Low-Income Household Spending Patterns and Measures of Poverty

This report compares spending patterns across consumption categories for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, eligible nonparticipating households, and ineligible households with
incomes between 130 and 300 percent of poverty. It also estimates how small increases in income are allocated across consumption categories, analyzes how SNAP eligibility might change under an expenditure-based poverty threshold, and explores the use of savings and credit across the three participation and eligibility groups.