Poverty dropped last year nationwide and in 38 states, according to census estimates released Thursday. In those places, more people were using food stamps in May 2025 than in May 2024, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nationally, the number of people on food stamps decreased slightly, by about 11,000 people, according to the preliminary data. The lowest participation rates were in New Hampshire, Utah and Wyoming, all with about 5% of their populations on food stamps, according to the analysis. The number of food stamp users fell by almost 17% in Alaska, which is struggling with a backlog of applications.