Woodbury County saw a 4 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa’s Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Woodbury Guide analysis of data from the state’s Department of Human Services.
In 2020, 13,882 recipients (6,441 households) in Woodbury County participated in the Program compared to 14,463 recipients (6,640 households) in 2019.
Overall, $26,405,261 in food assistance payments were allocated to Woodbury County recipients in 2020.
In 2019, $19,347,919 was allocated for Woodbury County program participants.
Qualified recipients in the Program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which then can be used to buy groceries. The Program is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Number of Food Assistance Program Participants in Woodbury County 2011-2020
| Year | Number of recipients |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 18,245 |
| 2012 | 19,532 |
| 2013 | 20,072 |
| 2014 | 19,417 |
| 2015 | 18,628 |
| 2016 | 17,601 |
| 2017 | 17,030 |
| 2018 | 15,922 |
| 2019 | 14,463 |
| 2020 | 13,882 |
