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PantryPath Research · Summer EBT Atlas

Iowa Opted Out of Summer EBT

Opted out of 2025 plan year

Iowa is not participating in the 2025 Summer EBT plan year. We estimate 140,868 children in Iowa would have qualified — about $16.9M in federal grocery dollars the state is leaving on the table this summer.

Opted out for 2025 plan year.

141K

Eligible children (≤185% FPL)

26.4%

Eligibility share (5–17)

$16.9M

Dollars forfeited

99

Counties

Iowa by county

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Toggle between eligible-child counts, eligibility share, and benefit dollars each county is forfeiting. Hover a county for its exact value.

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Iowa at a glance

Participation

No

Opted out of 2025 plan year

Eligible children

141K

Est. ≤185% FPL

Eligibility share

26.4%

Eligible / 5–17

Dollars flowing

—

$120 × eligible

Dollars forfeited

$16.9M

$120 × eligible

5–17 in poverty

64K

SAIPE ≤100% FPL

County-level hotspots

Top five counties across 99 counties in Iowa.

Most eligible children

Est. ≤185% FPL

  1. 1 Polk County 26K
  2. 2 Linn County 9K
  3. 3 Scott County 8K
  4. 4 Woodbury County 7K
  5. 5 Black Hawk County 6K

Highest eligibility share

Eligible / 5–17 universe

  1. 1 Van Buren County 49.1%
  2. 2 Wayne County 48.7%
  3. 3 Decatur County 48.2%
  4. 4 Lucas County 45.7%
  5. 5 Appanoose County 44.0%

Largest dollars forfeited

$120 × eligible

  1. 1 Polk County $3.1M
  2. 2 Linn County $1.0M
  3. 3 Scott County $934K
  4. 4 Woodbury County $792K
  5. 5 Black Hawk County $723K

Every county in Iowa

All 99 counties with Summer EBT eligibility estimates and dollars at stake.

County 5–17 in poverty Eligible (≤185% FPL) Eligibility share Dollars forfeited
Adair County 150 330 27.4% $40K
Adams County 83 183 32.3% $22K
Allamakee County 418 920 37.8% $110K
Appanoose County 399 878 44.0% $105K
Audubon County 115 253 29.0% $30K
Benton County 386 849 19.5% $102K
Black Hawk County 2,740 6,028 29.8% $723K
Boone County 328 722 18.8% $87K
Bremer County 258 568 13.2% $68K
Buchanan County 454 999 26.4% $120K
Buena Vista County 604 1,329 34.7% $159K
Butler County 200 440 19.2% $53K
Calhoun County 224 493 30.1% $59K
Carroll County 308 678 18.3% $81K
Cass County 394 867 38.3% $104K
Cedar County 247 543 18.8% $65K
Cerro Gordo County 798 1,756 27.1% $211K
Cherokee County 237 521 26.6% $63K
Chickasaw County 168 370 18.7% $44K
Clarke County 258 568 31.9% $68K
Clay County 357 785 28.4% $94K
Clayton County 302 664 25.1% $80K
Clinton County 1,270 2,794 36.4% $335K
Crawford County 360 792 28.7% $95K
Dallas County 1,079 2,374 11.0% $285K
Davis County 298 656 33.6% $79K
Decatur County 290 638 48.2% $77K
Delaware County 282 620 20.9% $74K
Des Moines County 1,106 2,433 39.0% $292K
Dickinson County 204 449 17.5% $54K
Dubuque County 1,560 3,432 21.4% $412K
Emmet County 192 422 33.8% $51K
Fayette County 483 1,063 35.8% $128K
Floyd County 393 865 33.6% $104K
Franklin County 257 565 32.1% $68K
Fremont County 147 323 30.4% $39K
Greene County 203 447 31.0% $54K
Grundy County 138 304 14.0% $36K
Guthrie County 195 429 25.4% $51K
Hamilton County 278 612 24.3% $73K
Hancock County 173 381 23.1% $46K
Hardin County 294 647 29.5% $78K
Harrison County 293 645 25.7% $77K
Henry County 451 992 32.6% $119K
Howard County 201 442 26.0% $53K
Humboldt County 182 400 24.3% $48K
Ida County 158 348 27.4% $42K
Iowa County 211 464 16.5% $56K
Jackson County 356 783 25.0% $94K
Jasper County 698 1,536 24.7% $184K
Jefferson County 336 739 40.1% $89K
Johnson County 2,220 4,884 22.5% $586K
Jones County 334 735 23.7% $88K
Keokuk County 242 532 32.2% $64K
Kossuth County 263 579 25.3% $69K
Lee County 897 1,973 38.9% $237K
Linn County 3,889 8,556 23.2% $1.0M
Louisa County 191 420 25.7% $50K
Lucas County 309 680 45.7% $82K
Lyon County 204 449 17.7% $54K
Madison County 198 436 13.8% $52K
Mahaska County 522 1,148 30.3% $138K
Marion County 460 1,012 17.3% $121K
Marshall County 1,129 2,484 33.1% $298K
Mills County 232 510 20.1% $61K
Mitchell County 231 508 27.6% $61K
Monona County 211 464 33.9% $56K
Monroe County 174 383 30.6% $46K
Montgomery County 272 598 35.9% $72K
Muscatine County 930 2,046 27.8% $246K
O'Brien County 246 541 22.0% $65K
Osceola County 153 337 34.4% $40K
Page County 300 660 34.2% $79K
Palo Alto County 180 396 27.1% $48K
Plymouth County 511 1,124 23.7% $135K
Pocahontas County 176 387 33.1% $46K
Polk County 11,765 25,883 29.5% $3.1M
Pottawattamie County 2,255 4,961 31.8% $595K
Poweshiek County 255 561 21.1% $67K
Ringgold County 151 332 42.0% $40K
Sac County 201 442 27.8% $53K
Scott County 3,539 7,786 26.4% $934K
Shelby County 188 414 20.5% $50K
Sioux County 450 990 13.8% $119K
Story County 935 2,057 17.3% $247K
Tama County 467 1,027 34.5% $123K
Taylor County 149 328 31.3% $39K
Union County 323 711 35.9% $85K
Van Buren County 274 603 49.1% $72K
Wapello County 992 2,182 37.7% $262K
Warren County 525 1,155 11.4% $139K
Washington County 503 1,107 27.6% $133K
Wayne County 273 601 48.7% $72K
Webster County 831 1,828 32.9% $219K
Winnebago County 251 552 31.3% $66K
Winneshiek County 201 442 16.3% $53K
Woodbury County 3,002 6,604 33.6% $792K
Worth County 140 308 27.5% $37K
Wright County 371 816 33.7% $98K

Free summer meals in Iowa

USDA's Summer Food Service Program runs free meal sites at schools, libraries, and parks. Open to any child 18 and under, no ID or income verification required.

Find summer meal sites

School-year free meals

Free and reduced-price National School Lunch and Breakfast programs — eligibility automatically qualifies kids for Summer EBT in participating states.

School meals guide

Iowa SNAP

SNAP enrollment often triggers automatic Summer EBT eligibility. State-specific application guide and benefit amounts.

Iowa SNAP guide

Families with children

Our population-specific guide: SNAP, WIC, Summer EBT, school meals, and pantry programs for families with kids in Iowa.

Full families guide

Find a food pantry

Search Iowa's verified pantries — many offer backpack programs, summer box distributions, and family-sized groceries during the summer months.

Iowa food pantries