In 2020, 1,670 Buena Vista County residents participated in Iowa’s Food Assistance Program compared to 2,518 residents in 2011, according to Buena Vista County Guide analysis of data from the Iowa Department of Human Services.
This equates to in resident participation over nine years.
As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, qualified Iowans receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that can be used to buy groceries.
Since 2011, $30,793,190 has been allocated for Buena Vista County as part of the Iowa Food Assistance Program.
The following table shows the Iowa counties that saw the biggest resident participation change in the Iowa Food Assistance Program from 2011 to 2020:
| County | Number of Residents (2011) | Number of Residents (2020) | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | 1,634 | 846 | -48.2% |
| Louisa | 1,585 | 860 | -45.8% |
| Howard | 1,024 | 560 | -45.3% |
| Hamilton | 1,741 | 961 | -44.8% |
| Mahaska | 3,901 | 2,227 | -42.9% |
Source: Iowa Department of Human Services
