More people rely on SNAP benefits in rural counties

Here is the breakdown on who gets the food assistance in our Tennessee counties

NASHVILLE (WDEF) – Here’s a look at just who will get hit hardest if SNAP benefits are cut off on November first.

About 11-percent of Tennesseans get the federal food assistance.

But it hits people in rural counties much harder that in the big cities.

Grundy County has the highest percentage of SNAP benefits in our region, coming in eighth place for the entire state.

They have 22-hundred people using the benefit which is almost 16-percent of the county population.

Overall, we have almost 70-thousand people in southeast Tennessee on the program.

Here is the breakdown for each county in our Tennessee coverage area:

Grundy County       15.8%       2,230 people

Bledsoe County      12.8%        1,999

Marion County       12.6%        3,753

Meigs County          12.2%        1,703

Sequatchie Co.        12.2%        2,145

Rhea County           12.0%        4,180

McMinn Co.            11.3%         6,414

Bradley Co.              9.6%       10,935

Polk County             9.4%         1,732

Hamilton Co.           8.9%      34,223