Black Hawk County saw a 28.4% decrease in the number of households relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since 2014, according to Iowa’s Department of Human Services.
Data shows that there were 7,442 households that relied on food stamps in 2023, in comparison to 10,389 in 2014.
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.
SNAP funds allocated to the county reached $28,424,619 in 2023, compared to $26,924,553 in 2014.
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.
Statewide, Polk County recorded the highest number of households relying on SNAP, amounting to 24,448 in 2023.
Overall, there were 14,412 people who received SNAP aid in 2023, in comparison to 20,581 registered in 2014.
Since 2014, $282,437,398 has been allocated for Black Hawk County as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
| County | Total Households (2014) | Total Households (2023) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair | 382 | 260 | -31.9% |
| Adams | 183 | 139 | -24% |
| Allamakee | 687 | 406 | -40.9% |
| Appanoose | 1,080 | 732 | -32.2% |
| Audubon | 252 | 198 | -21.4% |
| Benton | 1,024 | 801 | -21.8% |
| Black Hawk | 10,389 | 7,442 | -28.4% |
| Boone | 1,252 | 722 | -42.3% |
| Bremer | 654 | 489 | -25.2% |
| Buchanan | 853 | 594 | -30.4% |
| Buena Vista | 1,100 | 776 | -29.5% |
| Butler | 574 | 403 | -29.8% |
| Calhoun | 428 | 336 | -21.5% |
| Carroll | 861 | 641 | -25.6% |
| Cass | 897 | 671 | -25.2% |
| Cedar | 616 | 387 | -37.2% |
| Cerro Gordo | 3,071 | 2,124 | -30.8% |
| Cherokee | 521 | 324 | -37.8% |
| Chickasaw | 428 | 252 | -41.1% |
| Clarke | 660 | 393 | -40.5% |
| Clay | 923 | 650 | -29.6% |
| Clayton | 654 | 486 | -25.7% |
| Clinton | 4,533 | 2,955 | -34.8% |
| Crawford | 869 | 554 | -36.2% |
| Dallas | 1,802 | 1,401 | -22.3% |
| Davis | 337 | 231 | -31.5% |
| Decatur | 656 | 391 | -40.4% |
| Delaware | 625 | 440 | -29.6% |
| Des Moines | 3,901 | 2,666 | -31.7% |
| Dickinson | 660 | 496 | -24.8% |
| Dubuque | 5,430 | 3,703 | -31.8% |
| Emmet | 526 | 344 | -34.6% |
| Fayette | 1,273 | 965 | -24.2% |
| Floyd | 981 | 717 | -26.9% |
| Franklin | 486 | 319 | -34.4% |
| Fremont | 447 | 293 | -34.5% |
| Greene | 588 | 413 | -29.8% |
| Grundy | 308 | 250 | -18.8% |
| Guthrie | 496 | 343 | -30.8% |
| Hamilton | 768 | 447 | -41.8% |
| Hancock | 374 | 284 | -24.1% |
| Hardin | 921 | 636 | -30.9% |
| Harrison | 801 | 548 | -31.6% |
| Henry | 1,312 | 894 | -31.9% |
| Howard | 408 | 274 | -32.8% |
| Humboldt | 456 | 292 | -36% |
| Ida | 300 | 210 | -30% |
| Iowa | 510 | 349 | -31.6% |
| Jackson | 1,143 | 771 | -32.5% |
| Jasper | 2,214 | 1,577 | -28.8% |
| Jefferson | 1,314 | 874 | -33.5% |
| Johnson | 5,487 | 4,549 | -17.1% |
| Jones | 810 | 623 | -23.1% |
| Keokuk | 569 | 426 | -25.1% |
| Kossuth | 558 | 479 | -14.2% |
| Lee | 3,192 | 2,228 | -30.2% |
| Linn | 13,152 | 10,444 | -20.6% |
| Louisa | 598 | 333 | -44.3% |
| Lucas | 623 | 399 | -36% |
| Lyon | 262 | 174 | -33.6% |
| Madison | 560 | 341 | -39.1% |
| Mahaska | 1,603 | 1,012 | -36.9% |
| Marion | 1,407 | 918 | -34.8% |
| Marshall | 2,933 | 1,768 | -39.7% |
| Mills | 674 | 451 | -33.1% |
| Mitchell | 325 | 247 | -24% |
| Monona | 558 | 392 | -29.7% |
| Monroe | 417 | 257 | -38.4% |
| Montgomery | 884 | 590 | -33.3% |
| Muscatine | 3,506 | 2,229 | -36.4% |
| O’Brien | 539 | 360 | -33.2% |
| Osceola | 217 | 170 | -21.7% |
| Page | 1,029 | 677 | -34.2% |
| Palo Alto | 388 | 281 | -27.6% |
| Plymouth | 714 | 546 | -23.5% |
| Pocahontas | 402 | 268 | -33.3% |
| Polk | 34,724 | 24,448 | -29.6% |
| Pottawattamie | 8,104 | 5,695 | -29.7% |
| Poweshiek | 743 | 572 | -23% |
| Ringgold | 279 | 208 | -25.4% |
| Sac | 412 | 270 | -34.5% |
| Scott | 15,974 | 10,326 | -35.4% |
| Shelby | 552 | 365 | -33.9% |
| Sioux | 693 | 468 | -32.5% |
| Story | 3,236 | 2,102 | -35% |
| Tama | 870 | 593 | -31.8% |
| Taylor | 374 | 240 | -35.8% |
| Union | 906 | 709 | -21.7% |
| Van Buren | 393 | 298 | -24.2% |
| Wapello | 3,604 | 2,570 | -28.7% |
| Warren | 1,658 | 1,025 | -38.2% |
| Washington | 1,012 | 705 | -30.3% |
| Wayne | 389 | 257 | -33.9% |
| Webster | 3,187 | 2,254 | -29.3% |
| Winnebago | 483 | 336 | -30.4% |
| Winneshiek | 543 | 365 | -32.8% |
| Woodbury | 8,527 | 5,610 | -34.2% |
| Worth | 323 | 214 | -33.7% |
| Wright | 741 | 442 | -40.4% |
| Total for Iowa | 133,097 | 191,062 | -30.3 |
