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Background 

This report is the latest in a series of publications 

presenting estimates of the percentage of eligible persons, 

by State, who participate in the Food Stamp Program. The 

participation rate – a ratio of the number of participants to 

the number of people eligible for benefits – is an 

important measure of program performance. 

This issue presents food stamp participation rates for 

States in an average month in fiscal year 2003 and for the 

previous fiscal year. Nationally, the participation rate 

among eligible persons increased from 54 percent in fiscal 

year 2002 to 56 percent in fiscal year 2003. 

Findings 

• Food stamp participation rates continue to 

vary widely among States in fiscal year 2002. 

Estimated rates in several States were below 45 

percent and in several States exceeded 80 

percent. 

• Some States have had consistently high 

participation rates relative to other States. In both 

fiscal year 2002 and 2003, Oregon, Tennessee, 

Missouri, the District of Columbia, Maine, Louisiana, 

West Virginia, Hawaii, and Kentucky had 

significantly higher participation rates than two-thirds

of the States. Michigan, Alaska, Indiana, and Illinois 

had significantly higher rates than half of the States. 

 

• Some States have had consistently low 

participation rates relative to other States. North 

Carolina, New York, and California had significantly 

lower rates than half of the States in fiscal years 2002 

and 2003. Maryland, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Utah, 

New Jersey, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Nevada, 

and Massachusetts had significantly lower rates than 

two-thirds of the States 

• Participation rates increased in the majority of 

States between fiscal year 2002 and 2003. Overall 

rates increased the most in the Southeast Region, 

followed by the Mountain Plains and Midwest 

Regions. The Northeast Region’s participation rate, 

at 49 percent, declined slightly and remained 

significantly lower than the rates for all of the other 

regions. 

The estimates are derived using a statistical approach 

known as shrinkage estimation that draws on data 

from the Current Population Survey, decennial 

census, and administrative records. The shrinkage 

estimator averages direct sample estimates of 

participation rates with predictions from a regression 

model based on indicators of socioeconomic 

conditions. Shrinkage estimates are substantially 

more precise than direct sample estimates from the 

Current Population Survey even though larger sample 

sizes in recent years improved the precision of direct 

estimates for States with smaller populations. 

Nevertheless, the estimated participation rates are 

still based on fairly small samples of households in 

many States, and the uncertainty associated with 

these estimates is substantial. Users of these data 

should take the estimated confidence intervals into 

account when interpreting differences between States 

and within a State over time. 

For More Information 

Castner, L.A., and A.L. Schirm (2005). Reaching 

Those in Need: State Food Stamp Participation 

Rates in 2003. Prepared by Mathematica Policy 

Research, Inc., for the Food and Nutrition Service. 

(Available on-line at www.fns.usda.gov/fns.) 

Cunnyngham, Karen (2005). Food Stamp Program 

Participation Rates: 2003, Prepared by 

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., for the Food 

and Nutrition Service. Available on-line at 

www.fns.usda.gov/fns.

REACHING THOSE IN NEED: STATE FOOD STAMP 

PARTICIPATION RATES IN 2003 

SUMMARY

Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation November 2005 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, 

age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or 

marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply 

to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should 

contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 

(voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, 

Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten 

Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 

(voice) or (202)720-6832 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.