Usage of public assistance among workers and their families, by state
| State | Working population | Share | Number receiving any government assistance | Rate of receipt | Share of all working recipients | Total value of benefits (in millions) | Share of benefit dollars | Average total benefits among recipients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 142,324,621 | 100.0% | 41,221,812 | 29.3% | 100.0% | $123,148 | 100.0% | $3,281 |
| Alabama | 2,064,480 | 1.5% | 626,549 | 30.7% | 1.5% | $2,215 | 1.7% | $3,708 |
| Alaska | 338,958 | 0.2% | 93,840 | 27.9% | 0.2% | $267 | 0.2% | $3,172 |
| Arizona | 2,767,121 | 1.9% | 896,558 | 32.7% | 2.2% | $2,703 | 2.2% | $3,333 |
| Arkansas | 1,211,547 | 0.9% | 415,625 | 34.6% | 1.0% | $1,276 | 1.0% | $3,257 |
| California | 16,655,230 | 11.7% | 5,637,610 | 34.3% | 13.7% | $16,383 | 11.9% | $3,240 |
| Colorado | 2,508,948 | 1.8% | 652,391 | 26.2% | 1.6% | $1,793 | 1.4% | $3,216 |
| Connecticut | 1,713,006 | 1.2% | 397,101 | 23.4% | 1.0% | $1,000 | 0.9% | $3,080 |
| Delaware | 416,995 | 0.3% | 122,986 | 29.8% | 0.3% | $353 | 0.3% | $3,244 |
| District of Columbia | 345,583 | 0.2% | 86,074 | 25.5% | 0.2% | $343 | 0.3% | $4,823 |
| Florida | 8,243,419 | 5.8% | 2,515,501 | 30.9% | 6.1% | $7,625 | 6.0% | $3,264 |
| Georgia | 4,270,568 | 3.0% | 1,307,645 | 31.2% | 3.2% | $4,507 | 3.6% | $3,593 |
| Hawaii | 606,613 | 0.4% | 189,270 | 31.4% | 0.5% | $710 | 0.5% | $4,087 |
| Idaho | 724,506 | 0.5% | 213,644 | 29.8% | 0.5% | $561 | 0.4% | $2,783 |
| Illinois | 6,045,093 | 4.2% | 1,684,507 | 28.3% | 4.1% | $5,167 | 4.1% | $3,434 |
| Indiana | 2,924,532 | 2.1% | 814,086 | 28.1% | 2.0% | $2,411 | 2.0% | $3,150 |
| Iowa | 1,559,141 | 1.1% | 385,950 | 25.0% | 0.9% | $942 | 0.8% | $2,718 |
| Kansas | 1,372,597 | 1.0% | 344,248 | 25.2% | 0.8% | $918 | 0.8% | $2,857 |
| Kentucky | 1,954,975 | 1.4% | 566,448 | 29.3% | 1.4% | $1,719 | 1.5% | $3,401 |
| Louisiana | 1,916,854 | 1.3% | 611,320 | 32.5% | 1.5% | $2,191 | 1.9% | $3,822 |
| Maine | 629,784 | 0.4% | 166,932 | 26.7% | 0.4% | $463 | 0.4% | $3,238 |
| Maryland | 2,867,339 | 2.0% | 652,259 | 23.0% | 1.6% | $1,814 | 1.5% | $3,038 |
| Massachusetts | 3,237,400 | 2.3% | 834,283 | 25.9% | 2.0% | $2,209 | 1.9% | $3,303 |
| Michigan | 4,521,965 | 3.2% | 1,253,247 | 28.1% | 3.0% | $3,691 | 3.3% | $3,240 |
| Minnesota | 2,795,710 | 2.0% | 642,175 | 23.2% | 1.6% | $1,595 | 1.4% | $2,846 |
| Mississippi | 1,142,675 | 0.8% | 407,825 | 36.2% | 1.0% | $1,679 | 1.4% | $4,338 |
| Missouri | 2,828,434 | 2.0% | 772,479 | 27.5% | 1.9% | $2,053 | 1.9% | $2,873 |
| Montana | 458,697 | 0.3% | 108,848 | 23.9% | 0.3% | $300 | 0.3% | $2,954 |
| Nebraska | 958,139 | 0.7% | 226,156 | 23.8% | 0.5% | $605 | 0.5% | $2,821 |
| Nevada | 1,240,136 | 0.9% | 373,750 | 30.4% | 0.9% | $1,111 | 0.9% | $3,133 |
| New Hampshire | 688,175 | 0.5% | 125,048 | 18.3% | 0.3% | $264 | 0.2% | $2,294 |
| New Jersey | 4,161,998 | 2.9% | 1,016,007 | 24.5% | 2.5% | $2,662 | 2.2% | $2,957 |
| New Mexico | 840,340 | 0.6% | 328,666 | 39.7% | 0.8% | $982 | 0.8% | $3,311 |
| New York | 8,708,669 | 6.1% | 2,662,944 | 31.0% | 6.5% | $8,784 | 7.9% | $3,845 |
| North Carolina | 4,211,419 | 3.0% | 1,239,467 | 29.7% | 3.0% | $3,804 | 3.2% | $3,305 |
| North Dakota | 379,255 | 0.3% | 71,611 | 19.0% | 0.2% | $169 | 0.2% | $2,514 |
| Ohio | 5,214,913 | 3.7% | 1,522,250 | 29.5% | 3.7% | $4,475 | 3.9% | $3,202 |
| Oklahoma | 1,612,228 | 1.1% | 492,724 | 30.9% | 1.2% | $1,594 | 1.3% | $3,488 |
| Oregon | 1,703,713 | 1.2% | 530,681 | 31.4% | 1.3% | $1,492 | 1.2% | $3,121 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,027,640 | 4.2% | 1,443,070 | 24.2% | 3.5% | $3,774 | 3.3% | $2,861 |
| Rhode Island | 505,029 | 0.4% | 132,939 | 26.6% | 0.3% | $387 | 0.3% | $3,231 |
| South Carolina | 2,027,897 | 1.4% | 629,202 | 31.4% | 1.5% | $2,076 | 1.6% | $3,600 |
| South Dakota | 413,935 | 0.3% | 104,704 | 25.5% | 0.3% | $277 | 0.3% | $2,812 |
| Tennessee | 2,883,648 | 2.0% | 843,624 | 29.7% | 2.0% | $2,962 | 2.5% | $3,729 |
| Texas | 11,893,180 | 8.4% | 3,734,372 | 31.7% | 9.1% | $12,245 | 8.9% | $3,419 |
| Utah | 1,292,646 | 0.9% | 385,543 | 29.9% | 0.9% | $1,052 | 0.8% | $2,934 |
| Vermont | 308,959 | 0.2% | 83,035 | 27.2% | 0.2% | $151 | 0.2% | $2,387 |
| Virginia | 3,988,667 | 2.8% | 900,931 | 22.8% | 2.2% | $2,311 | 1.8% | $2,723 |
| Washington | 3,268,610 | 2.3% | 946,794 | 29.2% | 2.3% | $2,553 | 2.2% | $3,041 |
| West Virginia | 749,079 | 0.5% | 238,010 | 32.0% | 0.6% | $596 | 0.5% | $2,826 |
| Wisconsin | 2,830,868 | 2.0% | 722,113 | 25.7% | 1.8% | $1,792 | 1.7% | $2,789 |
| Wyoming | 293,310 | 0.2% | 68,771 | 23.6% | 0.2% | $145 | 0.1% | $2,247 |
Note: Includes the EITC, CTC, SNAP, LIHEAP, WIC, housing assistance, TANF/cash assistance, and Medicaid. Receipt rates include benefits received directly by workers or indirectly by family members. All shares reflect shares of working recipients. Because the data are adjusted to match administrative totals for each program, they must be weighted separately. Consequently, the implicit population totals from each rate of receipt will not be consistent across programs. See Appendix A for further detail. Dollar figures are in 2014 dollars. The average value of benefits received is conditional upon receipt.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata, pooled years 2012–2014