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Background 

One important measure of a program’s 

performance is its 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) in an average month 

in fiscal year 2005 and in 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 65 percent in fiscal year 

2005. The participation rate for eligible working 

poor individuals was 57 

percent, a significant 

difference of 8 percentage 

points. 

Findings 

• Although State food 

stamp participation rates 

for all eligible persons 

rose over this period, they 

continue to vary widely. 

In fiscal year 2005, 

estimated rates for all 

eligible persons ranged 

from just below 50 percent 

in several States to over 85 

in several others. Missouri 

ranked the highest with an 

estimated rate of 95 percent.

• In 25 States, food stamp participation rates 

for working poor individuals were

significantly below the rates for all eligible 

persons. In 10 States, the working poor rate 

was more than 8 percentage points lower than 

the rate for all eligible persons. Working poor 

rates were not significantly different than the 

rate for all eligible in the other 25 States. 

• Some States had consistently high 

participation rates relative to other States in 

all 3 fiscal years. In each year from 2003 to 

2005, Missouri, Tennessee, Oregon, Maine, 

West Virginia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and 

Kentucky had significantly higher participation 

rates than two-thirds of the States. 

• Some States had consistently low 

participation rates relative to other States. 

Wyoming, Nevada, California, and 

Massachusetts, had significantly lower rates 

than two-thirds of the States in all 3 fiscal years. 

REACHING THOSE IN NEED: STATE FOOD STAMP 

PARTICIPATION RATES IN 2005 

SUMMARY

Office of Research, Nutrition and Analysis October 2007
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• 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 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, within a 

State over time and between population and 

subgroup estimates. 

For More Information 

Cunnyngham, Karen E., Laura A. Castner and 

Allen L. Schirm. Reaching Those in Need: 

State Food Stamp Participation Rates in 2005. 

Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. 

for the Food and Nutrition Service. October 

2007. 

Wolkwitz, K. Food Stamp Program Participation 

Rates: 1999-2005. Prepared by Mathematica 

Policy Research, Inc. for the Food and Nutrition 

Service. June 2007. 

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

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color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 

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