
The proportion of Luna County residents receiving food stamps hit 34.4% in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services. That’s an increase of 18.1 percentage points since 2007, the year the recession started.
Across New Mexico, 20.9% of residents in 2011 received support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP – as the food stamp program is officially known. Nationally, 14.8% of the population receives SNAP benefits.
Officials said places like Luna County, which are located outside metropolitan areas, tend to have a higher percentage of the population receiving SNAP benefits. That’s because incomes are generally lower in non-metropolitan counties.
The inflation-adjusted median household income in Luna County in 2011 was $28,550, compared to the New Mexico median of $43,600. Nationally, median household income was $52,306 in 2011.
In 2011, residents of Luna County received a combined $12,080,560 in SNAP benefits. The USDA reports that each $5 in SNAP benefits generates $9.20 in spending.