According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2023 Household Food Security Report, 13.5% of American households struggled with food insecurity during the year. While most households—86.5%—were food secure, the remaining families experienced disruptions in diet quality or quantity due to limited resources. Of these food-insecure households, 8.4% faced low food security, and 5.1% endured very low food security, meaning actual reductions in food intake. This chart highlights the persistence of hunger across the country, even during periods of economic stability.

This state-by-state map, based on data from the USDA and compiled by national hunger-relief organizations, illustrates the uneven distribution of food insecurity across the United States between 2021 and 2023. States in the South—such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas—show noticeably higher-than-average food insecurity rates, while many northern states fall below the national average of 12.2%. The map underscores how regional economic disparities, local costs of living, and access to food resources contribute to significant differences in household food stability.

This infographic is based on data from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, the leading national study that measures food insecurity at the local level with a high degree of detail and accuracy. According to their findings, 1 in 7 individuals in our region—approximately 13.6% of our entire population—faces food insecurity, meaning they do not always have reliable access to the nutritious food they need to live healthy, active lives. Unlike national statistics, Map the Meal Gap breaks hunger down by county and region, accounting for variations in wages, unemployment, cost of living, food prices, and the availability of local support. Their research shows that food insecurity is often hidden within communities: many affected individuals are working adults, children in school, seniors living on fixed incomes, or families who earn too much to qualify for federal assistance but too little to afford basic needs. The 1-in-7 figure highlights that hunger is not a distant or abstract issue—it is affecting classmates, coworkers, neighbors, and families right here in our community. Feeding America’s data underscores the urgent need for sustained local support, stronger food-access programs, and increased community awareness so that no individual is left uncertain about where their next meal will come from.

Using data from the USDA’s annual Household Food Security in the United States report, this Statista chart provides a long-range view of national food insecurity trends over the past 25 years. The data clearly shows that households with children consistently experience higher rates of food insecurity than the national average, reflecting the added financial pressures of feeding growing families. Major spikes appear during periods of economic stress—most notably during the 2009 recession, when food insecurity reached historic highs, and again in 2022–2023 as households grappled with inflation, supply chain disruptions, and rising costs for housing, childcare, and groceries. By 2023, food insecurity among all U.S. households had risen to 13.5%, while rates among households with children climbed to 17.9%, underscoring the heightened vulnerability of families with minors. This long-term perspective highlights how closely tied food security is to broader economic conditions and serves as a reminder that fluctuations in wages, employment, and cost of living have direct and immediate consequences on families’ ability to access nutritious, stable, and sufficient food.