgin 

Islands

1 $194 $227 $290 $353 $332 $287 $250

2 357 417 532 648 609 526 459

3 511 598 762 928 872 753 657

4 649 759 968 1,178 1,107 957 835

5 771 902 1,150 1,399 1,315 1,136 991

6 925 1,082 1,380 1,679 1,578 1,364 1,189

7 1,022 1,196 1,525 1,856 1,744 1,507 1,315

8 1,169 1,367 1,743 2,121 1,994 1,723 1,503

Each additional 

member +146 +171 +218 +265 +249 +215 +188

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Notes: These maximum benefit values were based on 100 percent of the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in June 2014 for a 

reference family of four, rounded to the lowest dollar increment. 

Due to the unusual nature of Alaska’s terrain and climate, areas outside major urban centers are less accessible to 

food distributors. Therefore, the value of the maximum benefit was adjusted to account for differences in the 

estimated cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in various regions of the State. For this purpose, all regions of Alaska were 

classified as Rural I, Rural II, or Urban. 

Table C.6. Value of minimum monthly SNAP benefit in the contiguous United States and outlying areas in 

fiscal year 2015 

Household 

size

Contiguous 

United States

Alaska 

Urban

Alaska 

Rural I

Alaska 

Rural II Hawaii Guam

Virgin 

Islands

 1 to 2 people $16 $18 $23 $28 $27 $23 $20

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Note: The minimum benefit, applicable to one- and two-person households, is equal to 8 percent of the maximum benefit for 

single-person households.

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APPENDIX D

SOURCE AND RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES
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SOURCE AND RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES

The estimates in this report are derived from a sample of households selected for review as 

part of the SNAP Quality Control System (SNAP QC). The system is designed to determine (1) if 

households are eligible for participation in SNAP and are receiving the correct benefit amount or 

(2) if household participation is correctly denied or terminated. It is based on State samples (from 

the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) of approximately 

55,500 participating SNAP households and a somewhat smaller number of denials and 

terminations. Each month, State agencies select an independent sample of participating SNAP 

households. Annual required State samples depend upon the size of a State’s caseload and 

generally range from approximately 300 to 1,200 reviews. 

TARGET UNIVERSE

The target universe of this study is all participating households (active cases) subject to quality 

control review in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.30

Although most participating SNAP households are included in the target universe, certain 

types of households not subject to review are excluded. Specifically, the universe includes all 

households receiving SNAP benefits during the review period except those in which all 

participants (1) died or moved outside the State, (2) received benefits through a disaster 

certification authorized by FNS, (3) were under investigation for SNAP fraud (including those 

with pending fraud hearings) and/or were appealing a notice of adverse action, or (4) received 

restored benefits in accordance with the State manual but were otherwise ineligible. The sampling 

unit within the universe each month is the active SNAP household as specified in FNS regulations.

DATA EDITING

The estimates in this report are derived from the fiscal year 2015 SNAP QC datafile, an edited 

version of the raw datafile generated by the Quality Control System. The raw fiscal year 2015 data 

are made up of monthly samples from October 2014 through September 2015. 

Households with an incomplete Quality Control review or those found ineligible for SNAP 

benefits were dropped from the edited datafile. Of the 55,508 sample cases in the raw datafile, 

2,507 were determined to be not subject to review (Table D.1). Of those cases subject to review, 

4,298 did not undergo a complete review because the household failed to cooperate, could not be 

located, or all members had died or moved. An additional 580 households were found either 

ineligible for SNAP or eligible for SNAP but ineligible for a positive benefit and thus were dropped 

from the datafile.

31 An additional 101 households were dropped from the file due to internal 

inconsistencies that could not be resolved, as discussed below. The final unweighted number of 

30 Participating households in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been included in the target universe since 

fiscal year 1993. Prior to that, the universe excluded households in those areas.

31 Eligible one- and two-person SNAP units are guaranteed a minimum benefit. However, it is possible for larger 

units to be eligible for SNAP but have net income high enough that they do not qualify for a positive benefit. The 

eligible households dropped from the datafile were found by the reviewer to have a benefit overissuance equal to or 

greater than the recorded benefit.

97
households in the fiscal year 2015 SNAP QC file is 48,022. Table D.2 shows the distribution of 

these unweighted households by State. 

Table D.1. Number and percentage of cases sampled, dropped from the edited file, and included in the 

edited file

. Fiscal year 

2015 SNAP 

QC sample

Percentage of 

cases sampled

Percentage of 

cases subject 

to review

Number of cases sampled 55,508 100.0

Cases not subject to review 2,507 4.5

Cases deselected to correct for oversampling 0 0.0

Cases subject to review 53,001 95.5 100.0

Incomplete cases 4,298 7.7 8.1

Cases completed 48,703 87.7 91.9

Not eligible for SNAP 370 0.7 0.7

Not eligible for a positive benefit 210 0.4 0.4

Eligible for a positive benefit 48,123 86.7 90.8

Dropped due to unresolved inconsistencies 101 0.2 0.2

SNAP households on the final file 48,022 86.5 90.6

 Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.

Failure to complete reviews for all cases subject to review may bias the sample results if the 

characteristics of households not reviewed differ significantly from those of reviewed households. 

In the absence of direct measures of such differences, the ratio of completed reviews to total cases 

subject to review provides an indication of the magnitude of any potential bias. For fiscal year 

2015, the completion rate was 92 percent, 1 percentage point lower than in fiscal year 2014. 

Consistent measures of unit size, income, and benefit level are important to any analysis of 

SNAP households. Inconsistencies may occur in the initial case record information, the 

transcription and data entry process, or the extraction of SNAP information for the selected 

months. 

To obtain the highest degree of consistency between related variables in the data while 

maintaining the database’s integrity, the reported raw data are edited as described in the Technical 

Documentation for the Fiscal Year 2015 SNAP QC Database and QC Minimodel. For instance, in 

most cases, a household’s net countable income should equal the household’s gross countable 

income minus the total deductions for which the household is eligible, and the SNAP benefit level 

should equal the household’s maximum benefit minus 30 percent of the household’s net countable 

income. Exceptions are households participating in MFIP and SSI-CAP in States with standardized 

benefit amounts. These households are subject to different eligibility and benefit determination 

rules, and their data have been edited accordingly. Additionally, if the value of deductions exceeds 

gross income, net income is equal to zero. 

Although most inconsistencies in these basic relationships were resolved in the editing 

process, the measures could not be reconciled for 101 records in the raw datafile. These 101 records 

were therefore dropped from the edited datafile.

98
 

Table D.2. Unweighted distribution of participating households by State 

State 

SNAP households 

Number Percent 

Total 48,022 100.0 

Alabama 1,023 2.1 

Alaska 516 1.1 

Arizona 963 2.0 

Arkansas 1,175 2.4 

California 926 1.9 

Colorado 874 1.8 

Connecticut 944 2.0 

Delaware 885 1.8 

District of Columbia 1,029 2.1 

Florida 1,041 2.2 

Georgia 1,007 2.1 

Guam 468 1.0 

Hawaii 871 1.8 

Idaho 990 2.1 

Illinois 1,008 2.1 

Indiana 1,003 2.1 

Iowa 963 2.0 

Kansas 1,050 2.2 

Kentucky 991 2.1 

Louisiana 944 2.0 

Maine 1,001 2.1 

Maryland 919 1.9 

Massachusetts 929 1.9 

Michigan 933 1.9 

Minnesota 1,094 2.3 

Mississippi 994 2.1 

Missouri 917 1.9 

Montana 772 1.6 

Nebraska 960 2.0 

Nevada 1,137 2.4 

New Hampshire 752 1.6 

New Jersey 875 1.8 

New Mexico 979 2.0 

New York 882 1.8 

North Carolina 1,047 2.2 

North Dakota 445 0.9 

Ohio 994 2.1 

Oklahoma 1,094 2.3 

Oregon 951 2.0 

Pennsylvania 997 2.1 

Rhode Island 986 2.1 

South Carolina 1,065 2.2 

South Dakota 758 1.6 

Tennessee 1,071 2.2 

Texas 885 1.8 

Utah 934 1.9 

Vermont 709 1.5 

Virgin Islands 299 0.6 

Virginia 826 1.7 

Washington 937 2.0 

West Virginia 981 2.0 

Wisconsin 909 1.9 

Wyoming 319 0.7 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample. 

99
WEIGHTING

The estimates for fiscal year 2015 in this report are based on a sample of 48,022 valid 

observations. The sample records have been weighted to match SNAP Program Operations totals 

after adjustment to remove households ineligible for benefits as well as those receiving benefits 

issued through the SNAP disaster assistance program, as these households are not included in the 

SNAP QC datafile.32 The weighting procedure matches to SNAP Program Operations totals for 

(1) the monthly number of participating households by State and stratum, (2) the monthly number 

of participants by State, and (3) the monthly total benefits issued by State. Table D.3 compares the 

Quality Control System sample-based estimates to aggregate program participation data for fiscal 

year 2015. 

The fiscal year 2015 weighting methodology is similar to that used for the fiscal year 2003 

through fiscal year 2014 SNAP QC datafiles. However, it differs from the weighting methodology 

used in the development of the SNAP QC datafiles prior to fiscal year 2003.33 SNAP QC datafiles 

before fiscal year 2003 are weighted to match the monthly number of SNAP households by State 

and stratum, unadjusted for ineligible households or the disaster assistance program.

 Table D.3. Comparison of program data to edited SNAP QC datafile

Sources: Fiscal Year 2015 Program Operations Data and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality 

 Control datafile.

a Adjustments are made for households and individuals who received disaster SNAP assistance only. Adjustments 

are made to benefits for disaster SNAP benefits issued to disaster SNAP households as well as replacement benefits 

issued to qualifying ongoing SNAP households. As a result, the average disaster SNAP benefit per person cannot 

be calculated from the information in this table.

32 The adjusted total number of households and benefits are lower than Program Operations data figures by about 

1 and 2 percent, respectively.

33 Prior to the fiscal year 2009 report, the fiscal year 2003 and fiscal year 2004 SNAP QC datafiles were weighted 

to match the disaster- and error-adjusted monthly numbers of SNAP households, but not individuals or benefits, by 

State and stratum.

. Fiscal year 2015 

Average monthly value Program data

Adjustments for 

disaster 

assistance a

Adjustments for 

ineligible 

households

Edited SNAP QC 

datafile

Number of households 22,522,261 88 229,001 22,293,171

Number of participants 45,766,672 224 582,388 45,184,060

Value of benefits $5,804,619,049 $39,831 $136,899,228 $5,667,679,990

Average household size 2.03 2.54 2.54 2.03 

Average benefit per person $126.83 - $235.07 $125.44

Average benefit per household $257.73 - $597.81 $254.23

100
COMPARISON TO REPORTED DATA

Table D.4 compares the reported and calculated values of selected variables for fiscal year 

2015. Reported values and averages reflect those in the SNAP QC datafile before any editing has 

taken place. Calculated values and averages are based on the edited datafile used for this report. 

Table D.4. Comparison of calculated and reported values for selected variables of participating households

. . Households with:

Variable

All 

households

Earned 

income

Elderly

individuals Children 

Non-elderly 

individuals

with 

disabilities

.

Average gross income (dollars)

Calculated

Reported

786

786

1,277

1,278

912

911

1,027

1,027

1,016

1,016

.

Average net income (dollars) a

Calculated

Reported

354

349

590

584

434

427

488

481

489

484

.

Average total deduction (dollars) b

Calculated

Reported

529

527

731

732

542

541

625

624

565

564

.

Average SNAP benefit (dollars)

Calculated

Reported c

254 

254

303

304

128 

127

393 

393

193

193

.

Percentage with zero gross income

Calculated

Reported

22.2

22.3

0.0

0.1

7.0

7.0

13.3

13.6

0.0

0.0

.

Percentage with zero net income

Calculated

Reported

39.6

41.9

21.0

21.6

19.9

25.0

32.6

33.5

12.8

17.1

.

Percentage with minimum benefit

Calculated

Reported

. 

7.2

6.7 

. 

5.9

5.2

. 

19.2

18.3

. 

1.7 

1.4 

. 

10.4 

9.8 

. 

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control datafile.

a Because net income is not used in their benefit determination, 29,149 households participating in MFIP and 512,275 households 

participating in an SSI-CAP program in States that use standardized SSI-CAP benefits are excluded from this comparison.

b Because deductions are not used in their benefit determination, 512,275 SSI-CAP households in States that use standardized SSICAP benefits are excluded from this comparison.

c Reported benefit adjusted for reported overissuance errors, underissuance errors, and partial benefits received in the initial 

certification month. 

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APPENDIX E

SAMPLING ERROR OF ESTIMATES
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SAMPLING ERROR OF ESTIMATES

The estimates of the characteristics of SNAP households in this report are based on a sample 

of households and, consequently, are subject to statistical sampling error. One indicator of the 

magnitude of the sampling error associated with a given estimate is its standard error. Standard 

error measures the variation in estimated values that would be observed if multiple replications of 

the sample were drawn. The magnitude of the standard error depends upon (1) the degree of 

variation in the variable within the population from which the sample is drawn; (2) the design of 

the sample, including such issues as stratification and sampling probabilities; and (3) the size of 

the sample on which the estimate is based. This appendix presents estimates of the standard errors 

associated with key statistics and describes the methods for estimating the standard errors of other 

statistics for which standard errors have not been directly calculated. 

STANDARD ERRORS

The standard error of an estimated proportion of households ( S p ) based on a simple random 

sample is:

(1) Sp = [ ] p pN n n N (1 )( )]/[( 1) −− − , 

where p is the weighted estimate of the proportion, N is the number of households in the 

population, and n is the sample size.34 The standard error of an estimated number of households 

( S N ) based on a simple random sample is: 

(2) S S N = N p . 

These formulas for the standard errors of estimates based on a simple random sample do not 

necessarily apply to estimates derived from more complex samples, such as the stratified design 

of the SNAP QC sample. In this appendix, standard errors calculated using Equations (1) and 

(2) are referred to as “naive standard errors.” Standard errors can be estimated more accurately 

using a bootstrap method. 

34 More precisely, n is the sample size (number of households) corresponding to the population that forms the 

denominator or “base” of the proportion being estimated. When the base is all SNAP households in fiscal year 2015

n = 48, 022 . Sample sizes for selected demographic subgroups for fiscal year 2015 are shown in the sample size column 

of Table E.1. For subgroups not shown in Table E.1, the sample size can be approximated by multiplying the total 

sample size (48,022) by the ratio of the subgroup population size to the total population size (N). For example, in fiscal 

year 2015, N = 22, 293, 000 and there were 4,361,000 elderly households (households with at least one or more elderly 

individuals). Thus, the approximate sample size for elderly households in fiscal year 2015 would be calculated as

(4,361,000/ 22, 293,000) (48,022) 9,394 x = . In this case, the approximation can be compared to the true sample size 

of households with elderly individuals of 9,231, as shown in Table E.1.

105
The bootstrap method requires the computation of 500 sets of replicate household weights. 

Each set is calculated using a nonlinear programming method based on a random sample of the 

SNAP QC datafile. These replicate weights then are used to calculate standard errors. The 

following discussion presents standard errors of selected estimates that were computed using the 

bootstrap method. It then presents a simple method for approximating standard errors of estimates 

for which individual standard errors have not been computed. 

STANDARD ERRORS OF ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF HOUSEHOLDS

The standard errors of selected estimates of SNAP households in fiscal year 2015 are shown 

in Table E.1. These standard errors can be used to compute confidence intervals for the estimated 

number of households with a particular characteristic.35 For example, the estimated number of 

SNAP households that receive the minimum benefit is 1,610,000 (Table A.1) and the 

corresponding standard error is 36,822 (Table E.1). The 95 percent confidence interval thus 

extends from 1,536,000 to 1,684,000.36

For standard errors not shown in Table E.1, the approximate standard error ( SE ) of an 

estimated number of households for fiscal year 2015 can be calculated using Equation (3): 

(3) SE N = S d , 

where S N is the naive standard error from Equation (2) above and d is the square root of the design 

effect for the population subgroup and characteristic of interest from Table E.2. The design effect 

reflects the loss of precision due to the different sampling rates in different strata of the SNAP QC 

sample. It is the ratio of the variance computed by the bootstrap method (Table E.1) to the naive 

variance.37 When the population subgroup (for example, households with an elderly individual) is 

listed in Table E.2 but the characteristic of interest is not, the average square root of the design 

effect for the subgroup from the right-hand column of Table E.2 is used. When neither the 

subgroup nor the characteristic is listed, use the average square root of the design effect for all 

SNAP households, 1.61. 

For example, to estimate the standard error of the number of households containing an elderly 

individual with zero net income, the first step is to obtain the size of the estimate. As shown in 

Table A.3, 868,000 households with elderly individuals have zero net income. 

35 A confidence interval is a range of values that will contain the true value of an estimated characteristic with a 

known probability. For instance, a 95 percent confidence interval extends approximately two standard errors above 

and below the estimated value for a characteristic, and 95 percent of all confidence intervals will contain the true 

value.

36 Calculated as: (1,610,000 (2 36,822)) 1,536,000 − = x and (1,610, 000 (2 36,822)) 1,684, 000 + = x . 

37 The variance and naive variance are the standard error and naive standard error squared, respectively.

106
The next step is to calculate the naive standard error. Using Equations (1) and (2), the value 

is 18,108.38 Multiplying 18,108 by the square root of the design effect (d), 1.74, from Table E.2 

yields an estimated standard error of 31,542. 

STANDARD ERRORS OF ESTIMATED PERCENTAGES

Comparing Equations (1) and (2), it is apparent that the standard error of an estimated 

percentage of households, S p , is equal to the standard error of the corresponding count of 

households, S N , divided by the number of households in the population that forms the base of the 

percentage:

(3) =p N S SN . 

For example, Table A.17 shows that, of the 9,510,000 households with children, 1,267,000

(13.3 percent) have no gross income. The standard error ( S N ) of the number of households with 

children with no gross income is 32,600 (Table E.1). To calculate Sp the standard error of the 

corresponding percentage estimate, simply divide S N by the number of households in the 

population that forms the base of the percentage—in this case, 9,510,000 households with children. 

The resulting standard error of the percentage estimate is 0.3 percentage points, and the 

corresponding 95 percent confidence interval extends from 12.6 to 14.0 percent around the point 

estimate of 13.3 percent. 

Equation (4) can also be applied to standard errors not shown in Table E.1. First, calculate the 

adjusted naive standard error of the number of households using Equation (3). Then, divide the 

resulting standard error by the size of the population that forms the base of the percentage. 

Returning to an earlier example—of the 4,361,000 households with elderly individuals, 868,000 

(19.9 percent) have zero net income. Dividing the adjusted naive standard error (calculated above 

as 31,542) by 4,361,000 yields an adjusted naive standard error of the percentage estimate of 0.7 

percentage points. 

STANDARD ERRORS OF ESTIMATED MEANS

The standard errors for selected estimated means for fiscal year 2015 are provided in Table 

E.3. For example, the standard error of the mean gross income for all SNAP households in fiscal 

year 2015 is $3.49 (Table E.3) and the mean itself is $786 (Table A.2). Therefore, a 95 percent 

confidence interval extends from approximately $779 to $793. 

Generalized approximation methods such as that used in Equation (3) work well for standard 

errors of estimated numbers and percentages because the standard errors depend only upon the 

38 Equation (1):

[(868, 000/4, 361, 000) (1 (868, 000/4, 361, 000)) (4, 361, 000 9, 231)]/[(9, 231 1) 4, 361, 000] 0.00415 xx x − − −=

Equation (2): 4, 361, 000 0.00415 18,108 x = , 

where 4,361,000 is the estimated population of elderly households, 868,000 is the estimated population of elderly 

households with zero net income, 9,231 is the sample size of elderly households (Table E.1), and 18,108 is the standard 

error.

107
sample size, the estimated proportion, and the design effects. Generalized methods are less 

appropriate for standard errors of means because the standard error depends upon the variance as 

well as the sample size and design effects. Nevertheless, a rough approximation of the magnitude 

of standard errors of means not included in Table E.3 can be obtained from Table E.4. Table E.4 

shows for each variable in Table E.3 the average, minimum, and maximum value of that variable’s 

standard error as a percentage of the variable’s mean value. These three values are shown for all 

SNAP households and for selected subgroups. The standard errors in Table E.4 incorporate design 

effects.

108
Table E.1. Standard errors of estimated numbers of SNAP households

. Households (000) with: . . 

. 

Zero gross 

income

Zero net 

income

Minimum 

benefits

Earned 

income

Elderly 

individuals Children 

School-age 

children

Non-elderly 

individuals 

with 

disabilities

Sample 

size

Estimated 

population 

(000)

All SNAP households 76.26 103.89 36.82 79.36 56.69 86.07 67.70 55.25 48,022 22,293

With elderly 

individuals 19.61 31.58 27.64 19.48 56.69 14.16 13.93 9.67 9,231 4,361

Without elderly 

individuals 73.25 97.27 25.81 77.15 n.a. 84.45 66.72 53.90 38,791 17,932

With children 32.60 49.56 14.17 73.41 14.16 86.07 67.70 35.81 20,423 9,510

With school-age 

children 29.36 45.40 12.41 57.96 13.93 67.70 67.70 32.63 16,066 7,561

Without children 67.92 89.12 34.24 40.80 55.79 n.a. n.a. 44.23 27,599 12,783

With earnings n.a. 39.97 20.51 79.36 19.48 73.41 57.96 21.08 15,073 7,081

With non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities

0.00 23.40 18.66 21.08 9.67 35.81 32.63 55.25 10,659 4,498

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.

Note: Standard errors were estimated using the bootstrap method.

n.a. = not applicable.

109
Table E.2. Square root of design effects (d) for standard errors of estimated numbers or percentages of SNAP households

. Households with: . 

Base of estimated 

number

Zero gross 

income

Zero net 

income

Minimum 

benefits

Earned 

income

Elderly 

individuals Children 

School-age 

children

Non-elderly 

individuals 

with 

disabilities

Average square 

root of design 

effect

All SNAP households 1.80 2.09 1.40 1.68 1.40 1.71 1.41 1.35 1.61

With elderly 

individuals 1.70 1.74 1.55 1.64 n.a. 1.54 1.56 1.38 1.59

Without elderly 

individuals 1.84 2.15 1.40 1.75 n.a. 1.86 1.49 1.38 1.69

With children 1.44 1.59 1.63 2.22 1.53 n.a. 2.52 1.54 1.78

With school-age 

children 1.53 1.66 1.63 1.95 1.55 n.a. n.a. 1.50 1.64

Without children 1.95 2.33 1.41 1.50 1.55 n.a. n.a. 1.34 1.68

With earnings n.a. 1.70 1.52 n.a. 1.62 2.89 2.04 1.45 1.87

With non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities

0.00 1.61 1.40 1.56 1.46 1.79 1.69 n.a. 1.59

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.

Note: The design effect is the ratio of the variance computed by the bootstrap method to the naive variance for the specific cell of the table. The average square root of design 

effect for each row is a simple arithmetic average of the values for each cell in the row.

n.a. = not applicable.

110
Table E.3. Standard errors of estimated means

. 

Gross 

income

Net 

income Benefits

All 

deductions

Total 

resources

Household 

size

Certification 

period Earnings a TANF a SSI a

Shelter 

deduction a

All SNAP households 3.49 1.40 0.27 2.37 0.59 0.00 0.05 7.40 6.07 4.50 1.70

With elderly 

individuals 7.18 6.30 1.53 5.51 2.02 0.01 0.17 37.27 16.32 8.59 5.23

Without elderly

individuals 4.17 1.89 0.69 2.64 0.57 0.00 0.05 7.44 6.19 5.09 1.79

With children 5.62 4.27 2.32 3.38 0.87 0.02 0.03 10.02 6.23 10.16 2.14

With school-age 

children 7.22 5.71 2.76 3.79 0.99 0.03 0.03 11.86 7.85 11.10 2.51

Without children 5.06 3.29 0.73 2.85 0.79 0.00 0.08 12.62 26.18 5.14 2.76

With earnings 7.30 6.13 2.00 3.74 1.10 0.02 0.04 7.40 14.94 12.03 2.45

With non-elderly 

individuals with 

disabilities

6.30 6.50 2.17 4.92 1.23 0.02 0.16 29.88 12.13 5.07 4.53

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.

Note: Standard errors were estimated using the bootstrap method.

a For households with a nonzero amount.

111
Table E.4. Range of standard errors of mean amounts expressed as a percentage of the mean amount

.

Standard error as

percentage of the mean amount

Number of households in base of mean (000) Average a Lowest b Highest c

22,293 (All SNAP households) 0.8 0.0 3.4

4,361 (Households with elderly individuals) 2.5 0.8 7.1

9,510 (Households with children) 1.1 0.3 4.2

7,081 (Households with earnings) 1.4 0.4 4.6

4,498 (Households with non-elderly individuals with disabilities) 2.2 0.6 8.7

Source: Fiscal Year 2015 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control sample.

Note: Standard errors from Table E.3 and mean amounts from applicable text tables.

a Average standard error across all 11 variables in Table E.3 expressed as a percentage of the mean amount. 

b Lowest of the standard errors across all 11 variables in Table E.3 expressed as a percentage of the mean amount.

c Highest of the standard errors across all 11 variables in Table E.3 expressed as a percentage of the mean amount.

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APPENDIX F

DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT
This page has been left blank for double-sided copying.
4. Local Agency

9.SNAP Allotment Under Review

PRIVACY ACT/PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0299. The to complete this collection is estimated to average 1.056 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. This report is required under provisions of 7 CFR 275.14. This needed for the review of State performance in determining recipient eligibility. The information is used to determine State compliance, anreport may result in a finding of non-compliance.

Section 2 - Detailed Error Findings

12. Element

3. State 

13. Nature

2. Case Number

14. Cause 15. Error Finding

1. QC Review Number

16. Error Amount 17. Discovery 18. Verified 19. Occurre

a. Date

Section 1 - Review Summary

8. Findings 

7. Disposition

5. Sample Month 

10. Error Amount

U.S. Department of Agriculture - Food and Nutrition Service

QUALITY CONTROL REVIEW SCHEDULE

13425678

FORM FNS-380-1 (11-12) Previous Editions Obsolete SBU Electronic Form Version D

115
Section 3 - Household Characteristics

20. Most Recent Cert. Action  Month, Day, Year

21. Type of Action 22. Length of Cert. Period 

 #of months

23. Allotment Adjustment 24. A

Allot

 25. Number of Household Members

 26. Receipt of Expedited Service

27. Authorized Representative  Used at Application

28. Categorical Eligibility 29. Repor

Resources:

30. Liquid 31. Property 

(excluding home)

32a. Vehicle 32b. Status 

2nd Vehicle

33. Countable Vehicle Assets

Income:

35. Gross 36. Net

Deductions:

37. Earned Income 38. Medical 39. Dependent Care 40. Child Support 41. Shelte

 Additional Information on  Shelter Costs:

43. Rent/Mortgage 44. Use of SUA 

a. Usage b. Proration

45. Utilities (SUA or Actual)

116
Section 4 - Information on Each Household Member

46. Person Number

47. SNAP Participation

48. Relation  to Head  of HH

49. Age 50. Sex 51. Race 52. Citizen 

Status

53. Edu. Level

54. Employment Status Hours

55. SNAP Work Reg.

56. SE & T

You may record information on up to 16 individuals using additional pages.

117
Section 5 - Income Identified by Household Member

61. Amount Source 2 62. Income Type 63. Amount Source 3 64. Income Type 65. Amount So

66. 

Section 7 - Optional For State Use

1.2.3.4.

59. Person NumberYou may record income on up to 10 individuals by using additional pages.

Source 1 60. Income Type

Section 6 - Reserved Coding

118

68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76.
INDEX
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INDEX

Page(s) 

Able-bodied adults ....................................... (see Non-elderly childless adults without disabilities) 

Age .................... 4, 7, 8, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 29-33, 37, 38, 52-54, 61, 62, 65, 68, 75, 84, 85, 87 

Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill) ...............................................................................3, 29 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) ...........................................11, 27, 29 

Asset limit ......................................................................................................... (see Resource limit) 

Assets, countable...................................................................................................... (see Resources) 

Asylees ...........................................................................................................................................32 

Benefits ................................................... 1, 3-5, 7-11, 13-17, 20-23, 29-33, 37-43, 45-47, 49, 50, 

52, 53, 55-58, 60, 61, 64-68, 71, 72, 76, 77, 78, 81-83, 

92, 93, 97, 98, 100, 101, 106, 109-111 

Maximum ........................................... 1, 9, 10, 16, 29, 31, 37, 38, 45-47, 49, 50, 55, 57, 93, 98 

Minimum..............................4, 9, 31, 37, 38, 46, 47, 50, 55, 57, 64, 65, 93, 101, 106, 109, 110 

Prorated ........................................................................................................................21, 22, 61 

Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) ......................................................4, 5, 10, 27, 29, 68 

Categorically eligible households ................................................................. 4, 7, 29, 32, 39, 40, 82 

Certification period (see also Expedited service, Recertification) .............9, 29, 31, 38, 50, 53, 111 

Child support income .............................................................................................16, 33, 42, 43, 46 

Child support payment deduction ......................................................... 6, 29, 33, 46, 47, 49, 55-58 

Children............................................................................. 4-8, 13, 14, 16-22, 29-33, 37-39, 41, 42, 

44-49, 51-57, 59-62, 64, 65, 68, 75, 84-87, 101, 107, 109, 112 

Citizenship (see also Noncitizen) .............................7, 21, 22, 31, 32, 37, 38, 60, 61, 64, 65, 86, 87 

Contributions......................................................................................................................33, 42, 43 

Countable resources .....................................................4, 6, 8, 29, 30, 32, 39, 40, 55, 72, 73, 76, 77 

Deductions ............................................................. 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 23, 29-33, 38, 43, 46-49, 53, 

55-58, 65, 66, 67, 72, 74, 78, 81, 92, 98, 101, 111 

 Child support payment ...................................................................... 6, 29, 33, 46-47, 49, 55-58

Dependent care.............................................................................................. 6, 30, 46-48, 55-58 

 Earned income ........................................................................................ 6, 30, 46-48, 55-58, 78 

Excess shelter expense ............................................................... 6, 30, 46, 47, 49, 55-58, 74, 92 

Medical ................................................................................................... 6, 11, 31, 46-48, 55-58 

Standard .................................................................................5, 6, 10, 11, 31, 33, 49, 55, 57, 92 

Deemed income .......................................................................................................................30, 33 

Dependent care deduction ................................................................................... 6, 30, 46-48, 55-58 

Deportees ...................................................................................................................................7, 32 

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Earned income ............. 3, 7, 10, 14, 16-19, 21, 29, 30, 37, 38, 42-50, 55-60, 76-78, 101, 109, 110 

Earned income deduction .............................................................................. 6, 30, 46-48, 55-58, 78 

Educational loans .......................................................................................................................5, 33 

Elderly individuals ......................................................................... 3-6, 9-11, 13, 14, 16-22, 30-32, 

37-39, 41, 42, 44-50, 52-57, 59-61, 64, 

65, 68, 75, 84, 87, 101, 106, 107, 109-112 

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) .......................................................................................1, 27, 30 

Energy assistance .............................................................................................................3, 5, 29, 33 

Entrant households .............................................................................................................30, 51, 79 

Excess shelter expense deduction .................................................... 6, 30, 46, 47, 49, 55-58, 74, 92 

Expedited service households ........................................................................................8, 30, 51, 79 

Gender ................................................................................................................................61, 62, 68 

General Assistance (GA) ...............................................4, 18, 19, 27, 29, 32, 33, 42, 43, 76, 77, 82 

Gross income ................................................................ 5-6, 8-10, 14-20, 21, 23, 29, 30, 33, 37-40, 

46, 47, 54-58, 64-67, 73, 77, 91, 98, 101, 107, 109-111 

Gross income limit ...................................................................................................................30, 91 

Homeless household shelter estimate ......................................................................................30, 92 

Household composition .......................................... 14-21, 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, 41, 46, 47, 52-56, 75 

 Married head with children households ........................................................... 14, 16, 18-20, 31 

 Single adult with children households ....................................................... 14, 16, 18-20, 32, 75 

Household head ................................................................................................ 14, 31-32, 59, 63, 80 

Household size .......................................................... 5, 9, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, 30-33, 38, 40, 41, 43, 

53, 55-58, 61, 62, 66, 67, 72, 91, 92, 100, 111 

Households, participating ...................... 1, 13, 14, 31, 37-63, 64, 71, 73-76, 78, 80-83, 97, 99-101 

Income, monthly countable ................................................... 3-10, 14-21, 23, 27, 29-33, 37-67, 73, 

76-78, 82, 91, 92, 98, 101, 106, 107, 109-111 

 Child support ....................................................................................................16, 33, 42, 43, 46 

Earned .................... 3, 7, 10, 14, 16-19, 21, 29, 30, 37, 38, 42-50, 55-60, 76-78, 101, 109, 110 

General Assistance (GA) .........................................4, 18, 19, 27, 29, 32, 33, 42, 43, 76, 77, 82 

Gross ....................................................................... 5-6, 8-10, 14-20, 21, 23, 29, 30, 33, 37-40, 

46, 47, 54-58, 64-67, 73, 77, 91, 98, 101, 107, 109-111 

 Net ................................................................................4, 5, 9, 15-20, 23, 30-33, 37-41, 43, 46, 

47, 53, 55-58, 64-67, 92, 98, 101, 106, 107, 109-111 

Social Security .................................16-19, 21, 31, 33, 37, 38, 42, 43, 45-47, 54-58, 65, 76, 77 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ............. 4-5, 8, 9, 10, 16-19, 21, 27, 29-33, 37-44, 45-47, 

49, 53-58, 64, 65, 67, 76, 77, 82, 92, 98, 111 

 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) ......4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 19, 23, 27, 29, 

32, 33, 37, 38, 42-44, 46, 47, 50, 

54-60, 64, 65, 76, 77, 82, 111 

122
Unearned ................................................................................... 29, 33, 37, 38, 42, 44-47, 55-58 

Initial certification households ...................................................................................................8, 31 

Lawful permanent resident noncitizens .........................................................................7, 21, 31, 32 

Married-head households ............................................................................ 14, 16, 18-20, 31, 52-54 

Maximum benefit ..................................... 1, 9, 10, 16, 29, 31, 37, 38, 45-47, 49, 50, 55, 57, 93, 98 

Medical deduction ......................................................................................... 6, 11, 31, 46-48, 55-58 

Medical deduction demonstrations ................................................................................................31 

Metropolitan households ....................................................................................................31, 37, 38 

Micropolitan households ....................................................................................................31, 37, 38 

Minimum benefit .......................4, 9, 31, 37, 38, 46, 47, 50, 55, 57, 64, 65, 93, 101, 106, 109, 110 

Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) ................................. 10, 11, 20, 27, 30, 31, 37-41, 

43, 46, 47, 49, 53, 55-58, 72, 76, 77, 81 

Net income ..........................................................................4, 5, 9, 15-20, 23, 30-33, 37-41, 43, 46, 

47, 53, 55-58, 64-67, 92, 98, 101, 106, 107, 109-111 

Net income limit ..................................................................................................................3, 32, 92 

Noncitizens ....................................................................7, 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, 60, 61, 86, 87 

Asylees .....................................................................................................................................32 

Deportees .................................................................................................................................32 

Lawful permanent resident noncitizens ...................................................................7, 21, 31, 32 

Nonimmigrant visitors to the United States .........................................................................7, 32 

Refugees ...........................................................................................7, 21, 22, 32, 60, 61, 86, 87 

Non-elderly adults ................................................................... 16-22, 32, 51, 53, 61, 63, 68, 84, 87 

Non-elderly childless adults without disabilities ................................................... 17-19, 22, 37, 38 

Non-elderly individuals with disabilities ...................... 13, 14, 17-22, 37-39, 41, 42, 44-50, 52-57, 

59-61, 64, 65, 73, 75, 83, 85, 101, 109-112 

Nonimmigrant visitors to the United States ...............................................................................7, 32 

Nonparticipating household head ...............................................................................32, 59, 60, 63, 

Participants .................. 7-9, 11-14, 21, 22, 33, 37, 38, 52-54, 59, 61-63, 71, 75, 80, 84-87, 97, 100 

Poverty, individuals in ....................................................................................................... 11-12, 83 

Poverty guidelines ......................... 4, 5, 13-15, 30, 32, 37-41, 53, 56, 58, 66, 67, 72, 73, 83, 91, 92 

Preschool-age children ....................................................... 22, 32, 37, 38, 41, 46, 47, 55-57, 61, 84 

Prorated benefit ..................................................................................................................21, 22, 61 

Pure Public Assistance (PA) ................................................................................................4, 32, 82 

Race/Hispanic status ..........................................................................................................59, 61, 80 

Recertification ..................................................................................................................3, 9, 29, 51 

Refugees .................................................................................................7, 21, 22, 32, 60, 61, 86, 87 

Resource limit ...................................................................................................... 3-6, 10, 11, 29, 32 

Rural .............................................................................................................................32, 37, 38, 93 

School-age children ...................................... 21, 22, 32, 37, 38, 41, 46, 47, 55-57, 61, 84, 109-111 

123
Self-employment income ...............................................................................................................30 

Sex ................................................................................................................................ (see Gender) 

Shelter deduction ................................................................. (see Excess shelter expense deduction) 

Single adult with children households .................................................. 14, 16, 18-21, 32, 52-54, 75

Single-person households ......................................................... 16-21, 31, 32, 50, 52-55, 57, 65, 93 

Social Security .......................................16-19, 21, 31, 33, 37, 38, 42, 43, 45-47, 54-58, 65, 76, 77 

Social Security Administration (SSA) .......................................................................................9, 27 

SSI-Combined Application Project (SSI-CAP) ........................ 9, 10, 20, 27, 30, 32, 37-41, 43, 47, 

49, 55-58, 65, 67, 72, 78, 81, 92, 98, 101 

Standard deduction.......................................................................5, 6, 10, 11, 31, 33, 49, 55, 57, 92 

Standard error....................................................................................................................... 105-112 

Standard utility allowance (SUA) ............................................................................6, 10, 27, 33, 81 

State diversion payments ...............................................................................................................33 

States ........................3-10, 29, 30, 33, 37-41, 43, 46, 47, 49, 53, 55, 57, 65, 67, 71-87, 97, 98, 101 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ................... 4-5, 8, 9, 10, 16-19, 21, 27, 29-33, 37-44, 45-47, 

49, 53-58, 64, 65, 67, 76, 77, 82, 92, 98, 111 

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) ............4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 19, 23, 27, 29, 

32, 33, 37, 38, 42-44, 46, 47, 50, 54-60, 64, 65, 76, 77, 82, 111 

Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) ..............................................................................9, 23, 29, 31, 33, 62, 93 

Unearned income ............................................................................ 29, 33, 37, 38, 42, 44-47, 55-58 

Unemployment income ..................................................................................................8, 33, 42, 43 

Veterans’ benefits ..............................................................................................................31, 33, 65 

Wage supplementation ...................................................................................................................33 

Wages .................................................................................................................................30, 42, 43 

Work registration ...............................................................................................................31, 33, 63 

Work requirements and a time limit ..........................................................................................8, 33 

Workers’ compensation .........................................................................................31, 33, 42, 43, 65 

124