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D.C. (NewsDakota.com) The use of food stamps in Barnes County increased during the recession a few years ago contributed to local spending and helped spark a national debate about the future of the federal nutrition program.

The proportion of Barnes County residents receiving food stamps hit 8.0 percent in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services. That’s an increase of 1.4 percentage points since 2007, the year the recession started.

Barnes County’s food-stamp usage rate is lower than the state rate. Across North Dakota, 8.7 percent of residents in 2011 received support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP.) Nationally, 14.8 percent of the population receives SNAP benefits.

Places like Barnes County, which are located outside metropolitan areas, tend to have a higher percentage of the population receiving SNAP benefits. That’s because incomes are generally lower in nonmetropolitan counties.

The inflation-adjusted median household income in Barnes County in 2011 was $49,547, compared to the North Dakota median of $53,997. Nationally, median household income was $52,306 in 2011.

In 2011, residents of Barnes County received a combined $1,268,749 in SNAP benefits. The USDA reports that each $5 in SNAP benefits generates $9.20 in spending.