Households Receiving Basic Food (SNAP) Benefits

Basic Food, previously known as food stamps, is Washington State’s nutrition assistance program that provides food-purchasing benefits to individuals and families with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level. It is Washington State’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps lower income people meet basic needs by providing benefits to buy food. Between 2017 and 2021, an average of 8.0% of King County households received Basic Food benefits.  

• Race and ethnicity: Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (23.1%), Black/African American (25.9%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (21.7%) headed households were more likely to receive Basic Food benefits compared to the King County average, suggesting these households are disproportionately experiencing food insecurity. The same was true for Hispanic/Latino (14.3%) and Multiple Race (14.4%) households. White (5.6%) households were less likely than the King County average to receive Basic Food benefits.  

• Gender: Female-headed households (10.3%) were more likely to receive Basic Food benefits than male-headed households (6.5%).   

• Income and poverty: Households with lower incomes were the most likely to receive Basic Food benefits. Only 1.5% of households with an annual income of $150,000 or more had received Basic Food benefits, compared to 36.9% of households whose income was $20,000 or lower. Eligibility for Basic Food assistance depends on household income and the number of people in the household, as well as other factors such as age, disability, immigration status and work requirements.   

• Children in household: Households with children (11.8%) were more likely to receive Basic Food benefits than the King County average and households without children (6.8%).   

• Region/Cities/Neighborhoods: Households in South King County (12.9%) were more likely to access food benefits compared to households in other regions of the county. Many cities and neighborhoods in South King County were more likely to have received Basic Food benefits compared to the King County average. Kent – West (25.8%) and Central (24.7%), Federal Way – North Corridor (25.2%), Auburn – South (20.3%), and Tukwila (19.7%) were the cities and neighborhoods with the highest proportion of households that received Basic Food benefits. 

Notes & Sources

Source: American Community Survey (ACS).

To learn more about the American Community Survey and view the data biography, click here.