% of Population on Food Stamps or SNAP (Last 12 Months), by Zip Code (ZCTA5) — North Carolina

NOTE: Gray indicates insufficient data or a suppressed estimate.

Elevated SNAP participation rates exceeding 30% cluster prominently in the southeastern Coastal Plain and Sandhills region, particularly in zip codes spanning Robeson, Columbus, and Bladen counties, as well as pockets in the northeastern Inner Banks area around Halifax and Bertie counties. The western mountain region and piedmont urban-suburban corridors—especially zip codes surrounding Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Asheville—generally exhibit lower participation rates below 10-15%, reflecting stronger labor markets and higher median incomes. A notable contrast exists between rural eastern North Carolina, where SNAP usage is persistently high across broad contiguous areas, and the fragmented pockets of high usage in western counties that tend to be more isolated and interspersed with lower-rate neighbors.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS

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