ACCESS TO PUBLIC benefitS: NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
People have a right to access public benefits. Below you can find data sources to help determine your access levels.
The primary U.S. nutrition assistance programs are SNAP (food stamps) and WIC, designed specifically for women and children. See Access to Food.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA SNAP Community Characteristic Dashboard allows users to compare information about SNAP participation, income, and household demographics within congressional districts. Users may select their own district and compare it with other state districts.
SNAP Dashboard Instructions: Open Tool > Scroll down to Getting Started > Select your state > Type in your ZIP code > Select your congressional district from the dropdown options > The map on the left will highlight your district in green > Information will be displayed below the map. Here, you will see a snapshot of your congressional district, including:
Total number of households
Total number of households participating in SNAP
Median household income & poverty rate
Race & ethnicity of all households & households participating in SNAP
Selected populations of participating households, including children, elderly, & persons with a disability
Scroll past Selected Populations to compare any congressional district in the U.S. to the previously chosen district. To export data, save the webpage as a PDF file. If using Google Chrome > choose File (in the top bar) > Print > Change Destination from printer to Save as PDF > It will be saved to your desktop.
Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC)
USDA WIC Data Tables provide information on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), including:
Monthly state level participation
Annual state data
National level summary