Of the 150 counties with the highest percentage of households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 136 are rural, according to a new analysis from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Though the political messaging around SNAP has often portrayed the program as one that predominantly serves urban residents, the data analysis finds that rural communities have a higher household rate of SNAP usage. In fact, just two of the top 50 counties for SNAP households are in urban areas.
Additionally, the report found that many of those rural communities are represented by members of Congress who have advocated slashing the SNAP program. For instance, Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky has represented the country’s second-poorest district since 1980, a district where one in three households receive SNAP benefits. But Rep. Rogers has done little to stand in the way of proposed and actual cuts to the SNAP program.