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New Mexico
21,067
West Virginia
17,309
Louisiana
17,136
Mississippi
14,884
Oklahoma
14,412
Alabama
14,100
Illinois
13,890
Oregon
13,399
Pennsylvania
13,323
Rhode Island
13,287

Welfare Recipients by State 2023

Welfare Recipients by State 2023

Welfare is a type of government support for the citizens of that society to meet their basic human needs such as food and shelter. Welfare programs typically provide either a free or subsidized supply of certain goods and services such as healthcare and education.

The United States has six major welfare programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income, Earned Income Tax Credit, Housing Assistance, and Medicaid. These six welfare programs are not to be confused with the four entitlement programs: Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation.

Welfare recipients in the United States must prove their income falls below a certain target based on the federal poverty level in order to qualify. In April 2018, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review employment requirements for TANF, Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance. Childless SNAP recipients who do not have disabilities, for example, must find a job within three months or lose their benefits.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) refers to food stamps. The number of SNAP recipients has decreased overall in most states. The number of recipients grew during 2007-2011 due to the recession and has seen a steady decline since, most likely because of an improving economy and the imposed three-month limit.

The ten states that have the highest number of SNAP recipients are: California (3,789,000), Texas (3,406,000), Florida (2,847,000), New York (2,661,000), Illinois (1,770,000), Pennsylvania (1,757,000), Georgia (1,424,000), Ohio (1,383,000), North Carolina (1,298,000), and Michigan (1,180,000). The states with the highest percentage of SNAP recipients are New Mexico (21%), Louisiana (17%), West Virginia (17%), Alabama (15%), and Mississippi (15%). New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Rhode Island all have 14%. In Wyoming and Utah, only 5% of residents are SNAP recipients, the lowest in the U.S.

Here are the 10 states with the most welfare recipients:

  1. New Mexico - 21,067 per 100k
  2. West Virginia - 17,309 per 100k
  3. Louisiana - 17,136 per 100k
  4. Mississippi - 14,884 per 100k
  5. Oklahoma - 14,412 per 100k
  6. Alabama - 14,100 per 100k
  7. Illinois - 13,890 per 100k
  8. Oregon - 13,399 per 100k
  9. Pennsylvania - 13,323 per 100k
  10. Rhode Island - 13,287 per 100k

Welfare Recipients by State 2023

Welfare Recipients by State 2023

* Official program name is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Data for 2019 is preliminary and can be subject to change.

Welfare Recipients by State 2023

Sources