Story County saw a 2.7 percent decrease in the number of households participating in Iowa’s Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Story County Guide analysis of data from the state’s Department of Human Services.
In 2020, 2,215 households (4,248 residents) in Story County participated in the Program compared to 2,276 households (4,426 residents) in 2019.
Overall, $8,244,624 in food assistance payments were allocated to Story County households in 2020.
In 2019, $6,019,486 was allocated for Story 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.
Story County Households Participating in Iowa’s Food Assistance Program 2011-2020
| Year | Number of households |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 3,288 |
| 2012 | 3,496 |
| 2013 | 3,523 |
| 2014 | 3,236 |
| 2015 | 2,926 |
| 2016 | 2,834 |
| 2017 | 2,803 |
| 2018 | 2,536 |
| 2019 | 2,276 |
| 2020 | 2,215 |
