In 2024, approximately 21% of NYC residents and 32% of NYC households received SNAP –totaling nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers. Further, Census Bureau data shows an estimated 33% of households enrolled in SNAP have children under the age of 18.

Change in SNAP Enrollment

Between 2019 and 2024: The number of SNAP enrollees increased by 275,000 for individuals and by 190,000 households.

SNAP enrollment has been climbing since the COVID pandemic. Compared with 2019, in NYC:

• The share of households enrolled in SNAP increased +15%
• The share of individuals enrolled in SNAP increased +17%

The increase in SNAP enrollment is one of many indicators that point to economic insecurity for New Yorkers who do not have sufficient income to cover the most basic need of food.

Community Districts with the Highest Number of Individuals and Households enrolled in SNAP, 2024

The top five community districts with the highest number of individuals receiving SNAP are Borough Park (73,000); East New York, 66,900 in Central Brooklyn, and Concourse/Highbridge, 58,100; Unionport/Soundview 57,700; and University Heights 55,900, across the Bronx.

The top five community districts with the highest share of households receiving SNAP are Mott Haven and Morrisania (74%), University Heights 73%, East Tremont (69%), and Hunts Point (68%).

As expected, the gap between community districts with the highest and lowest rates of SNAP enrollment reflects the extreme income inequality in NYC. The Upper East Side and Battery/Park Tribeca are the community districts with the lowest share of households enrolled in SNAP – less than 5%. The median household income ranges from $159,000 to $200,000 in these communities compared to the top five Bronx communities noted above, where median household incomes range from $31,000 to $35,000.