Breaking down the numbers: How many Hoosiers rely on SNAP Benefits?
SOUTH BEND, Ind . -- According to the Associated Press, on Monday, the Trump Administration said it will partially fund SNAP. On Friday, two judges ruled that the program was required to continue amid the government shutdown. The AP says it is not clear how much money people utilizing SNAP will receive, or how quickly they will receive the money.
The non-profit Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) focuses on helping those struggling with poverty-related hunger in the U.S.
According to FRAC data, based on their analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS), 1.2 million veterans participate in SNAP.
Additionally, 39% of SNAP households include older adults, 48% of SNAP households include a person with a disability, and 47% of SNAP households include children.
The nonprofit says between 2018 and 2023, 80 percent of households using SNAP included someone who was working.
According to USDA data, in Fiscal Year 2024, 8.8% of Indiana’s population received SNAP benefits, and in Michigan, 14.5%.
According to the Indiana FSSA’s Division of Family Resources Monthly Management report, in September 2025, 73,867 households received SNAP benefits, totaling more than 570,000 recipients. An average of just over 400 dollars was issued per household.
In St. Joseph County, Indiana, more than 27,000 people received SNAP benefits with an average issuance of about $426 per household.
In Elkhart County, 14,324 people received SNAP benefits, with an average issuance of about $437 per household.
Below is more data from the Indiana DFR:
Statewide (IN): Monthly Management Report
St. Joseph Co: Monthly Management Report
Elkhart Co: Monthly Management Report
MariJo Martinec is the Executive Director and CEO at the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.
She discussed the increasing cost of living and says money doesn't go as far as it used to a year ago for groceries.
“I think so many people, you know, they live paycheck to paycheck, and unfortunately, many of us don't have a safety net. So, when bad things like this happen. It really does affect us,” said Martinec.
She says some people don't make enough money to balance expenses like healthcare, medication, or gas, and don’t have a safety net.
“So they do turn to the charitable food system for support during tough times, and also apply for a program such as SNAP benefits, which really is something that is— it isn't just a safety net, but those SNAP benefits allow people who are in situations to really bounce back from difficult times,” said Martinec.
Martinec says for every meal a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine.
“SNAP benefits allow them to go into a grocery store. It provides meals for them. It provides food, but it also provides dignity and choice. Once that's taken away, they have to turn to food pantries and food banks across the country, here in our communities, and all across the country to stock their shelves,” said Martinec.
She says the need for food assistance has increased over the past several years as well, and that has been evident in their network of food pantries.
At the Community Food Pantry of St. Joseph County alone, the largest pantry in the network, they saw an 84 percent increase in households served between 2020 and 2024.
She says it’ll be telling to see what the numbers look like at the end of the year, but says they have seen new people come to their pantries over the past month.
If you are struggling right now, Martinec says you can reach out to them and they will put you in touch with a pantry in your community.
If you would like to help volunteer or donate to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, you can find out more here.