Cedar Rapids Today

Linn County saw a 2.6 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Linn Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 24,164 recipients (12,131 households) in Linn County participated in the Program compared to 24,797 recipients (12,182 households) in 2020.

Overall, $47,387,473 in food assistance payments were allocated to Linn County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $33,475,189 was allocated for Linn 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 Linn County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	27,658
2013	27,947
2014	26,577
2015	26,630
2016	26,891
2017	27,206
2018	26,340
2019	24,797
2020	24,164
2021	21,858