Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Over 7,600 older adult households in Salt Lake County rely on public assistance.
- Salt Lake County increased its 2026 budget for senior nutrition and supportive services.
- Meals on Wheels and SNAP benefits are vital for older adults' food security.
SALT LAKE CITY — New research is shining a spotlight on the challenges aging adults in Salt Lake County face at the grocery store.
Over 7,600 older adult households (those 60 and older) in Utah's most populated county depend on public assistance to afford groceries, according to new research commissioned by the Salt Lake County Office of Regional Development and conducted by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
Data shared in a recent news release from Salt Lake County indicates that nearly 6% older adult households in the county receive SNAP benefits, signaling the role nutrition assistance plays in helping older adults meet basic needs.
"This data makes clear that food affordability is a real issue for many older adults in our community," Salt Lake County Council Chair Aimee Winder Newton said in a statement. "As Salt Lake County's older population continues to grow, ensuring access to nutritious food is essential to supporting health, independence and quality of life."
The report suggests that while overall food insecurity among older adults has decreased in recent years, affordability remains a concern, particularly for those living on fixed incomes or facing rising inflation-related costs, especially for housing, health care and transportation.
"These critical nutrition programs are possible because of county, state and federal funding. Any cuts to this funding have the potential to impact the number of people Salt Lake County is able to serve in their homes and in their community senior centers," the news release reads.
Elected officials said they anticipated challenges, such as those indicated in the research, and increased the county's 2026 budget for senior nutrition and other supportive services provided by Aging and Adult Services.
"For many older adults, nutrition is directly tied to health, independence, and the ability to age in place," Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said in a statement. "Salt Lake County recognizes the incredible value that our meal programs provide. We continue to prioritize our Meals on Wheels program and the meals programs available at our senior centers. These recent findings help us better understand where support is needed and how we can best respond."
As for Salt Lake County's Meals on Wheels program — which is federally funded through the Older Americans Act — it too receives funding from the state and the county.
According to data from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, the number of older adults who receive Meals on Wheels has increased by 27% statewide since 2018.
Afton January, with Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services, said Salt Lake County provided over 392,000 meals to homebound older adults in 2024.
"Meals on Wheels is a critical component in not only meeting the nutritional needs of older adults, but also ensuring that older people have the option to age in place," she told KSL.
Meals on Wheels eases the stress and burden of meeting daily nutritional needs for aging adults who are homebound and unable to prepare meals on their own, she added.
Aside from a piping-hot meal, January said the service also helps reduce social isolation among older adults.
"By providing a check-in from a friendly volunteer or staff member each weekday, we can help address loneliness and ensure that older adults in our community know where to turn if their needs change," she said.
January also noted that Salt Lake County Aging and Adult Services leverages government funding with private donations, including from meal recipients, to ensure seniors receive daily meals.
Salt Lake County was recently designated an AARP Age-Friendly Community and the study is said to be a continuation in a "commitment to promoting environments that support residents at every stage of life," the release states.
Salt Lake County says it is developing an Age-Friendly Action Plan, a yearlong effort that will outline strategies to address challenges identified in the research, including food access, health, housing, and community support — which is expected to be unveiled later this year.
Additional findings from the report are set to be released in the coming months, ahead of a full presentation on data before the Salt Lake County Council in April.
