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overview
The Food Stamp Program (FSP) Map Machine is an interactive web-based mapping utility that illustrates program participation and benefit levels down to the county level. Use the map machine to show per capita participation, per capita benefits, changes from year to year, and more. The map's tools allow you to call up tabular data for the county, State, or Nation. For example, select a State, zoom into a specific county, and display the data for that county by using the identify tool. Or, zoom into a region of the United States and display a map showing how rapidly program participation changed in each county between 1993 and 1997. The underlying data is available below in tabular format to download for further analysis.

ERS data products

• Access the FSP Map Machine.
• The underlying county-level data are available for download in a comma-delimited text file.

related data from other government agencies
The data in the FSP Map Machine originate with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. They have been compiled and prepared for public use by the following government agencies:

• County-level data on the number of FSP participants, from the Census Bureau.
• County-level data on total program benefits, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

media
Interactive data product.

instructions/helpful hints
Find out more about using the FSP Map Machine.

related resources
The ERS Food Stamp Program briefing room—A resource for research and analysis about the U.S. Food Stamp Program.

USDA Food and Nutrition Service's Food Stamp Program site—Information for applicants, retailers, governments, researchers, and public advocacy groups.

Summer Food Service Program Map Machine—An interactive mapping and graphing site with information about the Summer Food Service Program, which provides food to children when schools are not in session.

Rural Indicators Map Machine—Another interactive mapping and graphing site with ERS' rural typologies, census data, and economic data.

The United States National Atlas from the U.S.Geological Survey—Interactive and static U.S. maps on a variety of topics.

The National Geographic Map Machine—Interactive maps of the world.

HUD Environmental Maps—Interactive maps showing housing and environmental characteristics for the United States.