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Comparison Charts: Participation by Jurisdiction
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Comparison Table: Participation by State
| Jurisdiction | SNAP | SSI | MSP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | County | Participation | Eligible Non-Participants | Participation | Eligible Non-Participants | Participation | Eligible Non-Participants |
| Alabama | Total | 35.5% | 97,942 | 44.5% | 34,740 | 41.8% | 131,635 |
| Alaska | Total | 47.2% | 5,453 | 82% | 731 | 48.9% | 7,274 |
| Arizona | Total | 17.5% | 258,070 | 40.2% | 47,665 | 38% | 178,215 |
| Arkansas | Total | 27.3% | 53,696 | 41.6% | 20,344 | 29.6% | 78,389 |
| California | Total | 16.7% | 1,049,658 | 58.7% | 403,057 | 65.3% | 484,601 |
| Colorado | Total | 18.5% | 168,383 | 37.2% | 31,738 | 32.5% | 89,941 |
| Connecticut | Total | 39% | 82,130 | 41.1% | 22,911 | 40.5% | 157,367 |
| Delaware | Total | 24.6% | 28,319 | 30.6% | 6,596 | 38.7% | 18,588 |
| District of Columbia | Total | 36.6% | 15,774 | 44% | 6,708 | 40.7% | 25,281 |
| Florida | Total | 37.8% | 858,158 | 48.6% | 221,897 | 48.9% | 504,732 |
| Georgia | Total | 25.5% | 343,344 | 45.3% | 67,683 | 38.8% | 198,771 |
| Hawaii | Total | 28.7% | 53,002 | 47.5% | 9,879 | 42.8% | 31,705 |
| Idaho | Total | 33.3% | 23,151 | 25.4% | 13,359 | 36.9% | 31,873 |
| Illinois | Total | 30.2% | 395,206 | 42.2% | 89,765 | 42.8% | 182,784 |
| Indiana | Total | 29.5% | 87,815 | 27.3% | 42,318 | 28.1% | 201,045 |
| Iowa | Total | 17% | 90,752 | 27.3% | 20,219 | 33.5% | 54,355 |
| Kansas | Total | 28.9% | 35,582 | 32.9% | 14,699 | 36.6% | 40,058 |
| Kentucky | Total | 18.5% | 198,550 | 59.3% | 21,878 | 41.5% | 90,974 |
| Louisiana | Total | 34.1% | 91,122 | 43.1% | 42,663 | 56.8% | 79,320 |
| Maine | Total | 28.7% | 56,409 | 36.3% | 10,072 | 47.8% | 44,557 |
| Maryland | Total | 34.1% | 134,392 | 42.7% | 36,797 | 50.5% | 69,928 |
| Massachusetts | Total | 48% | 120,561 | 62.9% | 31,047 | 63.5% | 69,249 |
| Michigan | Total | 25.8% | 277,120 | 44.4% | 62,679 | 54.4% | 115,026 |
| Minnesota | Total | 18.6% | 157,049 | 47.3% | 25,521 | 41.4% | 69,474 |
| Mississippi | Total | 30.8% | 67,674 | 53.7% | 19,506 | 44.9% | 79,498 |
| Missouri | Total | 32.2% | 89,598 | 35.5% | 36,644 | 31.7% | 125,247 |
| Montana | Total | 22.5% | 28,850 | 26.3% | 9,597 | 32.1% | 22,988 |
| Nebraska | Total | 25.2% | 31,856 | 31.4% | 10,711 | 28% | 29,584 |
| Nevada | Total | 27.1% | 96,163 | 37.2% | 26,103 | 40.2% | 57,876 |
| New Hampshire | Total | 25.1% | 20,286 | 21.4% | 8,121 | 28.9% | 20,673 |
| New Jersey | Total | 34.2% | 224,935 | 49.6% | 60,134 | 49% | 125,945 |
| New Mexico | Total | 35.7% | 67,703 | 45.1% | 21,360 | 32.4% | 60,400 |
| New York | Total | 43.9% | 579,475 | 65.2% | 120,742 | 54% | 362,577 |
| North Carolina | Total | 17.9% | 432,221 | 40.1% | 65,882 | 40.2% | 205,550 |
| North Dakota | Total | 20.9% | 15,606 | 20.6% | 5,807 | 20.6% | 13,426 |
| Ohio | Total | 18.3% | 467,089 | 39.8% | 74,777 | 33.2% | 225,945 |
| Oklahoma | Total | 37% | 64,556 | 36.9% | 26,039 | 39.1% | 72,981 |
| Oregon | Total | 37.6% | 112,838 | 48.3% | 21,395 | 37.8% | 102,310 |
| Pennsylvania | Total | 31.3% | 461,070 | 50.2% | 69,094 | 47.7% | 206,888 |
| Rhode Island | Total | 50.8% | 26,898 | 47.7% | 8,409 | 43% | 21,597 |
| South Carolina | Total | 18.4% | 230,113 | 36.3% | 38,942 | 37.7% | 118,544 |
| South Dakota | Total | 28.5% | 13,735 | 37.8% | 5,056 | 37.8% | 14,608 |
| Tennessee | Total | 43% | 88,031 | 48.2% | 34,709 | 39.5% | 136,493 |
| Texas | Total | 38.2% | 500,475 | 46.3% | 208,518 | 46.1% | 456,538 |
| Utah | Total | 29.5% | 23,077 | 35.4% | 10,159 | 33% | 24,795 |
| Vermont | Total | 30.4% | 24,405 | 29.4% | 6,327 | 39.3% | 18,075 |
| Virginia | Total | 37.4% | 109,536 | 34.8% | 64,489 | 32.4% | 163,412 |
| Washington | Total | 38% | 166,028 | 56% | 29,361 | 67.1% | 49,406 |
| West Virginia | Total | 23.2% | 93,983 | 46.9% | 13,708 | 35.2% | 39,705 |
| Wisconsin | Total | 20.8% | 222,346 | 36.7% | 31,526 | 40.2% | 76,262 |
| Wyoming | Total | 21.8% | 7,508 | 25.8% | 2,899 | 21.6% | 11,848 |
| National | Total | 29.8% | 8,947,693 | 49% | 2,314,978 | 46.4% | 5,798,314 |
Frequently Asked Questions:
How are participation rates calculated for this tool?
Participation rates are determined using program administrative data and the Urban Institute's Analysis of Transfers, Taxes, and Income Security (ATTIS) microsimulation model. These rates are calculated by dividing the number of program participants aged 65 and over in a geographic area by the estimated number of eligible individuals in that area.
At what level are participation rates calculated?
For counties with larger populations, participation rates are calculated at the county level. For smaller counties, rates are calculated for groups of counties to ensure reliable estimates.
Does the tool provide information on eligible individuals who are not participating in programs?
Yes. For counties that do not need to be grouped, the tool includes estimates of "eligible non-participants", representing older adults who qualify for a program but are not currently receiving benefits.
What data is used to estimate program eligibility?
Program eligibility estimates come from the ATTIS microsimulation model, which applies detailed program eligibility rules—including federal guidelines and state-specific variations—to individuals in the American Community Survey (ACS) data.
What version of ACS data is used for eligibility estimates?
The analysis uses the 2018 1-year ACS data file, which provides social and economic details on over 1 million U.S. households. This allows for accurate state and substate eligibility estimates.
Why are some counties grouped together instead of reported individually?
The public-use ACS data does not identify all counties due to sample size limitations. To ensure reliable data, we use the Missouri Census Data Center's Geographic Correspondence Engine (GEOCORR) to identify individual counties or group them where necessary.
Where does the program enrollment data come from?
Each program's enrollment data comes from different sources:
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): The Food and Nutrition Service's publicly available county-level participant counts for July 2018 are used to estimate participants aged 65+ in each state and county.
- SSI (Supplemental Security Income): County-level enrollment data for adults 65+ is obtained from the Social Security Administration's December 2018 SSI Recipients by State and County report.
- MSP (Medicare Savings Programs): Enrollment data for adults 65+ is from December 2018, provided by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Where can I find more details about the data sources and methods used?
For a more detailed explanation of the data sources and methodology, please refer to the Technical Report.
Our Partner
This work was supported by grant 90MINC0002-03-00 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
