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Thursday, September 25, 2025

More people receiving food stamps in Polk County during 2024 than previous year

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Sarah Reisetter, Chief of Compliance of the Iowa Health u0026 Human Services | LinkedIn

Sarah Reisetter, Chief of Compliance of the Iowa Health u0026 Human Services | LinkedIn

Polk County saw a 1.9% increase in the number of residents relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) between 2023 and 2024, according to data from Iowa's Department of Human Services.

In total, there were 50,973 individuals across 24,656 households assisted by the program in 2024, while in 2023, 50,042 people living in 24,448 households received food stamps in the county.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits to help low-income households buy food. The program is federally funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Qualified recipients in the program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which can then be used to buy selected groceries. The amount of benefits depends on the net income and household size.

Overall, food assistance in Polk County reached a total of $106,299,625 in 2024, in comparison to $101,313,004 the year before.

Statewide, Polk County registered the largest number of people receiving food stamps, with 50,973 recipients sharing a total of $106,299,625 in benefits. Linn County came in second, with 21,544 recipients receiving a sum of $43,746,208.

In 2024, a total of 266,349 Iowans, living in 131,174 households received food assistance benefits, totaling $533,540,387.

Number of SNAP Participants in Polk County (2015-2024)
202420232022202120202019201820172016201550,97350,97350,04250,04253,57553,57555,14255,14260,08460,08461,23461,23464,71764,71768,21668,21669,73369,73369,78269,782

SNAP Funding Among Iowa Counties in 2024

CountyTotal RecipientsAmount AllocatedAvg per Recipient
Adair488$878,158$1,800
Adams273$533,400$1,954
Allamakee856$1,498,961$1,751
Appanoose1,361$2,553,770$1,876
Audubon378$697,008$1,844
Benton1,552$3,013,825$1,942
Black Hawk14,274$28,794,205$2,017
Boone1,354$2,692,830$1,989
Bremer923$1,666,730$1,806
Buchanan1,160$2,197,177$1,894
Buena Vista1,931$3,745,304$1,940
Butler826$1,414,580$1,713
Calhoun663$1,178,625$1,778
Carroll1,240$2,327,039$1,877
Cass1,332$2,500,567$1,877
Cedar800$1,467,910$1,835
Cerro Gordo3,770$7,424,651$1,969
Cherokee693$1,292,357$1,865
Chickasaw490$849,652$1,734
Clarke802$1,461,411$1,822
Clay1,222$2,296,410$1,879
Clayton853$1,506,236$1,766
Clinton5,584$11,272,300$2,019
Crawford1,161$2,194,357$1,890
Dallas3,486$7,078,292$2,030
Davis465$894,028$1,923
Decatur761$1,419,001$1,865
Delaware852$1,573,378$1,847
Des Moines5,160$10,340,710$2,004
Dickinson944$1,760,473$1,865
Dubuque7,420$15,011,402$2,023
Emmet722$1,353,614$1,875
Fayette1,823$3,345,641$1,835
Floyd1,426$2,761,979$1,937
Franklin680$1,335,831$1,964
Fremont609$1,099,981$1,806
Greene887$1,649,617$1,860
Grundy587$1,040,467$1,773
Guthrie681$1,226,701$1,801
Hamilton861$1,681,703$1,953
Hancock534$990,099$1,854
Hardin1,278$2,322,527$1,817
Harrison1,088$2,056,569$1,890
Henry1,819$3,331,740$1,832
Howard528$950,065$1,799
Humboldt546$1,007,766$1,846
Ida470$884,919$1,883
Iowa671$1,291,976$1,925
Jackson1,510$2,840,943$1,881
Jasper2,935$5,732,094$1,953
Jefferson1,471$2,880,009$1,958
Johnson9,704$19,968,427$2,058
Jones1,170$2,205,756$1,885
Keokuk855$1,614,589$1,888
Kossuth873$1,661,188$1,903
Lee4,216$8,459,973$2,007
Linn21,544$43,746,208$2,031
Louisa693$1,326,658$1,914
Lucas870$1,605,494$1,845
Lyon430$777,058$1,807
Madison647$1,261,046$1,949
Mahaska1,922$3,675,642$1,912
Marion1,857$3,573,220$1,924
Marshall3,989$7,659,875$1,920
Mills941$1,888,851$2,007
Mitchell471$818,772$1,738
Monona788$1,447,270$1,837
Monroe515$927,484$1,801
Montgomery1,163$2,265,196$1,948
Muscatine4,374$8,779,512$2,007
Osceola358$633,630$1,770
Page1,339$2,491,990$1,861
Palo Alto583$1,056,217$1,812
Plymouth1,184$2,278,624$1,925
Pocahontas588$1,092,434$1,858
Polk50,973$106,299,625$2,085
Pottawattamie10,634$21,651,635$2,036
Poweshiek989$1,940,121$1,962
Ringgold405$759,569$1,875
Sac524$1,011,262$1,930
Scott20,114$42,734,077$2,125
Shelby743$1,327,413$1,787
Sioux1,102$1,969,337$1,787
Story4,065$8,344,095$2,053
Tama1,250$2,386,722$1,909
Taylor443$806,210$1,820
Union1,351$2,596,112$1,922
Van Buren605$1,091,768$1,805
Wapello4,954$10,191,130$2,057
Warren2,109$4,148,114$1,967
Washington1,330$2,553,991$1,920
Wayne550$1,056,017$1,920
Webster4,199$8,488,094$2,021
Winnebago600$1,112,981$1,855
Winneshiek665$1,230,253$1,850
Woodbury12,190$24,916,490$2,044
Worth443$796,474$1,798
Wright837$1,594,795$1,905
Total for Iowa266,349$533,540,387$2,003

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