Poverty dropped in most states last year, but trend could reverse as cuts loom

Poverty dropped last year nationwide and in 38 states, according to census estimates released Thursday.

But since that decrease was recorded in mid-2024, more people have signed up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, in 18 states and the District of Columbia. In those places, more people were using food stamps in May 2025 than in May 2024, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nationally, the number of people on food stamps decreased slightly, by about 11,000 people, according to the preliminary data.

The broad domestic policy law President Donald Trump signed in July will cut federal funding for SNAP and tighten eligibility requirements, but most of those changes won’t take effect until next