1 IN 6 WASHINGTON FAMILIES RELY ON FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR GROCERIES

Understanding the " Households with Children Participating in the Basic Food Program in Washington" Indicator: To drive meaningful change for kids and families, we rely on data indicators—specific, measurable pieces of information that show how children are doing across key areas like health, education, and economic stability. One foundational indicator in our KIDS COUNT® data project is the percentage of households with children under 18 years old that received support from Washington’ state’s Basic Food program in the last 12 months. Basic Food is Washington state’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Sometimes referred to as “food stamps,” Basic Food provides food and nutrition support to individuals and families who meet income guidelines. Eligible households receive a monthly allotment onto an electronic benefits card, which can be used to buy groceries at participating stores. Understanding the share of Washington households with children receiving Basic Food helps advocates and policymakers understand the extent of food insecurity in our state and can guide efforts to develop policies that more effectively support families’ access to food. Click here to explore the data. 

Overview

Many programs designed to support households with low incomes use similar eligibility guidelines, often based on household income in relation to the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) or the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For example, in Washington, Basic Food is available to households with gross incomes at or below 200% of the FPL. At that level, 16.4% of Washington households with children receive Basic Food support. For comparison, a single adult (age 19-64) looking to enroll in Apple Health, Washington’s Medicaid program, must have an income of no more than $1,800 per month, or about 138% of the FPL.  

Although not a comprehensive measure, eligibility thresholds like these offer a way to estimate how many households may qualify for income-based programs in our state. Eligibility for Basic Food often suggests that a household likely qualifies for other support as well, such as free or reduced-price school meals, subsidized health and child care, and certain tax credits.   

County-level data reveals that areas with higher Basic Food enrollment often also have higher rates of children living in poverty, as seen in counties like Ferry and Yakima (see Table 1 below). While lower income is a clear factor influencing the need for food assistance, this overlap also reflects broader cost-of-living pressures—especially in rural communities. A 2023 analysis found that rural households may face rising living costs more rapidly than urban residents, due to factors like higher food prices, longer travel distances to grocery stores and medical care, and limited access to services. Addressing hunger in Washington will require solutions that reflect the unique economic pressures experienced by under-resourced rural communities.  

Table 1. The three counties with the highest and three with the lowest percentages of households with children under 18 participating in Basic Food.