For the thirteenth consecutive year, Feeding America has published its groundbreaking research study, Map the Meal Gap, which reveals that food insecurity persists in all 3,143 counties and county equivalents and 436 congressional districts across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, the study is the only one to provide local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs throughout the United States.
According to this year’s county estimates, 12.5 million individuals, or 1 in 3 people experiencing food insecurity, may not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to state-specific gross income limits. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2021 report on Household Food Security in the United States found that 34 million people, including nearly 9 million children, lived in food-insecure households.
Feeding America urges Congress in the 2023 Farm Bill to simplify enrollment, reduce administrative impediments, and prevent additional eligibility limitations to the program. While nearly 40% of the food-insecure population in the United States is white, Black, Native American, and Latino people are two to three times more likely to be food-insecure.
Furthermore, in almost every case where data are available for comparison, food insecurity is higher among Black and Latino people than white, non-Hispanic people.
The Map the Meal Gap study has revealed some important facts:
- Most counties (63%) in the United States considered high food insecurity areas are in rural areas outside major cities. However, 89% of these counties fall within the top 10% of food insecurity rates.
- The Southern area of the United States has eight out of ten counties with high food insecurity. Despite accounting for less than half of all counties in the United States, the South is home to an estimated 83% of the counties with the highest rates of food insecurity.
- According to the study, the national average cost per meal has increased from $3.25 in 2020 to $3.59 in 2021. This is the highest reported amount since 2005.
Conagra Brands Foundation has partnered with Feeding America and its network of 200 food banks to raise awareness and take direct action to address food insecurity. Map the Meal Gap provides vital data and insights into the prevalence of hunger in the nation and highlights the disproportionate impact of food insecurity on people and communities of color.
The study also reports on food price variations across counties, finding that county meal costs range from 76% of the national average in Dimmit County and Maverick County, Texas ($2.73), to twice the national average in New York County, New York ($5.93).
The interactive Map the Meal Gap online tool will incorporate state-level food insecurity figures for seniors and people aged 50-59 for the first time in 2023 as part of Feeding America’s State of Senior Hunger study series. In addition, the American Association for Public Opinion Research awarded the research the 2021 Policy Impact Award.
Photo by Joey Csunyo on Unsplash
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