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The Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) helps more than 750,000 Missourians afford the food they need to be healthy & productive members of their communities, while providing an extra $1.8 billion boost to our economy & businesses throughout our state.
SNAP is an efficient public–private partnership providing families, children and seniors with limited incomes with the resources they need to purchase food directly from stores in their local community. Nearly 5,000 Missouri retailers (including grocery stores, superstores, and farmer’s markets) in every county in our state are supported by SNAP.
By increasing the purchasing power of families with low wages (and thereby increasing retail sales), SNAP creates a ripple effect on Missouri’s economy. Benefits are spent quickly and increase the demand for products and services provided by local businesses, boosting job growth and the economy. Moody’s Analytics estimates that every SNAP dollar spent in local communities generates $1.70 in economic growth.
The $1.061 billion dollars in SNAP benefits that were redeemed in FY2018 led to an additional $1.8 billion flowing through local communities in Missouri. This is an especially critical boost to Missouri’s rural communities, accounting for nearly 5% of total Gross Domestic Product in some areas.
