The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, used to calculate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. As a result, the average SNAP benefit – excluding additional funds provided as part of pandemic relief – will increase 27% for Fiscal Year 2022 beginning on October 1, 2021.
“A modernized Thrifty Food Plan is more than a commitment to good nutrition – it’s an investment in our nation’s health, economy, and security,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Ensuring low-income families have access to a healthy diet helps prevent disease, supports children in the classroom, reduces health care costs, and more. And the additional money families will spend on groceries helps grow the food economy, creating thousands of new jobs along the way.”
The plan was calculated using updated purchasing data – collected from stores versus self-reported by households – to reflect the current price of foods in today’s marketplace. The revised Thrifty Food Plan also includes a modest increase in calories to reflect the latest data and support an active lifestyle.
The 2021 Thrifty Food Plan puts healthy food in reach for SNAP families. Recent evidence consistently shows that benefit levels are too low to provide for a realistic, healthy diet, even with households contributing their own funds toward groceries. A USDA study published earlier this summer found that nearly nine out of 10 SNAP participants reported facing barriers to achieving a healthy diet, with the most common barrier being the cost of healthy foods. These findings were echoed in listening sessions USDA held with a broad range of Thrifty Food Plan stakeholders.
The reevaluation concluded that the cost of a nutritious, practical, cost effective diet is 21% higher than the current Thrifty Food Plan. As a result, the average SNAP benefit – excluding additional funds provided as part of pandemic relief – will increase by $36.24 per person, per month, or $1.19 per day, for Fiscal Year 2022 beginning on October 1, 2021.
Estimated Increase in 2022 SNAP Benefits by State
| State | Prior TFP | New TFP | Difference | Percent Increase |
| Alabama | $1,260 | $1,603 | $343 | 27% |
| Alaska | $195 | $248 | $53 | 27% |
| Arizona | $1,425 | $1,813 | $388 | 27% |
| Arkansas | $533 | $678 | $145 | 27% |
| California | $7,484 | $9,523 | $2,039 | 27% |
| Colorado | $855 | $1,088 | $233 | 27% |
| Connecticut | $666 | $847 | $181 | 27% |
| Delaware | $176 | $225 | $49 | 28% |
| District of Columbia | $255 | $324 | $69 | 27% |
| Florida | $5,319 | $6,768 | $1,449 | 27% |
| Georgia | $2,857 | $3,635 | $778 | 27% |
| Guam | $103 | $130 | $27 | 26% |
| Hawaii | $697 | $887 | $190 | 27% |
| Idaho | $248 | $316 | $68 | 27% |
| Illinois | $3,530 | $4,491 | $961 | 27% |
| Indiana | $1,095 | $1,393 | $298 | 27% |
| Iowa | $425 | $541 | $116 | 27% |
| Kansas | $354 | $450 | $96 | 27% |
| Kentucky | $1,002 | $1,276 | $274 | 27% |
| Louisiana | $1,595 | $2,030 | $435 | 27% |
| Maine | $244 | $311 | $67 | 27% |
| Maryland | $1,282 | $1,631 | $349 | 27% |
| Massachusetts | $1,572 | $2,000 | $428 | 27% |
| Michigan | $1,979 | $2,518 | $539 | 27% |
| Minnesota | $635 | $808 | $173 | 27% |
| Mississippi | $630 | $802 | $172 | 27% |
| Missouri | $1,168 | $1,486 | $318 | 27% |
| Montana | $155 | $198 | $43 | 28% |
| Nebraska | $321 | $408 | $87 | 27% |
| Nevada | $654 | $832 | $178 | 27% |
| New Hampshire | $102 | $130 | $28 | 27% |
| New Jersey | $1,380 | $1,756 | $376 | 27% |
| New Mexico | $916 | $1,166 | $250 | 27% |
| New York | $5,283 | $6,723 | $1,440 | 27% |
| North Carolina | $4,329 | $5,508 | $1,179 | 27% |
| North Dakota | $85 | $108 | $23 | 27% |
| Ohio | $2,566 | $3,265 | $699 | 27% |
| Oklahoma | $967 | $1,230 | $263 | 27% |
| Oregon | $1,237 | $1,574 | $337 | 27% |
| Pennsylvania | $2,840 | $3,614 | $774 | 27% |
| Rhode Island | $255 | $325 | $70 | 27% |
| South Carolina | $993 | $1,264 | $271 | 27% |
| South Dakota | $131 | $166 | $35 | 27% |
| Tennessee | $2,247 | $2,859 | $612 | 27% |
| Texas | $5,515 | $7,017 | $1,502 | 27% |
| Utah | $268 | $341 | $73 | 27% |
| Vermont | $115 | $146 | $31 | 27% |
| Virginia | $56 | $72 | $16 | 29% |
| Virgin Islands | $1,238 | $1,575 | $337 | 27% |
| Washington | $1,508 | $1,918 | $410 | 27% |
| West Virginia | $457 | $582 | $125 | 27% |
| Wisconsin | $1,166 | $1,483 | $317 | 27% |
| Wyoming | $49 | $62 | $13 | 27% |
| U.S. | $72,415 | $92,146 | $19,731 | 27% |
