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California
Profile of Hunger, Poverty, and Federal Nutrition Programs
Demographics, Poverty, and Food Insecurity
Population (2019)
Value
Total People
39,512,223
Children (Under Age 18)
8,894,641
Income and Poverty (2019)
Value
Median Household Income
$80,440
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
6
Total People Living In Poverty
4,552,837
Poverty Rate
11.8%
Rank Among States (Worst to Best)
26
Children (Under Age 18) Living In Poverty
1,363,574
Child Poverty Rate
15.6%
Rank Among States (Worst to Best)
25
Total People Living Below 185% of Federal Poverty Level
9,852,166
Food Insecurity and Food Hardship
Value
Number of Households that are Food Insecure (2017–2019, 3-year average)
1,390,653
Percent of Households that are Food Insecure (2017-2019, 3-year average)
9.9%
Number of Households that are Very Low Food Secure (2017–2019, 3-year average)
505,692
Percent of Households that are Very Low Food Secure (2017–2019, 3-year average)
3.6%
Percent of Households Struggling Against Food Hardship (2016-2017, 2-year average)
14.1%
Federal Nutrition Programs
School Breakfast Program (School Year 2018–2019)
Value
Average Daily Student Participation
1,696,935
Free and Reduced-Price Students
1,488,463
Paid Students
208,472
Change in Free and Reduced-Price Participation in Last 10 Years
44.1%
Free and Reduced-Price Students Participating in School Breakfast per 100 in School Lunch
57.0
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
27
Additional Free and Reduced-Price Students Served if Reached School Breakfast to Lunch Ratio of 70:100
337,950
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Participation Ratio Reached 70:100
$98,162,576
Number of Schools Participating
9,236
Schools Offering School Breakfast per 100 Offering School Lunch
91.7
Federal Funding for School Breakfast
$523,067,406
School Breakfast Mandate in State Law (Yes/No)
Yes
National School Lunch Program (School Year 2018–2019)
Value
Average Daily Student Participation
3,153,851
Free and Reduced-Price Students
2,609,162
Paid Students
544,689
Number of Schools Participating
10,071
Federal Funding for School Lunch
$1,511,917,422
Summer Nutrition Participation (July 2019)
Value
Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in July
398,577
July Summer Food Service Participation
93,801
July National School Lunch Participation in Free and Reduced-Price Lunch
304,776
Change in Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in Last 10 Years
-21.8%
Summer Nutrition Participation as a Ratio to Regular Year Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Participation
16.5
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
17
Additional Low-Income Children Served if Reached Ratio of 40:100
568,900
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Reached Ratio of 40:100
$49,656,444
Number of Summer Food Service Sponsors
174
Number of Summer Food Service Sites
2,221
Federal Funding for Summer Food Service Program
$17,781,071
SNAP/Food Stamp Program
Value
Average Monthly Participation (Individuals) (FY 2018)
3,529,470
Change in Participation in Last 5 Years (FY 2013–FY 2018)
-18.9%
Average Monthly Benefit per Person (FY 2018)
$141
Participation Rate of Eligible Persons (FY 2017)
71.0%
Rank Among States (Best to Worst)
46
Participation Rate of Eligible Working Poor (FY 2017)
57.0%
Program Access Index (PAI) - Ratio of SNAP Participants to Low-Income Population (CY 2017)
62.3%
Annual Federal Funding for SNAP/Food Stamps (FY 2018)
$498,106,784
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) (FY 2019)
Value
Average Monthly Participation
929,173
Women
204,055
Infants
197,317
Children
527,801
Change in Average Monthly Participation in the last 10 Years (FY 2009–FY 2019)
-35.4%
Federal Funding for WIC
$895,944,274
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) (FY 2019)
Value
Number of Participating Family Child Care Homes
12,995
Family Child Care Home Average Daily Participation of Children
108,521
Change in Family Child Care Daily Participation in Last 10 Years
-12.1%
Number of Participating Child Care Centers (Includes Head Start)
7,986
Child Care Center Average Daily Participation of Children (Includes Head Start)
492,556
Change in Center Daily Participation in Last 10 Years
172.1%
Federal Funding for CACFP
$452,259,558
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) (FY 2018)
Value
Federal Entitlement Funding
$30,718,941
Federal Bonus Commodity Funding
$34,495,701
Administrative Funding
$12,569,404
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) (FY 2018)
Value
Average Monthly Participation
96,954
Federal Funding for CSFP
$31,286,740
State Economic Security Policies
Minimum Wage (2020)
Value
State Minimum Wage
$12
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (2020)
Value
State EITC (Yes/No)
Yes
Refundable (Yes/No)
Yes
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Value
Average Monthly Participation (FY 2018)
791,621
Adults
175,093
Children
616,528
Maximum TANF Benefit, Single-Parent Family of Three (FY 2018)
$714
Federal and State Funding for Cash Assistance (FY 2017)
$2,539,250,305