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13.9 percent of households in California receive food stamps

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, food insecurity throughout the United States affected more than 37 million people, among them 11 million children. That number, though staggering, represented the lowest point of food insecurity in the country in almost 90 years. Against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, national hunger-relief organization Feeding America expects more than 42 million Americans to face food shortages during 2021. This demand puts additional strain on already-strapped food pantries and hunger-relief organizations, and drives significant need for increases in the country’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known previously as food stamps).

Stacker compiled a list of the states where food stamps are used the most using SNAP data released July 10, 2020, by the USDA. The number of households and the poverty rate are current as of 2019 data from the Census Bureau. States are ranked by the percent of households that received food stamps in April 2020. Additional information came from sources like the Center for American Progress, Feeding America, and state websites and local food banks.

California by the numbers

– Percent of households receiving food stamps: 13.9%
– Total households receiving food stamps: 1,824,382
– Average monthly benefit per household: $263 (#7 highest among all states)

The CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program gives those 60 and older, those experiencing homelessness, and those with disabilities to use their food benefits at participating restaurants. Those receiving food stamp benefits in the state are required to recertify every six months in what is widely considered to be a complicated process that creates a barrier between those in need and the benefits they are eligible for.

Here are the states using food stamps the most and least:

States using food stamps the most
#1. New Mexico (27.6% of households)
#2. Rhode Island (22.2% of households)
#3. Washington D.C. (22.0% of households)

States using food stamps the least
#1. Wyoming (5.0% of households)
#2. Utah (7.0% of households)
#3. North Dakota (7.2% of households)

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26.0 million votes: See the demographics of California’s voting population

In 2020, 158.4 million citizens—almost two-thirds of estimated eligible voters—voted in the presidential elections, according to the Pew Research Center. The number represented a higher than average turnout, with people voting in numbers not seen since 1980 and possibly well before.

Stacker compiled voter demographics for each state and Washington, D.C., using the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (released in September 2020). Each slide shows the state’s voting-eligible population (citizens who are 18 or older) and the breakdown of that population by sex, age, race, and education. Economic statistics are not included because the American Community Survey does not account for COVID-19, which affected unemployment, poverty, and medical insurance status for millions of Americans. In order to avoid making any assumptions about the data or the participants of the American Community Survey, Stacker used the exact wording of the “race” and “sex” framework that was provided in the census data.

Keep reading to see the voter demographics of your state.

California by the numbers

– Voting-eligible population: 26,032,160
– Breakdown by sex: 49.1% male, 50.9% female
– Breakdown by age: 22.9% 18-29 years old, 25.0% 30-44 years old, 31.4% 45-64 years old, 20.7% 65+ years old
– Breakdown by race: 63.4% White, 6.7% Black or African American, 14.3% Asian, 30.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.4% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 4.1% two or more races
– Breakdown by education: 4.6% less than high school education, 6.3% some high school (no diploma), 21.9% high school graduate or equivalency, 25.1% some college (no degree), 8.2% associate’s degree, 21.8% bachelor’s degree, 12.1% graduate or professional degree

Famous for being blue and giving its U.S.-leading 50+ electoral votes to every Democratic presidential nominee since 1992, the Golden State has 20.9 million registered voters. The percentage of registered voters increased by 10% since 2016 in California, which has one of the lowest rates of prominent white voters, while male and female balloter proportions are nearly equal, on average.

By percentage, voters aged 45–64 are the highest in every state, with registered voters over the age of 45 comprising more than half the country’s population. Older voters also trend toward turning out to vote at a higher rate and played a significant role in former President Donald Trump’s 2016 victory in Florida.

Along racial lines, Black or African American voters in Louisiana and Georgia comprise more than 30% of the state’s registered voters. California and Texas—which award the most electoral votes at 55 and 38, respectively—boast the highest numbers of Latino voters. On the other end of the spectrum, West Virginia and Maine boast the highest percentage of white voters. A number of states had already seen record voter turnouts, with 16 seeing more than half of its registered voters casting a ballot before Election Day.

Continue reading for a glimpse into the voter demographics of neighboring states.

Nevada

– Voting-eligible population: 2,111,932
– Breakdown by sex: 50.0% male, 50.0% female
– Breakdown by age: 20.4% 18-29 years old, 24.8% 30-44 years old, 32.3% 45-64 years old, 22.4% 65+ years old
– Breakdown by race: 69.7% White, 9.9% Black or African American, 7.9% Asian, 20.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.7% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 3.7% two or more races
– Breakdown by education: 2.7% less than high school education, 7.3% some high school (no diploma), 29.5% high school graduate or equivalency, 26.9% some college (no degree), 9.0% associate’s degree, 16.2% bachelor’s degree, 8.5% graduate or professional degree

Made up of a more diverse voting population than other U.S. regions, Nevada’s increased African American, Asian, and Latino populations make minority groups an influential factor in election results. That influence will only increase, as the Battle Born State’s populace rose by 14.1% between 2010–19.

Oregon

– Voting-eligible population: 3,162,204
– Breakdown by sex: 48.9% male, 51.1% female
– Breakdown by age: 19.7% 18-29 years old, 25.2% 30-44 years old, 31.3% 45-64 years old, 23.9% 65+ years old
– Breakdown by race: 87.2% White, 1.8% Black or African American, 3.6% Asian, 8.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 3.9% two or more races
– Breakdown by education: 1.9% less than high school education, 5.6% some high school (no diploma), 24.2% high school graduate or equivalency, 27.1% some college (no degree), 9.0% associate’s degree, 20.2% bachelor’s degree, 12.1% graduate or professional degree

Oregon’s minority population is much smaller than other U.S. regions. The Beaver State’s largest city, Portland, which is noted as the “Whitest City in America,” is notorious for minority exclusion, as further revealed in Oregon’s low minority voter populations, including Asian and Hispanic groups.

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California is the #1 state with the fewest people living in maternal health care deserts

Compared to other developed nations, the United States regularly ranks among the worst countries for maternal and infant health outcomes. Childbirth outcomes are often tied to a birthing parent’s circumstances, fueling wide disparities at the geographic, demographic, and income levels.

Research has shown that access to prenatal care, family planning services, and other contraceptive resources decreases maternal and infant mortality. However, an increasing number of counties throughout the country are losing access to obstetric care. Aging populations, limited staff, and low reimbursement rates for Medicaid patients are factors that have made rural hospital birth units costly to operate.

Stacker followed the March of Dimes’ definition of a maternity care desert, including counties with no hospitals with obstetric care, OB/GYNs, or certified nurse-midwives. To identify affected counties, Stacker analyzed the Area Health Resource Files from the Health Resources and Services Administration and merged this data with county-level birth data collected by the National Vital Statistics System to calculate how many births in each state are to parents who live in maternal health care deserts.

Stacker also used 2020 Census population data to calculate what percentage of a state’s population lives in counties without access to maternal health care. Although maternal health care deserts have a disproportionate impact upon people between the ages 15-44 who can get pregnant, Stacker used population data across all sexes and ages to include county-level demographic data and more deeply compare racial disparities.

Keep reading to learn about the challenges facing maternal health care in your state and how state policies and community-driven programs seek to bridge rural and demographic health care disparities, or find the national list here.

California by the numbers

– Percent of state’s births to parents who live in maternal health care deserts: 0.3% (1,127 births)
– Population who lives in maternal health care desert: 0.3%
— 0.5% of state’s white population
— 0.0% of state’s Black population
— 0.6% of state’s Native American population
— 0.2% of state’s Hispanic population
— 0.1% of state’s Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander population
— 0.1% of state’s Asian population

Even in areas with access to maternal care, other challenges like poverty, limited transit, lack of insurance, and systematic racism can put families at risk of poor maternal and infant health outcomes. Estimates from the CDC show that 60% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable, but inadequate treatment and identification of health risks contribute to hundreds of maternal deaths annually.

Pregnant Black people face disproportionate risks when giving birth. The infant mortality rate for Black children in the U.S. is double the rate for white children. Maternal mortality rates show similarly grim patterns, with 44 deaths per 100,000 live births among Black people compared to 17.9 per 100,000 live births for white people.

Continue reading to see the states that have the most and fewest people living in maternal health care deserts.

States where the most people live in maternal health care deserts

#1. Mississippi: 23.6% of state’s births to parents who live in maternal health care deserts (8,484 births)
#2. South Dakota: 23.2% of state’s births to parents who live in maternal health care deserts (2,715 births)
#3. Kentucky: 22.4% of state’s births to parents who live in maternal health care deserts (11,821 births)

States where the fewest people live in maternal health care deserts

#1. California: 0.3% of state’s births to parents who live in maternal health care deserts (1,127 births)
#2. New York: 0.3% of state’s births to parents who live in maternal health care deserts (730 births)
#3. Arizona: 0.4% of state’s births to parents who live in maternal health care deserts (311 births)