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Background 

One important measure of a program’s 

performance is the ability to reach its target 

population. This report – the latest in an annual 

series – presents estimates of the percentage of 

eligible persons, by State, who participated in the 

Food Stamp Program (FSP) during an average 

month in fiscal year 2006 and in each of the 2 

previous fiscal years. 

This report also presents estimates of State 

participation rates for eligible “working poor” 

individuals (persons in households with earnings) 

over the same period. Although the FSP provides 

an important support for working families, the 

working poor have participated at rates that are 

substantially below those for all eligible persons. 

The addition of State-by-State information on 

participation among the working poor enables a 

comparison of these rates to the overall 

participation rates. 

Nationally, the participation rate among all 

eligible persons was 67 percent in fiscal year 

2006. The participation rate for eligible working 

poor individuals was 57 percent, a significant 

difference of 10 percentage points. 

Findings 

 Although State food stamp 

participation rates for all eligible 

persons increased overall from 2004 

to 2006, they continued to vary 

widely. In fiscal year 2006, 

estimated rates for all eligible 

persons ranged from 50 percent to 

over 95 percent. 

On October 1, 2008, the Food Stamp Program 

was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program (SNAP). 

 In 34 States, food stamp participation rates for 

working poor individuals were significantly 

below the rates for all eligible persons. In 8 of 

these States, the working poor rate was more 

than 10 percentage points lower than the rate for 

all eligible persons. Working poor rates were 

not significantly different than the rate for all 

eligible persons in the other 16 States. 

 Some States had consistently high participation 

rates relative to other States in all 3 fiscal years. 

In each year from 2004 to 2006, Illinois, 

Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, 

and West Virginia had significantly higher 

participation rates than two-thirds of the States. 



REACHING THOSE IN NEED: STATE FOOD STAMP 

PARTICIPATION RATES IN 2006 

SUMMARY

Office of Research and Analysis November 2008 
Page 2

 Some States had consistently low participation 

rates relative to other States. California, 

Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota, Rhode 

Island, and Wyoming had significantly lower 

rates than two-thirds of the States in all 3 fiscal 

years. 

 With a few exceptions, a State ranked at the top 

or bottom of the distribution of participation 

rates for all eligible persons was similarly 

ranked for participation by working poor 

persons. 

The estimates are derived using a statistical 

approach known as shrinkage estimation which 

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, within a 

State over time, and between estimates for all 

eligibles and the working poor. 

For More Information 

Cunnyngham, Karen E., Laura A. Castner and 

Allen L. Schirm. Reaching Those in Need: 

State Food Stamp Participation Rates in 2006. 

Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. 

for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food 

and Nutrition Service. October 2008. 

Wolkwitz, Kari, Trends in Food Stamp Program 

Participation Rates: 2000 to 2006. Prepared by 

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. for the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition 

Service. June 2008. 

Available online at www.fns.usda.gov/fns 

Acknowledgement 

This summary was prepared by Christine Kissmer, 

Office of Research and Analysis, Food and 

Nutrition Service. 

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