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Thursday, September 11, 2025

Food assistance use in Tama County: Down 37.4% since 2014

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Cory Turner, State-Operated Facilities Director of the Iowa Health u0026 Human Services | LinkedIn

Cory Turner, State-Operated Facilities Director of the Iowa Health u0026 Human Services | LinkedIn

Tama County saw a 37.4% decrease in the number of residents relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since 2014, according to Iowa's Department of Human Services.

Data shows that there were 1,298 people relying on food stamps in 2023, in comparison to 2,072 in 2014.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits to help low-income households buy food. The program is federally funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

SNAP funds allocated to the county reached $2,418,266 in 2023, compared to $2,502,771 in 2014.

Qualified recipients in the program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which can then be used to buy selected groceries. The amount of benefits depends on the net income and household size.

Statewide, Polk County recorded the highest number of people relying on SNAP, amounting to 50,042 in 2023.

Overall, families relying on the program in 2023 lived across 593 households, in comparison to 870 in 2014.

Since 2014, $24,290,866 has been allocated for Tama County as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Number of SNAP Participants in Tama County (2014-2023)
201420152016201720182019202020212022202320722,07219201,92019071,90717971,79716841,68414971,49714571,45712941,29412851,28512981,298

SNAP Funding Among Iowa Counties in 2023
CountyTotal Recipients (2014)Total Recipients (2023)% Change
Adair849508-40.2%
Adams442281-36.4%
Allamakee1,664909-45.4%
Appanoose2,1811,368-37.3%
Audubon577414-28.2%
Benton2,2521,572-30.2%
Black Hawk20,58114,412-30%
Boone2,6461,407-46.8%
Bremer1,424990-30.5%
Buchanan1,8841,143-39.3%
Buena Vista2,9731,726-41.9%
Butler1,285825-35.8%
Calhoun955698-26.9%
Carroll1,8901,225-35.2%
Cass1,9581,324-32.4%
Cedar1,437820-42.9%
Cerro Gordo5,9473,880-34.8%
Cherokee1,121653-41.7%
Chickasaw942515-45.3%
Clarke1,430840-41.3%
Clay1,9461,249-35.8%
Clayton1,438900-37.4%
Clinton8,8885,747-35.3%
Crawford2,1251,181-44.4%
Dallas4,1883,144-24.9%
Davis764471-38.4%
Decatur1,392758-45.5%
Delaware1,330843-36.6%
Des Moines8,2115,353-34.8%
Dickinson1,335936-29.9%
Dubuque11,1477,394-33.7%
Emmet1,202733-39%
Fayette2,7041,894-30%
Floyd2,2381,456-34.9%
Franklin1,171718-38.7%
Fremont1,046627-40.1%
Greene1,410895-36.5%
Grundy727578-20.5%
Guthrie1,150727-36.8%
Hamilton1,717874-49.1%
Hancock874591-32.4%
Hardin2,1811,323-39.3%
Harrison1,7131,068-37.7%
Henry2,9011,883-35.1%
Howard921524-43.1%
Humboldt989569-42.5%
Ida685458-33.1%
Iowa1,106700-36.7%
Jackson2,5411,542-39.3%
Jasper4,7803,052-36.2%
Jefferson2,3361,502-35.7%
Johnson11,2919,609-14.9%
Jones1,8871,207-36%
Keokuk1,276895-29.9%
Kossuth1,230903-26.6%
Lee6,6084,405-33.3%
Linn26,57721,206-20.2%
Louisa1,418706-50.2%
Lucas1,476878-40.5%
Lyon714421-41%
Madison1,327642-51.6%
Mahaska3,4141,910-44.1%
Marion3,0841,799-41.7%
Marshall6,7943,926-42.2%
Mills1,560933-40.2%
Mitchell710492-30.7%
Monona1,234820-33.5%
Monroe920534-42%
Montgomery1,9431,205-38%
Muscatine7,6854,529-41.1%
O'Brien1,214688-43.3%
Osceola485352-27.4%
Page2,2711,354-40.4%
Palo Alto862517-40%
Plymouth1,7261,122-35%
Pocahontas946573-39.4%
Polk70,98250,042-29.5%
Pottawattamie16,88210,847-35.7%
Poweshiek1,5531,089-29.9%
Ringgold611415-32.1%
Sac919537-41.6%
Scott32,38320,459-36.8%
Shelby1,172749-36.1%
Sioux1,7071,080-36.7%
Story6,4154,094-36.2%
Tama2,0721,298-37.4%
Taylor865518-40.1%
Union1,8431,379-25.2%
Van Buren876621-29.1%
Wapello7,2024,873-32.3%
Warren3,7602,032-46%
Washington2,2941,387-39.5%
Wayne858494-42.4%
Webster6,4964,358-32.9%
Winnebago1,056647-38.7%
Winneshiek1,089721-33.8%
Woodbury19,41711,911-38.7%
Worth726463-36.2%
Wright1,679901-46.3%
Total for Iowa403,103267,741-33.6%

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