Who gets SNAP in California and how much does the average household get in benefits per month and per day? In this post, we will provide details on who benefits from food stamps in California (2022 update) and the breakdown of beneficiaries by category and household composition.
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
- 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
For the latest update and more details on the number of people receiving SNAP in California, see our post on Food Stamps statistics in California.
Who Benefits from Food Stamps in California?
Here is the food stamps household composition in California, compared with the national average by category:
Households with Children
California: Percentage of food stamps households with children: 66%
United States: Percentage of food stamps households with children: 66%
Households with Elderly or the Disabled
California: Percentage of food stamps households with an elderly/disabled person: 19%
United States: Percentage of food stamps households with an elderly/disabled person: 36%
Households that are Working Families
California: Percentage of food stamps households that are working families: 40%
United States: Percentage of food stamps households that are working families: 42%
SNAP Participation Rate in California vs. National Average
Here are food stamps participation rates by category – California vs. the rest of the United States:
All Eligible People
California: Percentage of eligible people that are receiving Food Stamps: 70%
United States: Percentage of eligible people that are receiving Food Stamps: 82%
Working Poor
California: Percentage of eligible working poor that are receiving Food Stamps: 59%
United States: Percentage of eligible working poor that are receiving Food Stamps: 74%
Elderly People
California: Percentage of eligible elderly people that are receiving Food Stamps: 19%
United States: Percentage of eligible elderly people that are receiving Food Stamps: 42%
How Much in Food Stamps can you get in California?
How much food stamps you receive depends on your household income and household size.
The table below shows the monthly and daily food stamps benefits in California for each household member.
| How much SNAP can you receive in California? | |||
| The fiscal Year 2019 (pre-pandemic) | Fiscal Year 2021 (includes pandemic increases) | Fiscal Year 2022 (estimated, excluding emergency allotments) | |
| For each household member per month: | $141 | $217 | $175 |
| For each household member per day: | $4.64 | $7.12 | $5.76 |
Maximum Food Stamps Allocation
For comparison, here are the maximum food stamps benefits you can receive based on your household size.
| Maximum SNAP Benefit Amount by Household Size for California | |
| Effective October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022 | |
| Household Size | Maximum SNAP Benefit Allotment |
| 1 | $250 |
| 2 | $459 |
| 3 | $658 |
| 4 | $835 |
| 5 | $992 |
| 6 | $1,190 |
| 7 | $1,316 |
| 8 | $1,504 |
| Each Additional Household Member: | +$188 |
Also, for facts about California Food Stamps, see our post on – 10 Facts about CalFresh Benefits.
Summary
We hope this post on Who Benefits from Food Stamps in California – 2022 Update was helpful.
Questions?
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: