The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance for about 76,000 Granite Staters. To qualify, residents must have household incomes of 200 percent or less of the federal poverty guidelines, or $31,300 for an individual and $64,300 for a household of four in 2025, and have incomes that fall below the poverty threshold after certain expenses are accounted for. Due to the federal government shutdown and the expiration of 30 days of available program funding, SNAP benefits ran out on November 1, placing additional strain on New Hampshire families experiencing food insecurity until federal operations resume.

Who is Enrolled in SNAP?

Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimates for July 1, 2024, an average of 5.4 percent of the state’s population, or around one in eighteen Granite Staters, were enrolled in SNAP during State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025, which spanned from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. While statewide SNAP enrollment remained relatively stable between SFYs 2024 and 2025, program utilization continued to vary by municipality and region within New Hampshire.

In 67 of the state’s municipalities, a greater share of the population was enrolled in SNAP than the statewide average, and most of these communities were located within the northern and southwestern regions of New Hampshire. Stratford, located in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, had the largest percentage of its population receiving SNAP assistance, with an average of 18.8 percent enrolled in SFY 2025. Stewartstown (16.4 percent), Berlin (15.6 percent), Claremont (15.6 percent), and Northumberland (13.0 percent), located in Coos and Sullivan Counties, also had large percentages of their populations enrolled in both SNAP assistance and Medicaid in 2024, suggesting a greater need for services within these municipalities.

Twelve organized municipalities or townships with populations of 150 or fewer residents averaged less than one SNAP enrollee for the twelve months of SFY 2025. Despite being home to an estimated 1,001 residents in July 2024, no residents of New Castle received assistance from SNAP during the same time period. Twelve municipalities had less than one percent of their populations enrolled in SNAP, with nine of these municipalities falling within the state’s three southeastern counties, including seven located in southeasternmost Rockingham County.

While individuals and families throughout New Hampshire receive SNAP benefits, disruptions in food assistance could disproportionately impact the state’s smaller, more rural communities, where food insecurity tends to be more prevalent than in metropolitan areas. Across SFY 2025, approximately 62.6 percent, or nearly two thirds, of Granite Staters enrolled in SNAP resided outside the state’s five largest communities (Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Derry, and Dover). Nearly half (49.8 percent) of enrollees lived in municipalities with less than 20,000 residents and nearly one fifth (18.6 percent) lived in municipalities with less than 5,000 residents.

Data collected by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) include demographic data about enrollees. However, these data are voluntary, and participants are not required to disclose their race or ethnicity. Of the June 2025 SNAP participants who identified a race, 91.5 percent identified as white and 90.8 percent as non-Hispanic. About 95.1 percent of SNAP enrollees had their primary language identified as English through the DHHS data.

Impacts on Other Safety-Net Programs

In addition to the nearly 76,000 Granite Staters, including about 26,000 children, who temporarily lost access to SNAP benefits at the end of October, the State’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is also expected to be paused on November 7 due to funding constraints stemming from the government shutdown. This program, which provides key nutritional aid, health education, and referral services to eligible women, infants, and young children, supports those with the lowest incomes and greatest health risks throughout New Hampshire. During SFY 2025, an average of 12,288 people were enrolled in the State’s WIC Program during any given month, according to the DHHS.

The National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, which provide free or reduced-price school meals for children across New Hampshire, are not expected to be impacted by the federal government shutdown at this time.

State Responses to Interruptions and the Impact of Federal Changes

There have been ongoing federal-level discussions around utilizing alternative funding sources during the shutdown, including the SNAP contingency reserve, which has been used temporarily in the past when other funding means were unavailable. During prior government shutdowns, including the last shutdown spanning 35 days in 2018-2019, the federal government issued early payments to prevent interruptions in benefits. Following two separate federal court rulings on October 31, the federal government may be required to pay SNAP participants during the shutdown; however, the timing of resumed payments and the possibility of appeals remain uncertain.  

On the state level, DHHS has announced a contingency plan to provide ongoing support for Granite Staters impacted by the federal shutdown. Through a partnership with the New Hampshire Food Bank, the State aims to increase access to both traditional and mobile food pantries to help fill gaps resulting from paused SNAP benefits. An appropriation of $2.0 million, funded with dollars made available because of higher-than-budgeted revenue from the State’s Medicaid Enhancement Tax, was recently approved by the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee and Executive Council to finance the partnership. According to the DHHS, the contract will be in place for five weeks, with eight potential one-week extensions if needed. While funding will be crucial for expanding services, it is the equivalent of only about 16 percent of the estimated $12.8 million in total monthly SNAP benefits distributed in New Hampshire in the most recently-available data.

While SNAP recipients are expected to receive back payment of lost benefits when funding for federal operations resumes, future program changes may limit access for families across New Hampshire. During Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024, approximately 62 percent of Granite State families receiving SNAP benefits had children, and around 49 percent had members who were older adults or people with disabilities. Most other enrollees must meet work requirements to maintain eligibility, with around 34 percent of New Hampshire families receiving SNAP benefits engaged in the workforce during FFY 2024. However, recent additions to work requirements could create barriers for recipients once they are implemented. Other recent federal changes mean that, although SNAP benefits are currently funded entirely by the federal government, states may have to cover a share of benefit-costs, posing potential funding challenges for New Hampshire.

SNAP provides essential support for food-insecure households across the state. Food insecurity among adults increases the likelihood of chronic physical health conditions and worsened mental health, while food insecure children are more likely to face developmental challenges, perform poorly in school, and face adverse health outcomes later in life. Food assistance provided through SNAP also helps to stimulate the broader economy. According to national research from Moody’s Analytics, every federal dollar spent on SNAP food assistance generated an estimated $1.61 in economic activity in 2021, greater than the estimated impact from other government investments and policy choices analyzed. By allowing recipients to spend dollars quickly on essential goods, SNAP not only reduces food insecurity, but also strengthens New Hampshire’s broader economy.