SNAP Benefits Fall Short of Meal Costs in 99% of US Counties

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) currently fails to cover the cost of a standard meal in 3,117 of the 3,144 counties in the United States. A new analysis by the Urban Institute reveals that the federal food assistance benefit lags behind actual grocery prices in 99% of the nation's counties, leaving most recipients to cover the difference out of pocket.

The study calculates that the average cost of a meal is 25% higher than the average maximum SNAP benefit. This discrepancy creates a monthly shortfall of almost $67 per person. In three-quarters of all counties, the price of a modestly priced meal exceeds the benefit by more than 50 cents. The gap is steeper in urban centers, where meal costs in some areas run 80% above the SNAP allocation.

The program supported 42 million Americans in 2025, the most recent year for which complete statistics are available. The benefit structure is derived from the Thrifty Food Plan, the USDA’s official standard for the cost of a healthy meal. That standard was reevaluated in 2021 during the Biden administration, a period that saw increased funding for the program. In 2025, Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, which introduced the largest cutbacks to SNAP in its history.

The legislation requires that future updates to the Thrifty Food Plan be cost neutral. The Urban Institute argues this rule limits the program's ability to keep pace with inflation. "[The Big Beautiful Bill] limits SNAP’s ability to bridge the pervasive gap between the price of a moderately priced meal and SNAP benefits by requiring that updates to the Thrifty Food Plan be cost neutral," the institute stated. The organization warned that enforcing cost neutrality will make it harder to improve benefit adequacy in the future.

Market conditions have worsened the purchasing power of SNAP recipients in 2026. The USDA reports that food costs have risen 2.5% year over year. Additionally, the U.S.-Israel war in Iran has driven fuel prices up sharply. The Center for American Progress estimates that the conflict has cost American households an average of $2,000, further eroding the budget available for food.

The financial strain aligns with rising food insecurity rates. In 2024, 14.4% of Americans were food insecure, a rate slightly below the 16.6% peak seen during the Great Recession. Arkansas was the most food insecure state from 2022 through 2024, before the USDA stopped releasing the specific state rankings. In 2024, 19.4% of Arkansans were food insecure, though the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences estimated the figure was closer to 30% in a report released in February 2026.

In Pulaski County, the cost of a modestly priced meal is 22% higher than the current SNAP benefit. The widening gap between what the program provides and what food costs on the market marks a shift in the economic reality for the 42 million Americans who rely on the benefit.