# SNAP and WIC Raw Data Sources This directory contains official government datasets backing the statistics in `overview-statistics.md`. ## Data Collection Date November 2, 2025 --- ## SNAP (Food Stamps) Data ### Administrative/Program Data (USDA FNS) **snap-annual-summary-1969-2024.xlsx** - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-annualsummary-8.xlsx - Description: Annual participation and costs from 1969-2024 - Contains: National-level persons, households, total benefits, average benefits - Format: Excel (.xlsx) **FY89.xls through FY25.xlsx** (37 files) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-zip-fy69tocurrent-8.zip (extracted) - Description: State-level monthly participation data by fiscal year - Contains: Persons, households, benefits by state and month - Format: Excel (.xls for older years, .xlsx for recent) - Coverage: FY1969-FY2025 (1969-88 is national level only) **snap-persons-state-latest.xlsx** - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-persons-8.xlsx - Description: Most recent month (May 2025) of state-level participation - persons - Format: Excel (.xlsx) **snap-households-state-latest.xlsx** - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-households-8.xlsx - Description: Most recent month (May 2025) of state-level participation - households - Format: Excel (.xlsx) ### Research Reports & Analysis (USDA FNS) **snap-characteristics-fy2023.pdf** (3.1 MB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-FY23-Characteristics-Report.pdf - Description: Detailed characteristics of SNAP households and participants in FY2023 - Contains: Demographics, income sources, household composition, state-level data - Key tables: Income as % of poverty, earned vs unearned income, benefit amounts **snap-participation-rates-fy2016-2020.pdf** (1.9 MB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-trends-fy2016-2020.pdf - Description: Trends in participation rates among eligible population - Contains: Coverage rates by subgroups, methodology, historical trends - Estimates: What % of eligible people actually participate **snap-participation-rates-fy2020-2022.pdf** (47 KB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ops/Trends2010-2017.pdf - Description: Additional participation rate analysis - Note: Title may not match exactly - verify contents ### Economic Research (USDA ERS) **ers-snap-participation-spending.xlsx** - Source: http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/725/snapparticipationandspending.xlsx - Description: Historical SNAP participation and spending trends - Contains: Chart data for ERS visualizations - Format: Excel (.xlsx) **ers-food-security-complete-data.xlsx** (172 KB) - Source: https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/images/foodsecurity_datafile.xlsx - Description: Complete food security statistics 2001-2023 - Contains: Household food security status by year, demographics - Based on: Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement - Critical for: Understanding food insecurity trends and relationship to SNAP --- ## WIC Program Data ### Administrative/Program Data (USDA FNS) **wic-annual-summary-1974-2024.xlsx** - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/wisummary-8.xlsx - Description: WIC participation from program inception (1974) through 2024 - Contains: Total participants by category (women, infants, children) - Format: Excel (.xlsx) **wic-monthly-national-fy2021-2025.xlsx** - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/37wic-monthly-8.xlsx - Description: Recent monthly national WIC data - Contains: Participation by category, monthly trends - Format: Excel (.xlsx) **wic-state-fy2024.xlsx** (219 KB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/wicagencies2024ytd-8.xlsx - Description: State-level participation by category and program costs (FY2024 preliminary) - Contains: Monthly state data, food costs, administrative costs - Format: Excel (.xlsx) **wic-state-fy2023.xlsx** (222 KB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/wicagencies2023ytd-8.xlsx - Description: State-level participation by category and program costs (FY2023 final) - Contains: Monthly state data, food costs, administrative costs - Format: Excel (.xlsx) ### Eligibility & Coverage Analysis (USDA FNS) **wic-eligibility-coverage-2022.pdf** (581 KB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/wic-eer-2022-summary.pdf - Description: National and state WIC eligibility and coverage rates for 2022 - Contains: Coverage rates by category, race/ethnicity, state - Key finding: 53.5% of eligible people participated in 2022 **wic-eligibility-coverage-2021.pdf** (453 KB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/wic-eligibility-report-summary-2021.pdf - Description: National and state WIC eligibility and coverage rates for 2021 - Contains: Coverage rates by category, methodology - Key finding: 51.2% of eligible people participated in 2021 **wic-eligibility-coverage-full-2022.pdf** (8.2 MB) - Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/wic-eer-2022-report-appendices.pdf - Description: Full technical report with appendices - Contains: Detailed methodology, state-by-state coverage rates, demographics - Most comprehensive: Includes tables by age of children, race/ethnicity, state --- ## Data Usage Notes ### File Formats - **Excel files (.xlsx, .xls)**: Can be opened in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc, or read programmatically with Python (pandas), R, etc. - **PDF files**: Research reports with tables and methodology. Data may need to be extracted manually or with PDF tools. ### Key Variables Across Datasets **SNAP:** - Persons: Number of individual participants - Households: Number of participating households - Benefits: Dollar amounts (monthly or annual) - Average benefit: Per person or per household - Participation rate: % of eligible who participate - Coverage rate: Same as participation rate **WIC:** - Total participation: All WIC participants - Women: Pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding - Infants: Children under 1 year - Children: Ages 1-4 - Food costs: Cost of food packages - Administrative costs: Program overhead - Coverage rate: % of eligible who participate - Eligibility estimate: Total population eligible ### Time Periods - **Fiscal Year (FY)**: October 1 - September 30 - FY2024 = Oct 2023 - Sep 2024 - **Calendar Year (CY)**: January 1 - December 31 - Most data is by fiscal year - Food security data uses calendar year ### Geographic Levels - **National**: Whole US (50 states + DC, sometimes territories) - **State**: Individual state data - **County**: Some SNAP data available bi-annually (not downloaded here) --- ## Data Quality & Limitations ### SNAP - Administrative data is highly accurate (actual program records) - Participation rates require estimation (survey data has underreporting) - Participation rate denominators come from Census surveys (CPS-ASEC) - Some categorically eligible participants excluded from rates ### WIC - Administrative data is accurate for participants - Eligibility estimates have uncertainty (based on surveys + modeling) - Coverage rate gaps suggest measurement challenges - State variation is large - reflects both need and program effectiveness ### Food Security - Based on household surveys (Current Population Survey) - Self-reported experiences of food insecurity - Does not directly measure SNAP participation impact - Useful for contextualizing need for programs --- ## Related Data Not Downloaded The following datasets exist but weren't downloaded (either too large, require special access, or lower priority): 1. **SNAP Quality Control (QC) Data** - Detailed case-level data, requires special access 2. **County-level SNAP data** - Available bi-annually from FNS 3. **SNAP State Activity Reports** - Administrative details by state 4. **Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)** - Census longitudinal survey (source of lifetime participation estimates) 5. **Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID)** - University of Michigan survey (another source for lifetime estimates) --- ## How to Cite When using this data, cite the original sources: **SNAP Administrative Data:** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Program Data, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Data Tables. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap **WIC Administrative Data:** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Program Data, WIC Data Tables. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program **SNAP Participation Rates:** Vigil, Alma. Various years. "Trends in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates." U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. **WIC Coverage Rates:** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. "National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and Program Reach." Various years. **Food Security Data:** Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, Matthew P. Rabbitt, Christian A. Gregory, and Anita Singh. Various years. "Household Food Security in the United States." U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. --- ## Update Frequency - **SNAP monthly data**: Updated monthly (2-3 month lag) - **WIC monthly data**: Updated monthly (2-3 month lag) - **Annual summaries**: Updated annually - **Characteristics reports**: Published annually (FY data, released ~9 months later) - **Participation rate studies**: Published every 2-3 years - **Food security report**: Published annually (September/October) --- ## Questions or Issues For questions about: - **Data accuracy**: Contact USDA FNS at the source links above - **This collection**: Review `overview-statistics.md` for context - **Analysis methodology**: See the PDF research reports in this directory