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Waterloo Times

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Food assistance use in Buchanan County: Down 35% since 2015

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Sarah Reisetter, Chief of Compliance of the Iowa Health u0026 Human Services | LinkedIn

Sarah Reisetter, Chief of Compliance of the Iowa Health u0026 Human Services | LinkedIn

Buchanan County saw a 35% decrease in the number of residents relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since 2015, according to Iowa's Department of Human Services.

Data shows that there were 1,160 people relying on food stamps in 2024, in comparison to 1,784 in 2015.

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 $2,197,177 in 2024, compared to $2,123,958 in 2015.

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 people relying on SNAP, amounting to 50,973 in 2024.

Overall, families relying on the program in 2024 lived across 609 households, in comparison to 817 in 2015.

Since 2015, $22,117,876 has been allocated for Buchanan County as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Number of SNAP Participants in Buchanan County (2015-2024)
20152016201720182019202020212022202320241,7841,78417071,70716421,64215021,50213521,35213561,35612741,27412511,25111431,14311601,160

SNAP Funding Among Iowa Counties in 2024
CountyTotal Recipients (2015)Total Recipients (2024)% Change
Adair772488-36.8%
Adams402273-32.1%
Allamakee1,482856-42.2%
Appanoose2,1101,361-35.5%
Audubon532378-28.9%
Benton2,1621,552-28.2%
Black Hawk20,19314,274-29.3%
Boone2,4971,354-45.8%
Bremer1,401923-34.1%
Buchanan1,7841,160-35%
Buena Vista2,7851,931-30.7%
Butler1,332826-38%
Calhoun894663-25.8%
Carroll1,8601,240-33.3%
Cass1,8581,332-28.3%
Cedar1,372800-41.7%
Cerro Gordo5,6183,770-32.9%
Cherokee1,104693-37.2%
Chickasaw926490-47.1%
Clarke1,338802-40.1%
Clay1,8341,222-33.4%
Clayton1,375853-38%
Clinton8,5135,584-34.4%
Crawford2,0271,161-42.7%
Dallas3,9973,486-12.8%
Davis719465-35.3%
Decatur1,325761-42.6%
Delaware1,326852-35.7%
Des Moines7,5445,160-31.6%
Dickinson1,227944-23.1%
Dubuque10,9847,420-32.4%
Emmet1,141722-36.7%
Fayette2,6461,823-31.1%
Floyd2,1801,426-34.6%
Franklin1,105680-38.5%
Fremont948609-35.8%
Greene1,346887-34.1%
Grundy677587-13.3%
Guthrie1,087681-37.4%
Hamilton1,618861-46.8%
Hancock785534-32%
Hardin2,0341,278-37.2%
Harrison1,6211,088-32.9%
Henry2,6671,819-31.8%
Howard776528-32%
Humboldt889546-38.6%
Ida680470-30.9%
Iowa1,028671-34.7%
Jackson2,3241,510-35%
Jasper4,5212,935-35.1%
Jefferson2,2041,471-33.3%
Johnson10,9879,704-11.7%
Jones1,8411,170-36.4%
Keokuk1,185855-27.8%
Kossuth1,186873-26.4%
Lee6,0814,216-30.7%
Linn26,63021,544-19.1%
Louisa1,239693-44.1%
Lucas1,362870-36.1%
Lyon630430-31.7%
Madison1,307647-50.5%
Mahaska3,1651,922-39.3%
Marion3,0521,857-39.2%
Marshall6,3193,989-36.9%
Mills1,467941-35.9%
Mitchell651471-27.6%
Monona1,153788-31.7%
Monroe900515-42.8%
Montgomery1,7941,163-35.2%
Muscatine6,9954,374-37.5%
Osceola480358-25.4%
Page2,1761,339-38.5%
Palo Alto871583-33.1%
Plymouth1,6361,184-27.6%
Pocahontas888588-33.8%
Polk69,78250,973-27%
Pottawattamie16,33210,634-34.9%
Poweshiek1,440989-31.3%
Ringgold605405-33.1%
Sac906524-42.2%
Scott31,58720,114-36.3%
Shelby1,116743-33.4%
Sioux1,6801,102-34.4%
Story5,8524,065-30.5%
Tama1,9201,250-34.9%
Taylor811443-45.4%
Union1,8381,351-26.5%
Van Buren802605-24.6%
Wapello6,7484,954-26.6%
Warren3,4742,109-39.3%
Washington2,1641,330-38.5%
Wayne829550-33.7%
Webster6,2054,199-32.3%
Winnebago1,017600-41%
Winneshiek1,076665-38.2%
Woodbury18,62812,190-34.6%
Worth605443-26.8%
Wright1,595837-47.5%
Total for Iowa387,782266,349-31.3%

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