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PantryPath Research · SNAP Benefits Report

SNAP Benefits in
California

California had an overall SNAP participation rate of 11.4% across 58 counties, with a coverage gap of 64.2% of below-poverty households. Use the interactive map below to compare coverage across counties.

11.4%

SNAP participation

64.2%

Poverty coverage gap

1.5M

SNAP households

$96,334

Median income

California by county

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Toggle between six SNAP metrics to see how coverage varies within California. Hover a county for its exact rate.

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California at a glance

SNAP households

1.5M

Est. from ACS receipt rate

Participation rate

11.4%

All households

Poverty coverage

35.8%

Below-poverty HH on SNAP

Senior SNAP use

41.9%

HH with a 60+ member

Disability SNAP use

44.1%

HH with a disability

Working-poor share

64.2%

SNAP HH above poverty

County-level hotspots

Five-county rankings across 58 counties in California.

Widest coverage gap

% of poor HH not enrolled

  1. 1 Sierra 89.8%
  2. 2 San Mateo 81.2%
  3. 3 Trinity 80.9%
  4. 4 Napa 80.7%
  5. 5 San Luis Obispo 78.8%

Strongest coverage

% of poor HH enrolled

  1. 1 Lake 54.2%
  2. 2 Tulare 53.3%
  3. 3 Imperial 52.6%
  4. 4 Madera 50.6%
  5. 5 Fresno 47.8%

Highest SNAP use

% of all HH on SNAP

  1. 1 Imperial 26.7%
  2. 2 Tulare 23.4%
  3. 3 Madera 21.4%
  4. 4 Lake 21.0%
  5. 5 Merced 20.7%

Every county in California

All 58 counties across the six SNAP metrics plus median income.

County SNAP rate Coverage Gap Senior Disability Working-poor Median income
Alameda 8.7% 33.2% 66.8% 44.8% 41.5% 63.6% $126,240
Alpine 8.5% 37.8% 62.2% 57.5% 45.0% 65.0% $110,781
Amador 8.0% 30.3% 69.7% 52.7% 53.4% 59.1% $81,526
Butte 15.0% 40.1% 59.9% 32.6% 47.5% 53.4% $68,574
Calaveras 9.6% 27.6% 72.4% 54.8% 44.8% 67.6% $79,877
Colusa 14.3% 34.2% 65.8% 15.5% 45.0% 70.4% $75,149
Contra Costa 7.7% 28.8% 71.2% 44.4% 50.2% 68.9% $125,727
Del Norte 19.8% 42.5% 57.5% 50.4% 47.3% 73.9% $66,780
El Dorado 6.2% 21.7% 78.3% 43.4% 46.0% 69.1% $106,190
Fresno 20.5% 47.8% 52.2% 31.8% 43.2% 58.8% $71,434
Glenn 13.3% 26.3% 73.7% 35.6% 45.7% 77.2% $70,487
Humboldt 18.3% 42.7% 57.3% 36.5% 47.5% 55.1% $61,135
Imperial 26.7% 52.6% 47.4% 42.5% 46.7% 61.7% $56,393
Inyo 7.7% 28.5% 71.5% 52.9% 49.6% 54.7% $72,432
Kern 19.0% 47.3% 52.6% 31.1% 41.1% 55.7% $67,660
Kings 18.6% 47.7% 52.3% 30.2% 42.6% 60.2% $68,750
Lake 21.0% 54.2% 45.8% 43.8% 51.3% 56.6% $58,738
Lassen 11.0% 29.8% 70.3% 41.4% 45.0% 62.4% $64,395
Los Angeles 13.0% 34.6% 65.4% 45.1% 43.8% 63.3% $87,760
Madera 21.4% 50.6% 49.4% 33.7% 42.3% 57.8% $75,496
Marin 4.8% 22.3% 77.8% 43.9% 41.3% 65.2% $142,785
Mariposa 11.0% 33.7% 66.3% 49.5% 53.6% 63.2% $65,378
Mendocino 15.3% 37.3% 62.7% 42.8% 51.3% 63.5% $64,688
Merced 20.7% 47.8% 52.3% 33.3% 44.4% 58.0% $65,044
Modoc 13.1% 43.5% 56.5% 41.5% 50.2% 47.2% $56,648
Mono 3.2% 21.7% 78.3% 29.3% 79.9% 40.2% $86,953
Monterey 8.8% 27.2% 72.8% 33.9% 39.1% 65.2% $94,486
Napa 5.9% 19.3% 80.7% 38.2% 45.7% 72.5% $108,970
Nevada 7.3% 25.1% 74.9% 44.6% 41.6% 60.9% $84,905
Orange 7.6% 22.9% 77.1% 47.5% 40.2% 71.1% $113,702
Placer 5.3% 21.7% 78.3% 41.5% 41.7% 70.4% $114,678
Plumas 10.6% 43.0% 57.0% 44.8% 64.6% 55.5% $64,946
Riverside 11.8% 31.3% 68.7% 40.3% 43.2% 70.5% $89,672
Sacramento 13.5% 42.7% 57.3% 37.3% 44.9% 62.1% $88,724
San Benito 10.5% 26.7% 73.3% 34.1% 35.6% 78.9% $108,289
San Bernardino 14.9% 40.0% 60.1% 38.5% 44.9% 64.7% $82,184
San Diego 9.0% 30.7% 69.3% 43.0% 42.0% 66.3% $102,285
San Francisco 9.7% 37.7% 62.3% 58.8% 53.8% 57.4% $141,446
San Joaquin 15.1% 39.6% 60.4% 36.5% 43.7% 67.6% $88,531
San Luis Obispo 6.9% 21.2% 78.8% 42.2% 49.2% 63.4% $93,398
San Mateo 4.5% 18.8% 81.2% 46.5% 41.2% 74.2% $156,000
Santa Barbara 9.9% 31.4% 68.5% 34.8% 41.0% 60.5% $95,977
Santa Clara 5.7% 23.7% 76.3% 54.1% 47.2% 71.5% $159,674
Santa Cruz 9.3% 28.9% 71.0% 38.4% 42.6% 67.5% $109,266
Shasta 12.8% 40.7% 59.3% 43.0% 56.3% 57.9% $71,931
Sierra 7.0% 10.2% 89.8% 25.0% 75.0% 84.5% $60,000
Siskiyou 15.0% 41.7% 58.3% 44.3% 50.6% 50.0% $55,499
Solano 10.2% 37.3% 62.7% 44.0% 48.1% 63.8% $99,994
Sonoma 7.3% 27.8% 72.2% 48.8% 47.3% 67.5% $102,840
Stanislaus 14.1% 39.9% 60.2% 39.7% 45.3% 62.6% $79,661
Sutter 13.3% 30.1% 69.9% 39.0% 47.7% 66.1% $75,450
Tehama 12.3% 34.3% 65.7% 48.9% 54.3% 57.6% $61,834
Trinity 9.1% 19.1% 80.9% 26.3% 28.5% 66.9% $53,498
Tulare 23.4% 53.3% 46.7% 31.4% 39.8% 63.0% $69,489
Tuolumne 10.8% 35.4% 64.6% 44.1% 70.5% 67.0% $72,259
Ventura 8.0% 27.0% 73.0% 43.8% 44.9% 71.0% $107,327
Yolo 12.2% 29.6% 70.4% 32.3% 40.2% 61.0% $88,818
Yuba 17.9% 46.2% 53.8% 32.5% 59.8% 61.8% $73,313

Apply for SNAP in California

If you or someone you know may qualify, our state-specific guide walks through eligibility, documents needed, and how to apply online.

California SNAP guide

Find a local food pantry

While SNAP is the largest safety net, food pantries bridge immediate gaps. Search our directory of verified pantries across California.

California food pantries