The Effect of SNAP Purchasing Power on Diet Quality

ABSTRACT

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits millions of eligible low‐income Americans by increasing access to food, helping to reduce food insecurity. Previous studies have documented that the geographical variation in local food prices leads to significant differences in SNAP's purchasing power. This paper examines the impact of geographical variation in SNAP's purchasing power on the diet quality of food‐at‐home purchases using the Food‐at‐Home Monthly Area Prices and restricted‐access Circana Consumer Network Household Data. Overall, we do not find a statistically significant effect of SNAP purchasing power on diet quality. Our study provides new evidence on how geographic variation in food costs relates to the diet quality of grocery purchases for adult SNAP recipients.