Black Hawk County saw a 0.8 percent increase in the number of households participating in Iowa’s Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Black Hawk County Guide analysis of data from the state’s Department of Human Services.
In 2021, 8,613 households (16,759 residents) in Black Hawk County participated in the Program compared to 8,543 households (16,840 residents) in 2020.
Overall, $32,170,846 in food assistance payments were allocated to Black Hawk County households in 2021.
In 2020, $22,350,732 was allocated for Black Hawk County households in the Program.
Qualified recipients in the Program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which then can be used to buy groceries. The Program is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Black Hawk County Households Participating in Iowa’s Food Assistance Program 2020-2021
| Year | Number of households |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 10,080 |
| 2013 | 10,486 |
| 2014 | 10,389 |
| 2015 | 10,084 |
| 2016 | 9,917 |
| 2017 | 9,573 |
| 2018 | 8,958 |
| 2019 | 8,543 |
| 2020 | 8,613 |
| 2021 | 8,014 |
