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New Mexico
21,292
Louisiana
17,340
West Virginia
17,101
Mississippi
14,886
Oklahoma
14,698
Alabama
14,358
Illinois
13,908
Oregon
13,895
Nevada
13,657
Rhode Island
13,517
Pennsylvania
13,454
Florida
13,042
Georgia
12,901
New York
12,858
Tennessee
12,852
Delaware
12,414
Ohio
11,727
Arkansas
11,665
Texas
11,616
South Carolina
11,518
Maine
11,503
Michigan
11,381
Kentucky
11,236
Arizona
11,200
Missouri
11,053
Massachusetts
10,999
Hawaii
10,753
Washington
10,523
Vermont
10,496
Wisconsin
10,315
California
10,288
Connecticut
10,143
Alaska
10,009
Maryland
9,991
Montana
9,808
Iowa
9,664
South Dakota
8,956
Indiana
8,525
Virginia
8,107
Nebraska
8,106
Idaho
7,809
Colorado
7,696
New Jersey
7,402
Minnesota
7,033
Kansas
6,774
North Dakota
6,275
New Hampshire
5,350
Utah
5,117
Wyoming
4,437

Welfare Recipients by State [Updated August 2022]

Welfare Recipients by State [Updated August 2022]

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 in 2022 are:

The states with the highest percentage of SNAP recipients are:

On the other end of the spectrum, n Wyoming, New Hampshire, 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: 21,292 per 100k
  2. Louisiana: 17,340 per 100k
  3. West Virginia: 17,101 per 100k
  4. Mississippi: 14,886 per 100k
  5. Oklahoma: 14,698 per 100k
  6. Alabama: 14,358 per 100k
  7. Illinois: 13,908 per 100k
  8. Oregon: 13,895 per 100k
  9. Nevada: 13,657 per 100k
  10. Rhode Island: 13,517 per 100k

Welfare Recipients by State [Updated August 2022]

Welfare Recipients by State [Updated August 2022]

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

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Welfare Recipients by State [Updated August 2022]

Sources