Fact check: How has EBT usage changed over time among Black and white populations?

1. A clear pattern: participation rates show disproportionate reliance that hasn’t disappeared

Across national surveys and administrative reports, Black households use SNAP at substantially higher rates than non-Hispanic white households, reflecting longer-term economic and structural differences. The 2023 American Community Survey indicated 24.91% of Black households relied on SNAP versus 7.85% of non-Hispanic white households, a gap that signals persistent disproportionate reliance ^[1]. USDA and census-based snapshots from 2020–2022 record similar patterns in population shares of SNAP recipients: White adults made up a plurality of recipients by number but Black households constituted roughly one-quarter of recipients, a share larger than their share of the overall population ^{[2] [3]}. These figures point to a stable, measurable disparity in program use rather than a short-term fluctuation.

2. Case counts versus rates: understanding the difference changes the story

Administrative breakdowns report that in 2022 43.6% of SNAP recipients were White while 23.6% were Black, which can be misread if one confuses counts with rates ^[2]. The plurality of recipients being White reflects population size; rates per demographic group tell a different story, showing Black households enroll at higher rates relative to their population share ^[1]. The ACS rate data ^[7] and SIPP-based estimates ^[8] both demonstrate higher per-household reliance on benefits among Black families, whereas raw recipient counts reflect the larger number of white households overall. Analysts must choose the correct denominator—household population versus total recipients—to avoid misleading conclusions about concentration and equity.

3. Time trend nuance: recent years show persistence, not dramatic reversal

Comparing the 2020 SIPP and 2023 ACS snapshots indicates consistency rather than rapid change in racial patterns of SNAP use. The SIPP data showed adult recipients were 44.6% non-Hispanic White and 27% Black in 2020, and USDA’s 2022 report shows a similar racial composition for recipients, suggesting no dramatic shift in racial composition across these years ^{[3] [2]}. The ACS 2023 rate estimates corroborate higher reliance among Black households. This continuity across datasets from 2020 to 2023 implies that structural factors driving differential need and enrollment have remained in effect through recent years, rather than a sudden policy-driven redistribution of beneficiaries.

4. Program effect: SNAP appears to narrow disparities among participants

Academic analyses using SIPP data found that racial disparities in food insecurity are present among low-income nonparticipants but are not evident among SNAP participants, suggesting the program reduces measured disparities in food hardship for those it reaches ^{[4] [5] [6]}. The 2023 cross-sectional study of nearly 5,000 households reported that although Black and multiracial households had higher overall food insecurity rates, this disparity disappeared among households participating in SNAP, indicating the program’s mitigating effect ^[4]. Researchers interpret this as evidence that SNAP can equalize food-security outcomes across racial groups for enrollees, but disparities persist in access and among nonparticipants.

5. Access and structural context: participation does not equal elimination of underlying inequities

Scholars warn that SNAP participation reduces food insecurity among enrollees but does not erase the structural drivers—poverty, labor-market discrimination, housing instability—that produce higher rates of need among Black households ^{[5] [6]}. The studies emphasize that racial disparities remain large among eligible nonparticipants, meaning outreach, administrative barriers, or policy design may limit equitable access. Policy analyses and advocates have framed SNAP changes as likely to disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic families, because those groups already exhibit higher per-household reliance ^[1]. Recognizing SNAP’s role as a safety net does not substitute for confronting the upstream causes of racial economic inequality.

6. What the data sources tell us and what they don’t: comparing methods and implications

The datasets—ACS household rate estimates ^[7], USDA recipient composition reports ^[9], and SIPP-based analyses (2020 and 2018 inputs used in 2023 studies)—converge on two facts: Black households enroll in SNAP at higher rates than white households, and SNAP participation is associated with reduced racial gaps in food insecurity among enrollees ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}. Differences across documents stem from whether reports present recipient counts versus household rates and the survey year. Missing from these analyses are longer time-series reconstructions that would clarify trends across multiple economic cycles and detailed causal evidence on barriers to access. Policymakers should weigh both the program’s demonstrated mitigation of food insecurity and the persistent structural inequities driving higher enrollment among Black households.