A year ago, New Jersey had 810,900 people on SNAP. By June 2026, that number was 739,600, a drop of 71,300, according to a county-by-county impact report from the New Jersey Department of Human Services dated Oct. 21. The same report projects that families in the state will lose $262.4 million in food benefits in federal fiscal 2027 if current federal policy holds.
The decline is not spread evenly. A handful of counties account for most of it, and the next round of federal changes is still ahead.
New Jersey’s SNAP caseload fell by 71,300 people in 12 months
The Department of Human Services figures put enrollment at 810,900 in June 2025 and 739,600 in June 2026. The department described the 71,300-person difference as an actual loss, separate from a projected loss of 49,500 people in an average month that it attributes to H.R. 1, the 2025 federal budget law.
The department’s monthly caseload report for July 2026 shows the same direction. It counted 737,447 people in 401,859 households, down 55,669 people, or 7.0%, and 24,302 households, or 5.7%, from July 2025. Of the July total, 428,104 were adults and 309,343 were children…