Buchanan County residents received a total of $2,197,177 through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during 2024, according to data from Iowa’s Department of Human Services.
This translates to a 10.5% increase in the amount of money allocated through the food assistance program in 2024, compared to 2023, when residents in the county received $1,988,474.
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.
In 2024, the program assisted 1,160 individuals across 609 households in the county. This compares to the previous year’s 1,143 recipients in 594 households.
Statewide, Polk County received the largest sum in benefits, with $106,299,625 distributed among 50,973 recipients across 24,656 households in 2024. Linn County came in second, granting $43,746,208 to 21,544 people living in 10,571 households.
Buchanan County ranked 43rd in Iowa.
In total, SNAP granted $533,540,387 among counties in the state during 2024.
As of March 2025, the U.S. had an average monthly benefit of $187.77 per person, which was significantly higher than the average of $169.50 in Iowa.
SNAP Funding Among Iowa Counties in 2024
| County | Total Recipients | Amount Allocated | Avg per Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair | 488 | $878,158 | $1,800 |
| Adams | 273 | $533,400 | $1,954 |
| Allamakee | 856 | $1,498,961 | $1,751 |
| Appanoose | 1,361 | $2,553,770 | $1,876 |
| Audubon | 378 | $697,008 | $1,844 |
| Benton | 1,552 | $3,013,825 | $1,942 |
| Black Hawk | 14,274 | $28,794,205 | $2,017 |
| Boone | 1,354 | $2,692,830 | $1,989 |
| Bremer | 923 | $1,666,730 | $1,806 |
| Buchanan | 1,160 | $2,197,177 | $1,894 |
| Buena Vista | 1,931 | $3,745,304 | $1,940 |
| Butler | 826 | $1,414,580 | $1,713 |
| Calhoun | 663 | $1,178,625 | $1,778 |
| Carroll | 1,240 | $2,327,039 | $1,877 |
| Cass | 1,332 | $2,500,567 | $1,877 |
| Cedar | 800 | $1,467,910 | $1,835 |
| Cerro Gordo | 3,770 | $7,424,651 | $1,969 |
| Cherokee | 693 | $1,292,357 | $1,865 |
| Chickasaw | 490 | $849,652 | $1,734 |
| Clarke | 802 | $1,461,411 | $1,822 |
| Clay | 1,222 | $2,296,410 | $1,879 |
| Clayton | 853 | $1,506,236 | $1,766 |
| Clinton | 5,584 | $11,272,300 | $2,019 |
| Crawford | 1,161 | $2,194,357 | $1,890 |
| Dallas | 3,486 | $7,078,292 | $2,030 |
| Davis | 465 | $894,028 | $1,923 |
| Decatur | 761 | $1,419,001 | $1,865 |
| Delaware | 852 | $1,573,378 | $1,847 |
| Des Moines | 5,160 | $10,340,710 | $2,004 |
| Dickinson | 944 | $1,760,473 | $1,865 |
| Dubuque | 7,420 | $15,011,402 | $2,023 |
| Emmet | 722 | $1,353,614 | $1,875 |
| Fayette | 1,823 | $3,345,641 | $1,835 |
| Floyd | 1,426 | $2,761,979 | $1,937 |
| Franklin | 680 | $1,335,831 | $1,964 |
| Fremont | 609 | $1,099,981 | $1,806 |
| Greene | 887 | $1,649,617 | $1,860 |
| Grundy | 587 | $1,040,467 | $1,773 |
| Guthrie | 681 | $1,226,701 | $1,801 |
| Hamilton | 861 | $1,681,703 | $1,953 |
| Hancock | 534 | $990,099 | $1,854 |
| Hardin | 1,278 | $2,322,527 | $1,817 |
| Harrison | 1,088 | $2,056,569 | $1,890 |
| Henry | 1,819 | $3,331,740 | $1,832 |
| Howard | 528 | $950,065 | $1,799 |
| Humboldt | 546 | $1,007,766 | $1,846 |
| Ida | 470 | $884,919 | $1,883 |
| Iowa | 671 | $1,291,976 | $1,925 |
| Jackson | 1,510 | $2,840,943 | $1,881 |
| Jasper | 2,935 | $5,732,094 | $1,953 |
| Jefferson | 1,471 | $2,880,009 | $1,958 |
| Johnson | 9,704 | $19,968,427 | $2,058 |
| Jones | 1,170 | $2,205,756 | $1,885 |
| Keokuk | 855 | $1,614,589 | $1,888 |
| Kossuth | 873 | $1,661,188 | $1,903 |
| Lee | 4,216 | $8,459,973 | $2,007 |
| Linn | 21,544 | $43,746,208 | $2,031 |
| Louisa | 693 | $1,326,658 | $1,914 |
| Lucas | 870 | $1,605,494 | $1,845 |
| Lyon | 430 | $777,058 | $1,807 |
| Madison | 647 | $1,261,046 | $1,949 |
| Mahaska | 1,922 | $3,675,642 | $1,912 |
| Marion | 1,857 | $3,573,220 | $1,924 |
| Marshall | 3,989 | $7,659,875 | $1,920 |
| Mills | 941 | $1,888,851 | $2,007 |
| Mitchell | 471 | $818,772 | $1,738 |
| Monona | 788 | $1,447,270 | $1,837 |
| Monroe | 515 | $927,484 | $1,801 |
| Montgomery | 1,163 | $2,265,196 | $1,948 |
| Muscatine | 4,374 | $8,779,512 | $2,007 |
| Osceola | 358 | $633,630 | $1,770 |
| Page | 1,339 | $2,491,990 | $1,861 |
| Palo Alto | 583 | $1,056,217 | $1,812 |
| Plymouth | 1,184 | $2,278,624 | $1,925 |
| Pocahontas | 588 | $1,092,434 | $1,858 |
| Polk | 50,973 | $106,299,625 | $2,085 |
| Pottawattamie | 10,634 | $21,651,635 | $2,036 |
| Poweshiek | 989 | $1,940,121 | $1,962 |
| Ringgold | 405 | $759,569 | $1,875 |
| Sac | 524 | $1,011,262 | $1,930 |
| Scott | 20,114 | $42,734,077 | $2,125 |
| Shelby | 743 | $1,327,413 | $1,787 |
| Sioux | 1,102 | $1,969,337 | $1,787 |
| Story | 4,065 | $8,344,095 | $2,053 |
| Tama | 1,250 | $2,386,722 | $1,909 |
| Taylor | 443 | $806,210 | $1,820 |
| Union | 1,351 | $2,596,112 | $1,922 |
| Van Buren | 605 | $1,091,768 | $1,805 |
| Wapello | 4,954 | $10,191,130 | $2,057 |
| Warren | 2,109 | $4,148,114 | $1,967 |
| Washington | 1,330 | $2,553,991 | $1,920 |
| Wayne | 550 | $1,056,017 | $1,920 |
| Webster | 4,199 | $8,488,094 | $2,021 |
| Winnebago | 600 | $1,112,981 | $1,855 |
| Winneshiek | 665 | $1,230,253 | $1,850 |
| Woodbury | 12,190 | $24,916,490 | $2,044 |
| Worth | 443 | $796,474 | $1,798 |
| Wright | 837 | $1,594,795 | $1,905 |
| Total for Iowa | 266,349 | $533,540,387 | $2,003 |
