Fewer Central Texans are on SNAP
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Participation in Texas' Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has fallen by nearly 14% since Congress approved cuts and changes to the program, per state data.
Why it matters: Food prices have been on the rise, and food banks are rushing to meet rising demand to fill in the gaps.
By the numbers: In June 2025, 1.6 million Texans were using SNAP, Texas Health and Human Services data shows. By June of this year, the most recent available month, the number fell to nearly 1.375 million Texans, a drop of about 225,000 people.
- In Travis County, the number of SNAP cases fell 15%, by more than 6,600 people.
Catch up quick: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law in July 2025 and included cuts to SNAP funding, stricter work requirements for SNAP participants and more cost burden for states in some cases.
The other side: "A lot of that is fraud," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said about a national drop in SNAP participation.
- "And a lot of it is just a better economy," she said.
What they're saying: Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks, says the data "strongly suggests" that new restrictions are making it harder for eligible Texans to stay enrolled.
- "Texans are facing higher prices for basic groceries like milk, beef and vegetables," Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, said in a statement.
Yes, but: The Central Texas Food Bank hasn't seen an uptick in people coming in for food since the start of April, when the most recent SNAP restrictions began, on candy and sweetened drinks, Noelle Newton, a spokesperson for the food pantry, tells Axios.
Context: The rate of people facing food insecurity — meaning they can't access enough food due to a lack of money or other resources — in Travis County is nearly 16%, per the latest estimates from Feeding America.
- Of those who are food insecure, about 43% are eligible for SNAP.
The bottom line: Food banks and charitable programs can't match the scale of a federal program like SNAP, Cole said.