NW Iowa News

Clay County saw a 3.3 percent decrease in the number of residents who participated in Iowa's Food Assistance Program from 2020 to 2021, according to a Clay Guide analysis of data from the state's Department of Human Services.

In 2021, 1,400 recipients (711 households) in Clay County participated in the Program compared to 1,448 recipients (735 households) in 2020.

Overall, $2,631,816 in food assistance payments were allocated to Clay County recipients in 2021.

In 2020, $1,704,151 was allocated for Clay County program participants.

Qualified recipients in the Program are eligible to receive financial assistance in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which then can be used to buy groceries. The Program is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Number of Food Assistance Program Participants in Clay County 2012-2021

Year	Number of recipients
2012	2,003
2013	2,076
2014	1,946
2015	1,834
2016	1,729
2017	1,695
2018	1,634
2019	1,448
2020	1,400
2021	1,309