SNAP Enrollment

The percentage of individuals enrolled in SNAP has remained relatively stable. In 2023, 11.4% of households in Lenawee County received food stamps/SNAP benefits, which is 0.8% greater than the rate in 2019 (Figure 12) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019-2023f). Despite the slight variance over time, Lenawee County’s SNAP benefits enrollment estimates have fluctuated more than in the state of Michigan and the U.S. From 2019 to 2023, Michigan SNAP enrollment rates decreased by 0.2% and for the U.S., it increased by 0.1%. Given the food insecurity rate estimates, it is unclear why SNAP enrollment in Lenawee County is lower than in the rest of the state.

However, there are many factors to consider that could cause lower enrollment rates:

• lack of time to enroll or access to enrollment
• social stigma around benefits usage
• lack of accurate data
• other forms of food resources that are available, such as food banks

As of July 2025, Lenawee County had 20 food pantries, 4 fresh food distribution sites, and 4 soup kitchens serving residents across the county according to the Lenawee County Resource Guide. The number of food pantries in the county well exceeds (by 5x) the estimated national average number of pantries per 100,000 people in rural census tracts (3.79) (Riediger, Dahl, Biradar, & others, 2022).