Low-income families that don’t participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spend significantly less at the grocery store than households that are in the program, according to a USDA study of consumer buying habits. 

The study by the Economic Research Service compared consumer food purchasing practices between 2016 and 2022. 

Households that don’t get SNAP benefits spent $209 less per capita at supermarkets and other stores than families in the program, the study found. And as historically high food price inflation ate into consumers’ purchasing power in 2022, “overall food spending was flat or declined for most households, except those” receiving SNAP benefits, the study said. 

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The study also found that urban households spend more on fruits and vegetables than rural families.

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