Food Stamp Use in the Baltimore Region

More and more Marylanders are using "food stamps." The number of Maryland households in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was 167,174 in 2008. By 2012, it had more than doubled to 360,523.

Beyond that, there are households who qualify for food stamps but haven't applied.

Maryland Morning Producer Matt Purdy was struck by the fact that seniors are much more likely to not apply for food stamps, even when they're eligible. In Episode 23 of The Lines Between Us, Purdy and Sheilah Kast examined "the line between hunger and health" among Maryland's seniors.

In this map from the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, you can see where overall food stamp use is greatest in the Baltimore region. And this Maryland Hunger Solutions table shows SNAP participation by county.