Increasing
What does this measure?
The proportion of households that participates 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 is an indication of how many people in a region rely on government assistance to meet their basic needs.
How is our region performing?
In 2015-19, 14% of households received SNAP, up from 13% in 2010-14. This is close to the national rate of 12% and the state rate of 15%. The highest rate among counties in the region was in Monroe and Orleans, where 15% of households received SNAP, and Ontario and Yates had the lowest rate at 9%. Rates were higher in the region's cities: 34% in Rochester, 23% in Geneva and 21% in Batavia, though only 11% of households in Canandaigua received the assistance. Most places had an increase from 2010-14 of a few percentage points.
Notes about the data
The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). Studies have found that ACS estimates of enrollment in public benefit programs tend to underestimate the true rate. The estimates reported above should be considered a lower bound of the true estimate. 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.
Data for this indicator are expected to be released in December.
2010-14 | 2015-19 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 13% | 12% | ||
NYS | 15% | 15% | ||
NYS (excluding NYC) | 11% | 11% | ||
Region | 13% | 14% | ||
Monroe | 14% | 15% | ||
Surrounding Counties | 11% | 11% | ||
Genesee | 10% | 11% | ||
Livingston | 12% | 12% | ||
Ontario | 10% | 9% | ||
Orleans | 17% | 15% | ||
Seneca | 11% | 11% | ||
Wayne | 12% | 12% | ||
Wyoming | 10% | 10% | ||
Yates | 13% | 9% | ||
Rochester | 34% | 34% | ||
Batavia | 19% | 21% | ||
Canandaigua | 15%* | 11%* | ||
Geneva | 20% | 23% |
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%.
2010-14 | 2015-19 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 15,089,358 | 14,171,567 | ||
NYS | 1,099,161 | 1,077,198 | ||
NYS (excluding NYC) | 466,232 | 461,509 | ||
Region | 63,307 | 66,422 | ||
Monroe | 42,303 | 45,737 | ||
Surrounding Counties | 21,004 | 20,685 | ||
Genesee | 2,480 | 2,719 | ||
Livingston | 2,995 | 2,954 | ||
Ontario | 4,300 | 4,236 | ||
Orleans | 2,722 | 2,541 | ||
Seneca | 1,477 | 1,527 | ||
Wayne | 4,199 | 4,259 | ||
Wyoming | 1,536 | 1,664 | ||
Yates | 1,295 | 785 | ||
Rochester | 29,116 | 29,506 | ||
Batavia | 1,216 | 1,284 | ||
Canandaigua | 704* | 566* | ||
Geneva | 930 | 1,045 |
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%.



INDICATORS - Grouped by Topic | REGIONAL VALUE | YEAR | NYS COMPARISON | TREND | REGION |
---|---|---|---|---|
Disengaged Youth, Ages 16 to 19 | 6% | 2015-19 |
3
![]() |
-1
Decreasing
|
Median Household Income | $59,871 | 2015-19 |
1
![]() |
-1
Decreasing
|
Median Household Income, by Race/Ethnicity | 2015-19 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
People Living in Poverty | 13% | 2015-19 |
3
![]() |
1
Increasing
|
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity | 2015-19 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
Public Assistance Recipients | 1.9% | 2019 |
3
![]() |
-1
Decreasing
|
Approval Rate for Public Assistance Applications | 24% | 2019 | 0 |
-1
Decreasing
|
Households Receiving SNAP | 14% | 2015-19 |
3
![]() |
1
Increasing
|
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity | 2015-19 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
Tax Filers Receiving Earned Income Tax Credit | 15% | 2018 |
3
![]() |
-1
Decreasing
|
EITC Dollars | $172 | 2018 |
1
![]() |
-1
Decreasing
|


