The States That Receive the Most and Least Welfare Assistance in the U.S.

• Author: Alicia Cole
• Posted: 2025-09-02

Most people think that big states like California and New York have the most households depending on government welfare. But that's not true.

Data from the Census Bureau shows that other states and territories actually have higher proportions of families getting help through programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is often called food stamps.
 

Top 5 Places With the Most Welfare Assistance

These are the states and territories with the highest share of households receiving government help:
 

• Puerto Rico (47%): Almost half of all households in Puerto Rico get some kind of welfare assistance. This is because of the island’s long-standing economic difficulties and high rates of poverty.
• New Mexico (20%): One in five households depends on government welfare. New Mexico struggles with some of the highest poverty rates in the country.
• West Virginia (18%): Many families in West Virginia rely on welfare because of economic challenges, especially since the coal industry has declined.
• Louisiana (17%): High poverty rates and repeated natural disasters have made life harder for many in Louisiana, making government support necessary for many households.
• Oregon (17%): While Oregon's economy has some strong areas, a significant number of households still require welfare assistance.

 

States With the Least Welfare Assistance

On the other end, these states have the smallest percentage of families receiving government help:
 

• Kansas (8%): About 8% of households get welfare, which means roughly 90,000 families.
• New Hampshire (7%): Around 7% of households receive assistance, about 39,000 families.
• North Dakota (7%): Also with 7%, this totals about 24,000 households.
• Utah (6%): Only 6% of families use welfare programs, which is about 68,000 households.
• Wyoming (6%): With just 14,000 households on welfare, Wyoming has the lowest share in the country.

In summary, the need for welfare assistance varies widely across the United States. Some places, like Puerto Rico and New Mexico, have far more families relying on government help than larger states like California and New York.

On the other hand, states like Wyoming and Utah have the lowest rates of welfare dependency.

-

Read next: The States with the Highest Average Income in the U.S.