Crisis Deep-Dive
Detailed analysis of Missouri's SNAP program performance
SNAP Payment Error Rates by State (FY2024)
Missouri: 9.42% · National average: 10.93%
Source: USDA FNS, FY2024 SNAP QC Payment Error Rates (published June 2025). Under H.R. 1, states with high error rates face a 5–15% shift of benefit costs to the state.
County Vulnerability Analysis
All 115 Missouri counties · Click column headers to sort
| County | Total HH | SNAP HH | SNAP % ↓ | Poverty % | Unemp % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pemiscot County | 6,231 | 2,014 | 32.3% | 27% | 5.1% |
| Mississippi County | 4,559 | 1,416 | 31.1% | 20.3% | 1.8% |
| New Madrid County | 6,796 | 1,745 | 25.7% | 18% | 1.8% |
| Dunklin County | 11,165 | 2,759 | 24.7% | 20.8% | 2.5% |
| Washington County | 8,864 | 1,904 | 21.5% | 17.4% | 1.9% |
| Butler County | 16,490 | 3,243 | 19.7% | 19.8% | 2.7% |
| Carter County | 1,965 | 375 | 19.1% | 18.8% | 1.5% |
| Barton County | 4,425 | 833 | 18.8% | 21.9% | 2.2% |
| Oregon County | 3,360 | 613 | 18.2% | 21.3% | 2.1% |
| Iron County | 3,803 | 685 | 18% | 19.9% | 1.6% |
| Wayne County | 4,503 | 811 | 18% | 24.6% | 3.5% |
| St. Louis city | 144,450 | 26,043 | 18% | 19.2% | 3.3% |
| Stoddard County | 11,393 | 2,043 | 17.9% | 16.7% | 2% |
| Madison County | 4,604 | 790 | 17.2% | 13.7% | 3.9% |
| Scott County | 15,163 | 2,591 | 17.1% | 14.2% | 1.9% |
| Ozark County | 3,583 | 601 | 16.8% | 21.5% | 2.5% |
| Howell County | 15,997 | 2,624 | 16.4% | 21% | 2.7% |
| Ripley County | 4,030 | 660 | 16.4% | 19.5% | 2.4% |
| Dent County | 5,675 | 913 | 16.1% | 14.1% | 2.3% |
| Laclede County | 14,453 | 2,298 | 15.9% | 18.3% | 3.3% |
| Wright County | 6,964 | 1,092 | 15.7% | 17.2% | 2.1% |
| St. Francois County | 24,113 | 3,733 | 15.5% | 15.6% | 2.6% |
| Dade County | 3,038 | 462 | 15.2% | 13.8% | 2.3% |
| Randolph County | 9,252 | 1,395 | 15.1% | 14.6% | 2.5% |
| Cedar County | 5,636 | 842 | 14.9% | 16.7% | 1.2% |
| Jasper County | 48,367 | 7,117 | 14.7% | 18% | 2.6% |
| Reynolds County | 2,312 | 337 | 14.6% | 17.3% | 5.6% |
| St. Clair County | 4,090 | 598 | 14.6% | 15.8% | 1.2% |
| Buchanan County | 33,398 | 4,715 | 14.1% | 16.2% | 2.7% |
| Douglas County | 4,688 | 642 | 13.7% | 16.7% | 2.7% |
| Worth County | 798 | 109 | 13.7% | 17.3% | 0.7% |
| Harrison County | 3,064 | 418 | 13.6% | 15.6% | 1.8% |
| Henry County | 9,248 | 1,239 | 13.4% | 16% | 3% |
| Lawrence County | 14,694 | 1,973 | 13.4% | 16.2% | 3% |
| Bates County | 5,975 | 795 | 13.3% | 18.2% | 3.5% |
| Dallas County | 6,621 | 881 | 13.3% | 21% | 2% |
| Vernon County | 7,815 | 1,039 | 13.3% | 18.3% | 2.2% |
| Benton County | 8,166 | 1,080 | 13.2% | 16.4% | 1.7% |
| Grundy County | 3,828 | 504 | 13.2% | 16.3% | 1.5% |
| Texas County | 9,532 | 1,256 | 13.2% | 18.2% | 2.3% |
| Barry County | 13,360 | 1,729 | 12.9% | 16.4% | 2.3% |
| Morgan County | 8,198 | 1,044 | 12.7% | 16.6% | 1.7% |
| Saline County | 8,008 | 998 | 12.5% | 13.7% | 1.5% |
| Shannon County | 2,802 | 350 | 12.5% | 16.2% | 1.4% |
| Audrain County | 8,991 | 1,093 | 12.2% | 17.1% | 2.3% |
| Maries County | 3,536 | 417 | 11.8% | 14.8% | 2.5% |
| Phelps County | 17,644 | 2,084 | 11.8% | 16.1% | 2.4% |
| Polk County | 11,957 | 1,399 | 11.7% | 17.1% | 1.9% |
| McDonald County | 8,512 | 985 | 11.6% | 17% | 4.1% |
| Bollinger County | 3,887 | 445 | 11.4% | 12% | 2.9% |
| Taney County | 22,145 | 2,483 | 11.2% | 14% | 2.7% |
| Marion County | 11,253 | 1,249 | 11.1% | 13.1% | 2.1% |
| Newton County | 22,084 | 2,451 | 11.1% | 13.1% | 2.9% |
| Crawford County | 9,468 | 1,031 | 10.9% | 13.3% | 3% |
| Greene County | 131,708 | 14,334 | 10.9% | 13.8% | 2.2% |
| Pettis County | 16,937 | 1,838 | 10.9% | 13.2% | 2.5% |
| Livingston County | 5,523 | 591 | 10.7% | 11.1% | 1.5% |
| Montgomery County | 4,589 | 492 | 10.7% | 14.1% | 1.6% |
| Hickory County | 3,457 | 365 | 10.6% | 19.1% | 4.8% |
| Jackson County | 302,726 | 31,048 | 10.3% | 13.6% | 3.2% |
| Shelby County | 2,374 | 242 | 10.2% | 15% | 0.6% |
| Miller County | 10,034 | 1,018 | 10.1% | 14.3% | 3% |
| Sullivan County | 2,040 | 202 | 9.9% | 14.4% | 1.3% |
| Daviess County | 3,071 | 300 | 9.8% | 13% | 1.1% |
| Perry County | 7,323 | 714 | 9.8% | 10.8% | 3% |
| Webster County | 13,751 | 1,350 | 9.8% | 15.6% | 2.4% |
| Cape Girardeau County | 32,544 | 3,144 | 9.7% | 13.4% | 1.9% |
| Lafayette County | 12,438 | 1,200 | 9.6% | 9.6% | 1.4% |
| Mercer County | 1,288 | 121 | 9.4% | 14.5% | 1.3% |
| Gasconade County | 6,037 | 564 | 9.3% | 11% | 1.8% |
| Howard County | 3,469 | 310 | 8.9% | 11.9% | 2.3% |
| Linn County | 4,804 | 427 | 8.9% | 16% | 1.6% |
| Putnam County | 1,874 | 164 | 8.8% | 15.9% | 2.2% |
| Pike County | 6,451 | 563 | 8.7% | 14.7% | 2.5% |
| Callaway County | 16,203 | 1,386 | 8.6% | 10.5% | 3.2% |
| Gentry County | 2,402 | 206 | 8.6% | 15.2% | 1.6% |
| Adair County | 8,911 | 756 | 8.5% | 19.6% | 2.6% |
| Lincoln County | 22,420 | 1,910 | 8.5% | 10.5% | 2% |
| Ray County | 9,046 | 771 | 8.5% | 11.9% | 1.3% |
| Camden County | 17,170 | 1,402 | 8.2% | 13% | 2.4% |
| Knox County | 1,214 | 100 | 8.2% | 14.3% | 2.2% |
| Macon County | 5,947 | 489 | 8.2% | 9.9% | 2% |
| Clark County | 2,265 | 183 | 8.1% | 9.2% | 3.1% |
| Warren County | 13,414 | 1,087 | 8.1% | 9.2% | 2.4% |
| Caldwell County | 3,591 | 289 | 8% | 12.7% | 2.6% |
| Nodaway County | 8,389 | 670 | 8% | 16.3% | 1.7% |
| Carroll County | 3,443 | 271 | 7.9% | 10.7% | 3% |
| Monroe County | 3,461 | 273 | 7.9% | 15.7% | 0.8% |
| St. Louis County | 414,739 | 32,611 | 7.9% | 9.4% | 2.7% |
| DeKalb County | 3,775 | 293 | 7.8% | 6.9% | 1.1% |
| Pulaski County | 16,434 | 1,283 | 7.8% | 10.4% | 2.3% |
| Franklin County | 42,267 | 3,231 | 7.6% | 8.1% | 2.7% |
| Moniteau County | 5,774 | 439 | 7.6% | 9.6% | 1.5% |
| Johnson County | 20,680 | 1,545 | 7.5% | 11% | 2.8% |
| Clinton County | 8,238 | 599 | 7.3% | 12.5% | 2.7% |
| Chariton County | 2,655 | 190 | 7.2% | 11.5% | 1.8% |
| Jefferson County | 87,025 | 6,289 | 7.2% | 8.4% | 2.4% |
| Schuyler County | 1,251 | 90 | 7.2% | 9.6% | 2.5% |
| Boone County | 75,084 | 5,101 | 6.8% | 16.2% | 2.5% |
| Cooper County | 6,169 | 422 | 6.8% | 10% | 2.6% |
| Holt County | 1,722 | 116 | 6.7% | 9.5% | 1.2% |
| Clay County | 101,008 | 6,535 | 6.5% | 8.4% | 2.7% |
| Christian County | 34,256 | 2,149 | 6.3% | 8.6% | 2.3% |
| Lewis County | 3,216 | 201 | 6.3% | 14.1% | 3.4% |
| Ste. Genevieve County | 7,113 | 447 | 6.3% | 7.7% | 2.7% |
| Stone County | 13,161 | 827 | 6.3% | 13.8% | 3.6% |
| Cole County | 30,746 | 1,874 | 6.1% | 8.8% | 1.9% |
| Cass County | 42,311 | 2,508 | 5.9% | 6.4% | 3.1% |
| Atchison County | 2,295 | 131 | 5.7% | 12.3% | 1.4% |
| Andrew County | 6,975 | 380 | 5.4% | 7.3% | 2.5% |
| Ralls County | 3,959 | 206 | 5.2% | 12.5% | 2.2% |
| Osage County | 5,173 | 249 | 4.8% | 9.9% | 1.1% |
| Scotland County | 1,543 | 74 | 4.8% | 7% | 0.5% |
| Platte County | 43,316 | 1,827 | 4.2% | 6.8% | 2.5% |
| St. Charles County | 158,682 | 4,996 | 3.1% | 4.6% | 2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates, Tables S2201, B17001, B23025. Red rows: >20% SNAP participation. Amber rows: 10-20%.
Court Order Timeline
Federal lawsuit: Case No. 6:22-cv-03008
Advocacy groups file federal lawsuit alleging Missouri DSS illegally denies SNAP benefits through broken call center and interview process.
U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool finds Missouri DSS violated SNAP law and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Orders monthly reporting.
Monthly report shows 56% of SNAP applications denied, up from 51% the prior year. Average call wait time: 49 minutes. 15,000 callers disconnected.
Court finds "no progress" since 2024 ruling. Orders: online/mobile applications, <20 min call wait for 90% of callers, <20% denial rate, ADA compliance policy.
DSS appeals court order. Advocates say changes are not sustained. Settlement negotiations break down.
MEDES integrated eligibility system delayed from 2025 to 2028 due to H.R. 1 compliance demands. DSS must redirect resources to implement new federal work requirements.
New ABAWD work requirements take effect Feb 1. Adults 18-64 must work/volunteer 80 hours/month. No automated tracking system in place. 3-month clock starts.
Recipients who have not met work requirements for 3 consecutive months lose SNAP eligibility. Projected impact: tens of thousands of Missourians.