Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What were the short- and long-term trends in SNAP participation and average benefits in high-growth states since 2020?
Executive summary
SNAP participation jumped sharply during the pandemic and remained elevated in the years after 2020, with participation peaking in pandemic-era years and then plateauing above pre‑pandemic levels; USDA estimates show SNAP served 78% of eligible individuals in pre‑pandemic FY2020 (Oct 2019–Feb 2020) and a record 88% in FY2022, reflecting large short‑term increases tied to pandemic policies [1] [2]. Average monthly benefits rose during the pandemic (peaking in late 2022) and have since fallen; Pew reports the per‑person peak was $259.50 in November 2022 and the national average was $188.45 per person in May 2025 [3].
1. Pandemic shock: a rapid, policy‑driven surge
SNAP caseloads surged early in the COVID emergency as unemployment rose and Congress authorized extra benefits and broad pandemic flexibilities; academic work finds a “sizable early increase” in SNAP during the pandemic and estimates that state adoption of pandemic policy packages was associated with roughly 19% higher SNAP caseloads where policies were fully implemented [4]. USDA participation‑rate reporting also emphasizes that FY2020 data reflect only pre‑pandemic months (Oct 2019–Feb 2020), so much of the pandemic-era growth is visible in later FY reports and scholarly analyses [1] [2].
2. Short‑term trends in participation and benefits (2020–2022)
Short term, participation climbed to unprecedented levels as emergency allotments and other changes increased both take‑up and per‑household payments; USDA re‑estimated participation rates show SNAP served 88% of eligible individuals in FY2022—the highest in nearly 50 years of estimation—after the large pandemic increases [2]. Benefits per person also rose during this period because Congress authorized extra allotments; Pew documents a per‑person peak average of $259.50 in November 2022 [3].
3. Medium‑ and longer‑term trends (post‑2022 through 2025)
After the peak supports ended, overall benefits and some measures of participation drifted down from pandemic highs but remained well above pre‑pandemic baselines in many measures: Pew reports the national average monthly benefit was $188.45 per person in May 2025, lower than the pandemic peak but higher than some pre‑2020 readings [3]. Other reporting shows total caseloads still large—roughly 41–42 million people in recent years—so the program’s scale remained elevated through FY2024 and into 2025 [5] [3].
4. State‑level “high‑growth” patterns: uneven and policy dependent
Available sources indicate large variation across states: Southern and some New Mexico/Louisiana rates remained among the highest shares of population on SNAP, and benefit levels per recipient also vary by state (for example, New York and Massachusetts had some of the highest per‑person averages in 2025) [3] [6]. Scholarly work finds that state choices about pandemic flexibilities, outreach and administrative rules materially affected caseload growth: when states adopted the full package of pandemic policies, SNAP caseloads were substantially higher than in states that did not [4]. Specific “high‑growth states” are not enumerated consistently in the provided sources; state‑by‑state fact sheets exist (CBPP) but the supplied excerpts do not list a ranked set [7].
5. Drivers that explain both short‑ and long‑term changes
Three drivers appear repeatedly in the materials: labor‑market shocks (unemployment rises), federal emergency allotments and pandemic waivers that increased benefits and eased access, and state administrative choices that influenced take‑up [4] [1] [2]. Researchers note asymmetric responsiveness: SNAP caseloads rose sharply and remained elevated even as unemployment partially recovered, suggesting program rules and emergency supports altered the usual unemployment‑to‑caseload relationship [4].
6. Measurement limits and where reporting diverges
USDA warns FY2020 participation rates cover only pre‑pandemic months and that FY2021 estimates were not produced because data collection was suspended—so trend comparisons require caution [1] [2]. Academic analyses use other surveys and indices to estimate responsiveness and state policy effects; these produce complementary but not identical pictures of timing and magnitude [4]. The peer‑reviewed literature emphasizes policy‑driven effects, while some news and think‑tank summaries focus on caseload counts and recent funding changes [4] [5].
7. Recent policy shocks (2024–2025) that reshape near‑term outlook
In 2025, federal changes, court decisions, and administrative guidance around allotments and work rules created additional volatility: reporting in late 2025 describes a reduction in maximum allotments and legal fights over November 2025 issuances, and analysts note per‑person averages in 2025 that are below the pandemic peak [8] [3] [9]. These shifts could produce renewed short‑term state variation in participation and benefit levels depending on how states implement or contest federal guidance [8] [9].
8. What the sources do not provide
Available sources do not give a single, consistent list of “high‑growth states” since 2020 with both participation growth rates and average benefit trends paired in one table; instead, USDA summaries, state fact sheets, academic studies and media pieces each report complementary slices [2] [7] [4]. For precise magnitude‑by‑state time series from 2020 to 2025 you will need the state‑level USDA SNAP data tables or the CBPP state fact sheets in full (not included verbatim in the excerpts) [7].
If you want, I can pull together a state‑by‑state table from the USDA/CBPP datasets cited here and show short‑ and long‑term percentage changes in caseload and average per‑person benefit for a user‑specified list of “high‑growth” states.