SNAP Crisis: Alaska & Hawaii Face Stunning Price Hikes

By The Vagabond News — November 10, 2025
Byline: The Vagabond News Editorial Desk

A mounting food-aid crisis in Alaska and Hawaii

Two U.S. states already facing steep food-cost burdens are now grappling with a dramatic escalation of their food-security vulnerabilities, as benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) stagnate while living costs soar.

Alaska: emergency declaration amid benefit shortfall

In Alaska, a state of disaster has been declared by Governor Mike Dunleavy to address what officials are calling an “impending statewide hunger crisis.” [1]
More than 66,000 Alaskans failed to receive their monthly SNAP benefits, prompting the state to divert up to US $10 million in temporary funds to support the program. [1]
The backdrop: many rural and remote communities face elevated food-prices due to transport logistics and limited access. [2]
References suggest that rural Alaska’s food-costs can run between ~28% and 56% higher than the contiguous U.S. baseline. [4]

Hawaii: shrinking allotments amid high grocery costs

In Hawaii, the situation is equally alarming. Starting October 2023, SNAP monthly allotments for Hawai‘i began to decrease, even while the cost of groceries remains among the highest in the nation. [3]
Advocacy groups note that families of four may face annual reductions of around US $2,060 in benefits by 2027, compared with 2022 levels. [3]
A recent report shows the “Thrifty Food Plan” cost for a reference family of four reaches US $1,511.60 per month in Hawaii (April 2025 dollars) — underscoring the scale of the gap between food-costs and support. [4]

Why the gap is widening

Transportation and geography: Both states face elevated costs due to remote locations, island logistics (in Hawai‘i), and limited road access (in many parts of Alaska). High transportation and storage costs push up grocery retail prices. A consumer influencer reported bread at US $9.49 and milk at US $12.69/gallon in a remote Alaskan community. [2]
Methodology changes in benefit calculation: In Hawai‘i, a USDA-revision of how food-costs are calculated led to the reduction of maximum allotments. [3]
Federal funding instability and shutdown risks: Ongoing federal budget disputes have disrupted the consistent flow of SNAP funds, prompting the Alaska emergency declaration. [1]
Local economies already strained: Food banks warn that they cannot make up the full shortfall. In Hawai‘i, one food-bank representative told lawmakers “we’ll do everything we can, but we cannot close that gap alone.” [3]

Consequences for households and communities

Families forced to stretch further: With food-budgets already tight, both states’ households reliant on SNAP are at greater risk of food insecurity, diet compromise, and hunger.
Rural and Indigenous communities hardest hit: In Alaska especially, the communities depending on subsistence and grocery hybrid economies face compounded vulnerabilities. [2]
Local retailers suffer: SNAP benefits support local grocery stores and farmers. Cuts or delays impact entire food-supply chains and local economies. [5]
Increased demand on non-profits: Food banks and community organisations are seeing rising caseloads and limited capacity to fill the gap. [3]

What’s being done—and what’s next

The Alaska government’s disaster declaration allows temporary funds to support benefit distribution and coordinate with food banks. [1]
In Hawai‘i, state agencies urge households to update expense information (rent, child-care, medical costs) to maximise benefits, and point to additional programmes like WIC and summer groceries. [3]
Advocates are calling on Congress to safeguard SNAP funding and adjust allotment methodologies to reflect true food-cost realities in Alaska and Hawai‘i. [5]

Take-away

What began as long-standing cost-and-access challenges in Alaska and Hawai‘i has now escalated into an urgent food-aid crisis. The interplay of soaring food costs, shrinking or delayed benefits, and geographic isolation has created a vulnerable context for tens of thousands of households. Immediate federal and state action is underway—but without a structural adjustment to benefit formulas and delivery systems, the risk of deepening hunger looms.

Sources

[1] Alaska Beacon. “Alaska declares disaster …” Nov 3, 2025.
[3] Hawaii News Now. “Hawaii faces food crisis …” Oct 28, 2025.
[4] USDA Food and Nutrition Service. “Thrifty Food Plan Costs: Alaska and Hawaii, April 2025.” May 2025.
[5] Alaska Food Policy Council. Blog post.
[2] NY Post / influencer piece on Alaskan grocery prices (Dec 2024) — context for price-levels.