Visualizing SNAP Performance Indicators
A work-in-progress as of 12-21-25 exploring USDA data on SNAP quality control measures. This dashboard shows examples on how to use published data while highlighting its limitations.
The Benefits & Costs of SNAP
Let's start with a quick overview of SNAP for context. We'll update some charts from the USDA economic Research Service Key Statistics page to start with.
As of writing this in the Fall of 2024, debate continues on renewing the 2018 Farm Bill, of which SNAP funding accounts for the majority of the costs.
$
billion dollars spent on SNAP in FY 2023 (in 2023 dollars)
It's hard to ignore that projections for SNAP enrollment & spending diverge, with spending increasing yearly from a higher baseline while enrollment is expected to steadily decrease.
This is partially due to changes in how the Thrifty Food Plan is calculated during the Biden administration to better reflect increases in the cost of food and modern diet recommendations.
Note that the cost of SNAP benefits are funded by the federal government, but administration costs are split with each state. Each state also has discretion to adjust eligibity past minimum guidelines that the federal goverment sets.
Notes on Average Monthly Participation Each Year in SNAP and Yearly Spending on SNAP charts
USDA Note for data from 2000 to 2023: figures are "based on preliminary data from the September 2023 Program Information Report (Keydata) released by USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in December 2023. FY 2019 average monthly participants excludes January and February 2019 counts, which were affected by a partial Federal Government shutdown.
Spending is noted in billions of 2023 dollars, adjusted using the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Source: USDA, Economic Research Service using USDA, FNS data"; see "SNAP average monthly participation and inflation-adjusted annual program spending, FY 2000–23" at USDA Key Statistics page.
Author Note (data from 2024 to 2034): Figures use estimated average monthly participation and outlays from Congressional Budget Office Baseline Projections, released June 2024. I chose to use outlays to align with spending data from the USDA, compared to the budget authority, as described in the CBO's Budgetary Terms Explained page.
See the How does SNAP enrollment change after economic downturns page in this website for more explanation about the USDA's decision to exclude January and February 2019 counts, as well.
Where are SNAP benefits distributed to?
Participation in the SNAP program varies widely by state. Utah had the lowest enrollment rate nationally, while New Mexico stands out with nearly 1 in 4 people receiving SNAP benefits at some point in FY 2023.
In general, the mid-northwest region of the United States holds lower participation rates than the rest of the country.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also provides state-by-state fact sheets, although only up to FY 2022 SNAP data.
Remember that the participation rate reflects the entire population of the state, not of the total SNAP-eligible population. That's estimated through the Program Access Index measure. For example, a low participation rate could reflect a state enforcing stricter eligibility criteria and not doing outreach to eligible citizens.
Notes on SNAP participation rate by state in fiscal year 2023
Data comes from the USDA Key Statistics page. USDA also credits the Economic Research Service using data from USDA, Food and Nutrition Service and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census for the original map, entitled "Percent of population receiving SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2023".
The Quality Control Process
With the SNAP program reaching tens of millions of Americans each year, and the costs increasing, how does the USDA make sure that the program runs well?
According to the USDA, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program implements a quality control system with the following aims:
- to measure the accuracy of states’ SNAP eligibility and benefit determinations
- to identify and correct errors in eligibility and benefit calculations
The USDA publishes this data on their website, and I've compilied it into a repository here. This dashboard will explore that data to and see what we can learn about SNAP benefits, while pointing out ways in which the data can be misinterpreted.
We'll walk through four quality control measurements that the USDA publishes: payment error rates, case and procedural error rates, and application processing timeliness rates. We'll also take a look at the Program Access Index that the USDA publishes as well. From the USDA definitions:
Payment Error Rate (PER)
The national payment error rate in FY 2023 waas 11.68%.
measures how accurately a state agency determined SNAP eligibility and benefit amounts for those who participate in SNAP.
Errors include both overpayments -- when households receive more benefits than they are entitled to – and underpayments – when households receive less benefits than they are entitled to.
Case & Procedural Error Rate
In FY 2023, 44.5% of cases with denials, suspensions, or terminiations had an issue with accuracy or timeliness.
assesses the accuracy of state agency actions in cases in which applicants were denied, terminated, or suspended and did not receive benefits.
It also measures a state's compliance with federal procedural requirements, including the timeliness and accuracy of notifications sent to affected households.
Application Processing Timeliness (APT)
States processed an average of 80.7% applications on time in FY 2023.
measures the timeliness of states’ processing of initial SNAP applications.
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 entitles all eligible households to SNAP benefits within 30 days of application, or within 7 days, if they are eligible for expedited service.
Program Access Index (PAI)
The national ratio of people that participated in SNAP to the estimated number of SNAP-eligible people was .8 in FY 2023.
indicate[s] the degree to which low-income people have access to SNAP benefits.
The PAI compares a state’s average monthly SNAP participation to the number of residents with incomes below 125% of the federal poverty line.
These are determined through sampling about 50,000 cases per year - if you're interested, you can download quality control data from the USDA. If not, continue on to see breakdowns of each quality control measure.