SNAP Fell Short in Helping Families Afford Rising Food Prices in 2022

Despite cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in 78% of U.S. counties continue to not cover the cost of moderately priced meals.

The Issue

The U.S. Department of Agriculture modifies SNAP benefits through a COLA adjustment to respond to food price inflation. In the last quarter of 2022, the cost of a moderately priced meal was $3.14, which is 15% more than the maximum SNAP per-meal benefit of $2.74. 

Key Findings

• The 2023 COLA—effective Oct. 13, 2022 through Sept. 30, 2023—had significant positive effects:
  • The number of counties with “adequate” benefits increased from 27 to 687, while the share of counties with a gap between SNAP benefits and average meal costs decreased from 99% to 78%.
  • Nationally, the gap between SNAP benefits and meal costs dropped from $0.71 per meal (29%) to $0.40 per meal (15%). 
• The gap between SNAP benefits and meal costs in the five counties with the largest gaps declined from 75% to 50% after the implementation of the 2023 COLA. 
  • Four of the five counties with the biggest gaps were rural: Leelanau County, Mich.; Teton County, Idaho; and Lincoln County and Teton County, Wyo. 
• The gap between the cost of a meal and the maximum benefit was overall larger in urban areas than in rural areas. 
  • The five urban counties with the largest gaps were New York County, N.Y.; Marin County and San Francisco County, Calif.; Butte County, Idaho; and Arlington County, Va. 

Conclusion

As pandemic protections expire and food costs remain high, it is important to maximize SNAP benefits to ensure families with low incomes achieve food security.

About the Author/Grantee

The nonprofit Urban Institute is dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. For nearly five decades, Urban scholars have conducted research and offered evidence-based solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities across a rapidly urbanizing world. Their objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector. Visit the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center for more information specific to its staff and its recent research.