Skip to main content

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

← Back to national overview

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

Loading county map…

Lower
Higher

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

Sibling atlas

WIC coverage in California

SNAP recipients are automatically income-eligible for WIC through adjunctive eligibility. See where California is closing — or missing — the WIC coverage gap for pregnant women, infants, and children under 5.

Open the California WIC Coverage Atlas