USDA calls for 2.3% hike in SNAP benefits to reflect food costs in islands

While the amount someone in the United States pays each month for groceries varies depending on several factors, Move.org lays out what people living in Hawai‘i have known a long time.

Food prices here are among the highest — if not the highest — in the nation.

The website’s shows that in 2024, Honolulu residents pay the most for food, forking over an average of $589.63 each month. That’s about $171 more than the national average of $418.44 a month.

People living in Virginia Beach, Va., pay the least, dishing out $335.11 a month, or nearly $255 less than an occupant of Honolulu.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday proposed a 2.3% increase to benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often still referred to by many as food stamps, for Hawai‘i to ensure they accurately reflect the cost of food in the state.

The proposal would result in an extra estimated $40 a month for a family of four receiving benefits in Hawai‘i.

Monday’s action continues a U.S. Department of Agriculture rulemaking process to adjust benefits for the islands. It also calls for releasing a report about how an increase in benefits will help Hawai‘i families if the rule is finalized.

The public can comment on the proposal through Feb. 3, 2025.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawai‘i Democrat, worked directly with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and urged him to update the department’s food cost analysis for the state.

“For many in Hawai‘i, [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] is a lifeline, helping families put food on the table. But to make sure this program continues to help those who rely on it, [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits need to keep up with the real cost of food across the state,” said Schatz.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides crucial nutritional benefits to low-income individuals and families used to purchase food.

It’s administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service and in Hawai‘i by the state Department of Human Services.

Nearly 200,000 of the state’s residents rely on the program.

“I thank the [U.S. Department of Agriculture] and Secretary Vilsack for working with us to update [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits for Hawai‘i so that those who need it can continue to access this critical federal program,” Schatz said.