Which state has the highest people on welfare?

When people ask which state has the highest number of people on welfare, the answer depends on whether you measure by absolute numbers or by percentage of population, and whether you mean SNAP, cash assistance, or all means-tested programs. In absolute numbers, California consistently has the largest number of people receiving SNAP and other public assistance programs because it is the most populous state, with over 4 million SNAP participants in recent years. Texas, Florida, and New York also have very large total enrollments. When measured by percentage of the state population receiving SNAP, states with higher poverty rates rank highest, such as New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Oregon, where more than 15 to 20 percent of residents participate. For cash assistance programs like TANF, California, New York, and Texas again have large numbers, but participation rates are much lower nationwide than SNAP. So California has the most people on welfare in total, while New Mexico and similar states have the highest rate of participation relative to their population size.