Annual Statistical Supplement, 2003

Public Assistance

TANF/AFDC and Emergency Assistance

Table 9.G1 Average monthly number of families and recipients, total amount of cash assistance, and average monthly payment, selected years 1936–2002
Year Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/
Aid to Families with Dependent Children a		 Emergency Assistance c
Average monthly number (thousands) Amount of assistance b Average monthly number of families (thousands) Total assistance payments during year (thousands of dollars) Average monthly payment per family (dollars)
Families Recipients Total (thousands of dollars) Monthly average (dollars)
Total Children Family Recipient
1936 147 534 361 49,678 28.15 7.75 . . . . . . . . .
1940 349 1,182 840 133,770 31.98 9.43 . . . . . . . . .
1945 259 907 656 149,667 48.18 13.75 . . . . . . . . .
1950 644 2,205 1,637 551,653 71.33 17.64 . . . . . . . . .
1955 612 2,214 1,673 617,841 84.17 23.26 . . . . . . . . .
1960 787 3,005 2,314 1,000,784 105.75 27.75 . . . . . . . . .
1961 869 3,354 2,587 1,156,769 110.97 28.74 . . . . . . . . .
1962 931 3,676 2,818 1,298,774 116.30 29.44 . . . . . . . . .
1963 947 3,876 2,909 1,365,851 120.19 29.36 . . . . . . . . .
1964 992 4,118 3,091 1,510,352 126.88 30.57 . . . . . . . . .
1965 1,039 4,329 3,256 1,660,186 133.20 31.96 . . . . . . . . .
1966 1,088 4,513 3,411 1,863,925 142.83 34.42 . . . . . . . . .
1967 1,217 5,014 3,771 2,266,400 155.19 37.67 . . . . . . . . .
1968 1,410 5,705 4,275 2,849,298 168.41 41.62 . . . . . . . . .
1969 1,698 6,706 4,985 3,563,427 174.89 44.28 7.5 6,699 117.23
1970 2,208 8,466 6,214 4,852,964 183.13 47.77 7.5 11,396 126.14
1971 2,762 10,241 7,434 6,203,528 187.16 50.48 11.1 19,843 148.54
1972 3,049 10,947 7,905 6,909,260 188.87 52.60 19.9 44,180 184.91
1973 3,148 10,949 7,902 7,212,035 190.91 54.89 18.8 39,265 174.05
1974 3,230 10,864 7,822 7,916,563 204.27 60.72 31.3 64,031 170.38
1975 3,498 11,346 8,095 9,210,995 219.44 67.65 38.3 77,516 168.85
1976 3,579 11,304 8,001 10,140,543 236.10 74.75 27.5 55,673 168.43
1977 3,588 11,050 7,773 10,603,820 246.27 79.97 32.8 66,132 168.05
1978 3,522 10,570 7,402 10,730,415 253.89 84.60 34.5 80,919 195.24
1979 3,509 10,312 7,179 11,068,864 262.86 89.45 35.7 84,043 195.92
1980 3,712 10,774 7,419 12,475,245 280.03 96.49 48.6 113,238 194.29
1981 3,835 11,079 7,527 12,981,115 282.04 97.64 49.1 123,467 209.51
1982 3,542 10,258 6,903 12,877,906 303.02 103.60 27.5 102,344 278.54 d
1983 3,686 10,761 7,098 13,837,228 312.82 107.16 30.0 125,246 283.15 d
1984 3,714 10,831 7,144 14,503,710 325.44 111.60 32.1 141,137 276.97 d
1985 3,701 10,855 7,198 15,195,835 342.15 116.65 32.6 157,304 312.98 d
1986 3,763 11,038 7,334 16,033,074 355.04 121.05 34.8 178,284 362.45 d
1987 3,776 11,027 7,366 16,372,535 361.37 123.73 42.4 213,903 358.29 d
1988 3,749 10,915 7,329 16,826,794 374.07 128.47 48.8 278,906 420.89 d
1989 3,799 10,993 7,420 17,465,943 383.14 132.40 48.7 296,841 461.45 d
1990 4,057 11,695 7,917 19,066,541 391.67 135.86 56.0 348,986 476.50 d
1991 4,467 12,930 8,715 20,930,600 390.44 134.89 59.7 302,894 422.07 d
1992 4,829 13,773 9,303 21,655,881 373.71 131.03 52.7 272,853 431.41 d
1993 5,012 14,205 9,574 22,688,016 377.24 133.10 56.8 387,113 568.17 d
1994 5,035 14,154 9,570 22,827,399 377.78 134.30 60.5 802,258 1,105.95 d
1995 4,791 13,418 9,135 21,608,686 375.31 134.21 84.1 3,447,361 3,415.93 d
1996 4,434 12,321 8,469 20,614,437 386.68 139.44 69.8 2,708,401 3,235.10 d
1997 3,740 10,376 7,042 22,031,399 490.01 176.95 81.8 403,138 410.74 d
1998 e 3,050 8,347 6,034 12,925,846 353.13 129.04 . . . . . . . . .
1999 2,554 6,824 4,863 10,925,434 356.48 133.42 . . . . . . . . .
2000 2,213 5,768 4,260 10,472,620 394.36 151.30 . . . . . . . . .
2001 2,102 5,352 3,981 10,007,329 396.74 155.82 . . . . . . . . .
2002 2,045 5,059 3,790 10,105,222 411.69 166.45 . . . . . . . . .
a. Thirty-four states had converted to TANF as of January 1, 1997; eight phased in over the next 5 months; the remaining 12 waited until July 1, 1997.
b. Reporting initiated July 1969. Number of states with program: 1969–1970, 23; 1971, 24; 1972, 27; 1973–1975, 29; 1976–1978, 26; 1979, 24; 1980–1984, 27; 1985–1986, 28; 1987, 29; 1988, 30; 1989, 31; 1990, 33; 1991, 34; 1992, 34; 1993, 35; 1994, 49; 1995, 50; 1996, 51; and 1997, 34. Program ended June 30, 1997.
c. TANF expenditures include cash payments and services.
d. Excludes family count and expenditures for states providing only partial data.
e. 1998 was the first full year under the TANF data reporting system for all states.
SOURCE: Department of Health and Human Services.
NOTES: Includes nonmedical vendor payments. Includes Alaska and Hawaii, beginning in 1943; Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, beginning in October 1950; and Guam, beginning in July 1959.
. . . = not applicable.
CONTACT: Evelyn Mills (202) 401-4055.
Table 9.G2 Average monthly number of families and recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and total amount of assistance, by state or other area, 2002
State or area TANF effective date a Average monthly number Amount of assistance b
Families Recipients Total (thousands of dollars) Monthly average (dollars)
Total Children Family Recipient
All areas . . . 2,045,477 5,059,227 3,789,975 10,105,222 411.69 166.45
Alabama 11/15/96 17,959 42,451 33,757 37,785 175.33 74.17
Alaska 7/1/97 5,926 17,219 11,666 49,824 700.70 241.13
Arizona 10/1/96 42,089 98,953 73,511 137,117 271.48 115.47
Arkansas 7/1/97 11,875 27,313 20,265 32,662 229.21 99.65
California 11/26/96 458,701 1,145,965 902,674 3,609,291 655.71 262.46
Colorado 7/1/97 12,409 32,434 23,925 52,316 351.32 134.42
Connecticut 10/1/96 23,060 51,192 36,399 121,240 438.14 197.36
Delaware 3/10/97 5,504 12,487 9,514 16,374 247.91 109.27
District of Columbia 3/1/97 16,357 42,147 31,533 65,754 335.00 130.01
Florida 10/1/96 58,795 122,272 98,645 176,176 249.70 120.07
Georgia 1/1/97 54,475 130,347 100,932 146,835 224.62 93.87
Hawaii 7/1/97 10,657 28,853 20,207 68,203 533.32 196.99
Idaho 7/1/97 1,420 2,494 2,035 4,983 292.46 166.51
Illinois 7/1/97 45,070 123,120 98,945 79,216 146.47 53.62
Indiana 10/1/96 50,766 141,500 102,088 163,780 268.85 96.45
Iowa 1/1/97 20,011 52,792 35,466 79,094 329.38 124.85
Kansas 10/1/96 14,245 36,651 25,807 51,259 299.87 116.55
Kentucky 10/18/96 34,805 77,119 57,068 99,600 238.47 107.63
Louisiana 1/1/97 23,349 59,550 47,670 66,703 238.06 93.34
Maine 11/1/96 9,632 25,092 17,104 34,554 298.94 114.76
Maryland 12/9/96 26,820 63,874 47,432 111,310 345.85 145.22
Massachusetts 9/30/96 47,961 109,254 77,305 308,346 535.76 235.19
Michigan 9/30/96 73,374 197,791 146,197 338,767 384.75 142.73
Minnesota 7/1/97 36,174 94,948 68,319 166,042 382.51 145.73
Mississippi 10/1/96 18,318 42,221 31,552 32,018 145.66 63.20
Missouri 12/1/96 44,371 116,427 82,609 131,153 246.32 93.87
Montana 12/16/96 5,967 16,810 11,036 31,442 439.10 155.87
Nebraska 12/1/96 10,544 25,944 18,790 43,067 340.39 138.33
Nevada 12/3/96 11,504 28,283 21,021 43,959 318.44 129.52
New Hampshire 10/1/96 6,124 14,659 10,017 36,329 494.36 206.53
New Jersey 2/1/97 41,714 101,856 76,790 182,629 364.85 149.42
New Mexico 7/1/97 16,830 46,079 32,772 61,714 305.57 111.61
New York 12/2/96 157,723 368,707 264,324 1,027,086 542.66 232.14
North Carolina 1/1/97 42,133 88,904 68,715 109,462 216.50 102.60
North Dakota 7/1/97 3,267 8,403 5,991 16,071 409.89 159.39
Ohio 10/1/96 83,958 189,466 140,776 306,909 304.62 134.99
Oklahoma 10/1/96 14,946 37,168 28,390 35,878 200.04 80.44
Oregon 10/1/96 18,202 41,573 30,573 115,886 530.54 232.29
Pennsylvania 3/3/97 80,037 208,557 153,497 718,108 747.68 286.94
Rhode Island 5/1/97 14,113 38,048 26,516 72,806 429.89 159.46
South Carolina 10/12/96 21,370 52,657 38,131 40,622 158.41 64.29
South Dakota 12/1/96 2,859 6,587 5,379 11,032 321.58 139.56
Tennessee 10/1/96 64,047 167,525 120,681 131,274 170.80 65.30
Texas 11/5/96 131,128 333,394 255,514 284,922 181.07 71.22
Utah 10/1/96 7,897 20,236 14,558 37,954 400.54 156.30
Vermont 9/20/96 5,069 13,250 8,502 32,218 529.67 202.64
Virginia 2/1/97 30,302 67,959 49,464 92,715 254.97 113.69
Washington 1/10/97 53,833 135,943 94,757 283,702 439.17 173.91
West Virginia 1/11/97 15,669 40,900 27,747 67,903 361.13 138.35
Wisconsin 9/30/96 19,323 46,329 37,352 103,977 448.42 187.03
Wyoming 1/1/97 438 800 673 1,016 193.46 105.87
Outlying areas
Guam 7/1/97 c c c c c c
Puerto Rico 7/1/97 21,792 62,614 43,820 34,560 132.16 46.00
Virgin Islands 7/1/97 566 2,112 1,568 1,577 232.02 62.22
a. Transition from Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reporting systems occurred July 1, 1997, or 6 months after TANF effective date, whichever was later.
b. TANF expenditures include cash payments and services.
c. Not available.
SOURCE: Department of Health and Human Services.
NOTE: . . . = not applicable.
CONTACT: Evelyn Mills (202) 401-4055.