How many people in California are on Food Stamps? – 2022 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 2022, 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 2022, the maximum benefit for an individual on CalFresh is $250 a month, while a family of three can receive a maximum benefit of $658.

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 – 2022 Update

As of April 2022, there are currently 2,612,764 households receiving SNAP benefits or Food Stamps in California, with about 4,612,800 Californians receiving benefits.

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

Total Number of California Households Receiving Food Stamps: 2,612,764
Total Number of People in California Receiving Food Stamps: 4,612,800
Amount of Spent on Food Stamps in California for the Month: $1,194,895,095

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 April 2022:

Number of People on Food Stamps in California
As of April 2022
	April 2022	April 2021	Change
Number of People	4,612,800	4,291,627	7.5%
Number of Households	2,612,764	2,370,759	10.20%
Total Benefits ($)	$1,194,895,095.00	$934,792,129.00	48.7%

United States Food Stamps Statistics for April 2022:

Number of People on Food Stamps in The United States
As of April 2022
	April 2022	April 2021	Change
Number of People	41,227,389	41,803,533	-1.4%
Number of Households	21,608,461	21,719,843	-0.50%
Total Benefits ($)	$9,632,930,235.00	$9,597,137,317.00	0.4%

What Percentage of California is on Food Stamps?

In the state of California, approximately 11.7% of the population (1 in 9) are receiving food stamps, as of April 2022.

This is based on the latest Census Data which estimates the population of California as 39,237,836.

This compares with 12.4% of people (1 in 8) receiving food stamps in the United States.

The latest Census Data estimates the United States population at 331,893,745.

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 – 2022 Update:

Number of Households on Food Stamps: 2,612,764
Total Number of People on Food Stamps in California: 4,612,800
Amount of Spent on Food Stamps in California for the Month: $1,194,895,095

Questions?

We hope this post on the Number of People on SNAP Benefits in California – 2022 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:

Kwame Kuadey

Kwame Kuadey writes about personal finance and the social safety net. His career started in banking but he caught the entrepreneurial bug and has spent the last decade building successful businesses, including an Inc. 500 Company. Kwame believes everyone has the power to improve their quality of life by seeking knowledge and taking action. In 2012, Kwame founded Empower Media to help low-income households improve their financial situation. His expertise is in topics relevant to low-income households, including government benefits and assistance, banking products, access to credit, plus tools & resources to help reduce income volatility and build wealth. Kwame has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, Washington Post, ABC, and NPR.