Fact check: What were average monthly SNAP benefits per recipient in each U.S. state in 2025 according to USDA/FNS data?

1. Why the precise state-by-state 2025 numbers are missing from these documents — and what we do know

All supplied documents fall short of delivering a full, state-by-state breakdown of average monthly SNAP benefits per recipient for 2025. One news item clearly reports the national per-person average of $190.59 for FY2025, sourced to USDA ^[1]. Two separate analyses and reports instead provide earlier or partial data: a state-profile piece and a CBPP-style examination that contain FY2024 state-level examples ^[2]. A USDA/FNS landing page for SNAP data tables is cited as updated through January 2025 but is described as not directly offering the requested per-state averages in a consolidated form ^[3]. This pattern indicates that while the federal agency maintains granular data, the exact requested compilation was not present in the supplied corpus.

2. What the national figure implies about state variation and why state breakdowns matter

The national $190.59 monthly per-person average ^[1] masks large interstate variation driven by household size, state maximum benefit policies, and cost-of-living adjustments. State-level averages in prior years have shown meaningful differences — for example, one 2024 state entry lists $192 per household member and $320 per household for Alabama in FY2024 ^[2] — which is roughly comparable to the national per-person number but not definitive for 2025. Understanding state-by-state averages matters because SNAP program design is federally funded but administratively run by states; state policy choices and demographic mixes shift per-recipient averages, affecting program costs and beneficiary outcomes. The available sources underscore the need to extract state tables directly from USDA/FNS data files rather than rely on derivative reports.

3. Source limitations: inaccessible datasets and partial reporting

One cited compilation that promises state-by-state SNAP statistics is password-protected and therefore inaccessible for verification in this review ^[4]. The USDA/FNS SNAP Data Tables page is noted as current through January 2025 but is described as not providing the explicit per-state average-per-recipient matrix in the excerpts we were given ^[3]. Two policy-focused reports supply state-level insights, but they largely reference FY2024 figures or isolated state examples rather than a complete FY2025 roster ^[2]. These constraints mean the strongest, verifiable claim across the corpus is the national average; the state-by-state enumeration for 2025 is not present in the dataset provided.

4. Contrasting perspectives: news summaries versus policy research

News coverage in the set emphasizes immediate impacts and headlines such as program disruption risks and the USDA-reported national average ^{[1] [5]}, while policy research documents focus on demographic and programmatic context, often using FY2024 state-level snapshots to illustrate patterns ^[2]. The news angle highlights the single national metric (useful for quick public understanding), but the policy reports underscore heterogeneity and the significance of household-level measures. Both approaches are complementary: news propels awareness using the national figure, while policy studies show why exact state averages matter for budgeting and advocacy. The provided materials reflect these different agendas.

5. How to obtain the missing state-by-state FY2025 averages and what to expect

The path to the missing numbers is to extract the relevant tables from USDA/FNS data releases or the SNAP data portal updated through January 2025 and later — specifically the monthly or fiscal-year aggregates that report benefits and participants by state and household composition ^[3]. If accessed, those tables would likely show variation around the $190.59 national mean, with some states above and some below depending on average household sizes and issuance policies. Because one source with state statistics is behind a login ^[4], the reliable next step is direct retrieval from USDA/FNS public data tables or requesting the locked dataset from the hosting organization.

6. Bottom line: current evidence and recommended next steps for a complete answer

Based on the supplied documents, the only verifiable FY2025 number is the $190.59 per-person monthly average reported by USDA ^[1]; no complete state-by-state list for 2025 is present in the reviewed materials ^{[5] [2] [4] [3]}. To produce the exact state-level averages for 2025, obtain the USDA/FNS state-by-state benefit and participation tables (or unlock the password-protected compilation) and compute per-recipient monthly averages directly. The disparate emphases in the sources — immediate news framing versus policy detail — explain why the national figure is available while the state-by-state breakdown remains absent from the supplied corpus.