How many people in California are on Food Stamps? - 2023 Update

California, as the biggest state in the country by population also has the largest number of people on SNAP benefits, otherwise known as Food Stamps. However, when compared to the percentage of people on food stamps in the entire United States, California is below the national average. In this post, we are going to provide the latest update on the total number of people on food stamps in California in 2023, including the percentage of the state’s population on SNAP.

Additionally, we will compare California’s number to the national average for the United States.

About Food Stamps In California

CalFresh is California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as Food Stamps.

The program provides monthly food assistance to eligible low‑income households.

To be eligible, households generally must earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

CalFresh benefits can be used to buy most groceries and some prepared food at participating vendors.

For 2023, the maximum benefit for an individual on CalFresh is $281 a month, while a family of three can receive a maximum benefit of $740.

California will soon become the first state in the nation to extend food assistance benefits to some undocumented immigrants.

Number of People on Food Stamps in California – 2023 Update

As of October 2022, there are currently 2,870,494 households receiving SNAP benefits or Food Stamps in California, with about 5,052,731 Californians receiving benefits.

Here’s a summary of the latest data on food stamps participation in California for October 2022:

Number of Households on Food Stamps: 2,870,494
Total Number of People on Food Stamps in California: 5,052,731
Benefits Spent on Food Stamps in California for the Month: $1,428,723,461

That is according to the latest data published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

We have provided below a table showing the number of people on food stamps in California over the last 12 months of available data, according to the USDA:

California Food Stamps Statistics vs. National Average

Here’s how California’s Food Stamps numbers compare to the National Data for the United States:

California Food Stamps Statistics for October 2022:

Number of People on Food Stamps in California
As of October 2022
	October 2022	October 2021	Change
Number of People	5,052,731	4,488,318	12.6%
Number of Households	2,870,494	2,498,868	14.9%
Total Benefits ($)	$1,428,723,461	$1,168,800,556	22.2%

United States Food Stamps Statistics for October 2022:

Number of People on Food Stamps in The United States
As of October 2022
	October 2022	October 2021	Change
Number of People	42,338,021	41,199,884	2.8%
Number of Households	22,320,607	21,631,757	3.2%
Total Benefits ($)	$10,729,763,401	$9,951,773,940	7.8%

What Percentage of California is on Food Stamps?

In the state of California, approximately 12.9% of the population (1 in 8) are receiving food stamps, as of July 2022.

This is based on the latest Census Data which estimates the population of California as 39,029,342.

This compares with 12.7% of people (1 in 8) receiving food stamps in the United States.

The latest Census Data estimates the United States population at 333,287,557.

For details on who benefits from SNAP the most, see our post on – Who benefits from Food Stamps in California the most?

Also, for facts about CalFresh, see our post on – 10 Facts about California Food Stamps.

Summary

Here’s the summary of the Number of People on SNAP in California – 2023 Update:

Number of Households on Food Stamps: 2,870,494
Total Number of People on Food Stamps in California: 5,052,731
Amount of Spent on Food Stamps in California for the Month: $1,428,723,461

Questions?

We hope this post on the Number of People on SNAP Benefits in California – 2023 Update was helpful.

If you have further questions about CalFresh or California EBT Card, please let us know in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out our other articles about CalFresh and CalFresh EBT, including: