Economic%20mobility
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau

What does this measure?

The proportion of households broken out by race and ethnicity that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).

Why is this important?

The SNAP program provides government funding for low-income people to buy food. It therefore indicates how many people in a region cannot support themselves at a basic level. Differences among racial and ethnic groups may reflect the economic health of these groups, as well as potential disparities in access to economic opportunity.

How is our county performing?

In 2018-22, 38% of Hispanic or Latino residents and 25% of Black or African American residents participated in SNAP, compared to 12% of Asian and White residents. These rates were similar to the state and nation, except the Latino rate was substantially lower nationwide (18%). Participation among Asians also was somewhat lower at the national level (8%).

Since 2018-12, Worcester County had increases in SNAP participation among all residents except Latinos, which decreased by five percentage points.

Why do these disparities exist?

Research connects lower incomes and higher poverty rates among people of color to historic and current policies and practices that disadvantaged people of color. These policies and systems, ranging from inequitable access to housing to employment discrimination to education systems that fail to equitably serve all populations, have prevented people of color from fully participating in our economy, locking them out of economic opportunity. This has increased the need for some groups to access programs to support basic needs such as SNAP.

Notes about the data

The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (White, African American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic), so the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.

Studies have found that national survey estimates (including the ACS) of enrollment in public benefit programs tend to underestimate the true rate due to underreporting by participants, when compared with state-level administrative data. Underreporting can occur for a variety of reasons, including the social stigma of program participation and participants' confusion about the source of the services they receive. For these reasons, the estimates reported above should be considered a lower bound of the true estimate.

Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity, 2018-22
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanic or LatinoWhite
Worcester County12%*25%38%12%
Athol0%***100%***53%***22%*
Clinton8%***7%***27%***9%*
Fitchburg22%***22%***33%*22%
Gardner33%***0%***10%***17%
Northbridge0%***9%***21%***9%*
Southbridge0%***52%***52%31%
Spencer0%***57%***0%***10%**
Webster50%***30%***32%**12%*
Westborough6%***23%***4%***3%***
Worcester21%*28%47%21%
Massachusetts12%28%34%10%
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham0%***0%***0%***5%***
Auburn2%***0%***13%***9%*
BarreN/A***N/A***N/A***13%**
Berlin34%***100%***N/A***4%***
Blackstone0%***0%***54%***7%***
Bolton0%***N/A***0%***4%***
Boylston0%***N/A***35%***5%***
BrookfieldN/A***N/A***0%***7%**
Charlton0%***0%***0%***8%**
Douglas0%***N/A***0%***7%***
Dudley63%***25%***27%***13%*
East Brookfield0%***57%***0%***11%***
Grafton0%***36%***22%***6%**
Hardwick0%***N/A***43%***10%**
Harvard0%***0%***0%***2%***
Holden0%***0%***1%***4%*
HopedaleN/A***0%***0%***6%***
Hubbardston0%***0%***0%***10%**
Lancaster0%***100%***54%***10%***
LeicesterN/A***15%***26%***5%***
Lunenburg0%***0%***34%***6%**
Mendon0%***0%***0%***8%***
Milford0%***0%***14%***6%*
Millbury0%***32%***10%***10%**
Millville0%***0%***0%***5%**
New BraintreeN/A***0%***N/A***5%***
Northborough0%***17%***0%***4%***
North BrookfieldN/A***0%***0%***8%***
OakhamN/A***0%***N/A***10%**
Oxford100%***0%***18%***12%*
Paxton0%***0%***0%***4%***
Petersham0%***N/A***N/A***5%***
PhillipstonN/A***0%***0%***5%***
PrincetonN/A***N/A***100%***1%***
Royalston0%***N/A***N/A***9%***
Rutland0%***0%***0%***7%***
Shrewsbury4%***4%***17%***5%*
Southborough11%***0%***0%***2%***
SterlingN/A***0%***0%***6%***
Sturbridge0%***22%***19%***9%**
Sutton0%***100%***0%***3%***
Templeton0%***N/A***18%***12%***
Upton0%***0%***38%***4%***
Uxbridge0%***0%***0%***4%**
Warren100%***100%***100%***16%**
West Boylston0%***46%***28%***6%***
West BrookfieldN/A***N/A***0%***9%**
WestminsterN/A***N/A***0%***5%***
Winchendon31%***0%***0%***18%*
Leominster9%***20%***37%*13%*

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




Number of Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity, 2018-22
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanic or LatinoWhite
Worcester County1,683*3,41812,57932,396
Athol0***15***175***999*
Clinton9***7***215***527*
Fitchburg49***190***1,334*2,758
Gardner94***0***47***1,384
Northbridge0***6***107***540*
Southbridge0***159***1,0831,664
Spencer0***12***0***466**
Webster59***106***265**712*
Westborough103***44***19***156***
Worcester1,007*2,3877,88011,006
Massachusetts19,76348,25993,302203,757
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham0***0***0***99***
Auburn2***0***31***577*
Barre0***0***0***251**
Berlin16***7***0***60***
Blackstone0***0***19***265***
Bolton0***0***0***73***
Boylston0***0***6***79***
Brookfield0***0***0***97**
Charlton0***0***0***365**
Douglas0***0***0***207***
Dudley62***37***38***489*
East Brookfield0***4***0***89***
Grafton0***37***64***360**
Hardwick0***0***13***105**
Harvard0***0***0***29***
Holden0***0***2***286*
Hopedale0***0***0***120***
Hubbardston0***0***0***148**
Lancaster0***23***73***277***
Leicester0***16***32***180***
Lunenburg0***0***33***270**
Mendon0***0***0***161***
Milford0***0***126***557*
Millbury0***19***9***481**
Millville0***0***0***54**
New Braintree0***0***0***20***
Northborough0***31***0***203***
North Brookfield0***0***0***153***
Oakham0***0***0***61**
Oxford12***0***26***563*
Paxton0***0***0***67***
Petersham0***0***0***21***
Phillipston0***0***0***36***
Princeton0***0***7***18***
Royalston0***0***0***47***
Rutland0***0***0***208***
Shrewsbury118***15***108***524*
Southborough52***0***0***47***
Sterling0***0***0***189***
Sturbridge0***17***23***319**
Sutton0***5***0***107***
Templeton0***0***9***347***
Upton0***0***17***91***
Uxbridge0***0***0***196**
Warren30***23***23***319**
West Boylston0***26***16***155***
West Brookfield0***0***0***133**
Westminster0***0***0***148***
Winchendon31***0***0***580*
Leominster39***232***779*1,953*

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.







INDICATORS TREND
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments 1
Increasing
Average Charitable Contribution 0
Maintaining
Households With Internet Access 1
Increasing
Protected Land 10 Not Applicable*
Voter Participation Rate -1
Decreasing
Voter Registration Rate 0
Maintaining
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Change in Total Population 1
Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Foreign-Born Population 1
Increasing
Language Diversity 1
Increasing
Population by Age -1
Decreasing
Households by Type 0
Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Median Household Income 0
Maintaining
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity 0
Maintaining
80/20 Income Ratio 0
Maintaining
Income in Relation to Poverty Level 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level 1
Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Age 1
Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Overall Housing Cost Burden -1
Decreasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Homelessness 10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance 0
Maintaining
Households Without Vehicles 0
Maintaining
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector 10 Not Applicable*
Change in Average Salary by Sector 10 Not Applicable*
Female to Male Earnings Ratio 0
Maintaining
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Employer Size 1
Increasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Self-Employment Revenue 0
Maintaining
People Entering/Leaving County for Work 1
Increasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Preterm Births 10 Not Applicable*
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels -1
Decreasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma 1
Increasing
People with Disabilities 1
Increasing
People Without Health Insurance -1
Decreasing
Cancer Incidence 0
Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence -1
Decreasing
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions 1
Increasing
Opioid Overdose Mortality Rate 1
Increasing
Children Living in Poverty 0
Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students 1
Increasing
Disengaged Youth -1
Decreasing
Prekindergarten Participation -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group 1
Increasing
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group 1
Increasing





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