Times Are Tough, But Leelanau Still Ranks High In Income, Low In SNAP Assistance

With inflation up and housing stocks down, the SNAP program – formerly known as food stamps – is one resource available to help local families meet their food needs. But where does Leelanau rank in terms of overall need versus its neighboring counties? The Leelanau Ticker dives into the most recent numbers.
 
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is a federal program that helps lower income people buy food. Each state administers its own program using the federal funds, and in Michigan it is called the Food Assistance Program (FAP). Recipients can use an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card – also known in Michigan as a Bridge card – to help offset the cost of grocery staples.  
 
Nationally and statewide, the number of SNAP recipients peaked at the end of The Great Recession, and steadily decreased through 2019. The Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 spurred greater need, and the federal and state governments made SNAP and other benefits more widely available. 
 
In 2022, 1.3 million Michiganders, or 13 percent of the population, received SNAP benefits. In Leelanau County, that figure was 738, or 3.2 percent of the population. In the northwest Michigan region, Leelanau has consistently had fewer people receiving SNAP benefits.
 
What are the factors driving Leelanau’s relatively low numbers?
 
Income data tells part of the story. In the five-county area, Leelanau has the highest median household income ($72,209), highest per capita income ($42,080), and lowest poverty rate (6.7 percent). It also has far and away the highest median housing price, now at $649,000. The county has fewer low-income people, and it’s difficult for low income people who might want to move to Leelanau to find affordable housing.
 
Another part of the story can be found in the demographics. One-third of Leelanau residents are ages 65+, which is a group known to be underserved by SNAP for a variety of reasons, including misconceptions about the program and who can qualify. And while 61 percent of SNAP participants nationally are in families with children, the county has relatively fewer residents under 18.
 
While the onset of the pandemic did cause a slight uptick in the number of households receiving SNAP, it was not as steep as it might have been due to the other supports that came online. 
 
Debbie Aldridge, R.N. is the assistant director of personal health at the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. She helps connect people in need with food aid, childcare, healthcare, and other community resources. Coming out of the pandemic, her office noted a decrease in the number of people coming in for food assistance.
 
“With the pandemic, there was [free] food available through the schools, and even during the summer people could pick up food. There were a lot of resources and extra money coming in,” says Aldridge. “So there was a decrease in folks needing assistance for a while, but people are gearing up for that to change with some of these supports ending soon.”

Within Leelanau County, Suttons Bay (12 percent) and Kasson (10 percent) townships have the highest proportion of SNAP participants. Leland, Cleveland, and Glen Arbor townships have the lowest rates, ranging from 2.3-2.6 percent. The USDA reports SNAP recipient data twice a year, in January and July, and Leelanau has a slight decrease in the summer – likely due to seasonal employment. 
 
For the nearly 400 Leelanau households that do receive SNAP support, exercising the benefits can be a challenge: There are only 10 retailers in the county that accept EBT cards – less than half the number found in the similarly populated Antrim and Kalkaska counties. (There are close to 80 EBT retailers in Grand Traverse county.)
 
EBT retailers have to follow inventory requirements for staple items and invest in equipment. “We have seen a decrease in the number of stores that accept SNAP benefits,” says Aldridge. “There’s different technology to be able to use the cards, and ringing up the purchases separately. Some of the smaller stores just weren’t willing to do that.”