Cedar Rapids Today

Benton County saw a 1.3 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2019 to 2020, according to a Benton Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 1,686 recipients (873 households) in Benton County participated in the Program compared to 1,709 recipients (859 households) in 2019.

Overall, $3,273,232 in food assistance payments were allocated to Benton County recipients in 2020.

In 2019, $2,234,318 was allocated for Benton 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 Benton County 2011-2020

Year	Number of recipients
2011	2,474
2012	2,524
2013	2,498
2014	2,252
2015	2,162
2016	2,046
2017	2,023
2018	1,873
2019	1,709
2020	1,686