COLUMBUS — As many celebrated the New Year, several states updated their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules. With changes possibly coming to the Ohio program, take a look at how many people in Tuscarawas County use the program.
With a SNAP card, Ohio recipients can buy fruits, vegetables, meat and more. They can’t buy alcohol, tobacco, hot food products, vitamins and non-food items. Upcoming legislation could also ban the purchase of soda, energy drinks and candy.
To qualify for this grocery assistance, a person must earn at or less than 130% of the federal poverty guideline.
According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, as of November 2025, around 24,631 Tuscarawas County residents were recipients of SNAP. These people received a combined allotment of around $3,613,165 per month, which averaged out to a little less than $147 per person.
This means that around 26.48% of Tuscarawas County’s population was on SNAP. When looking at the surrounding counties, Holmes County had the lowest percentage of residents on SNAP, with 5.8%; and Guernsey County had the most, with 35.96%.
Statewide, Holmes County had the fewest number of recipients, at around 2,600 recipients, and Cuyahoga had the most, with around 450,300.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Data shows how many people in Tuscarawas County receive SNAP benefits
Reporting by Shelby Reeves, The Times-Reporter / Ashland Times Gazette
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