Texas leads the nation in food insecurity

North Texas Food Bank this week unveiled the latest insights from Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study, revealing Texas' stark reality: it now leads the nation in food insecurity, surpassing California. Texas grapples with a food insecurity rate of 16.4%, equating to nearly 5 million individuals facing hunger, a significant increase from 2021. Alarmingly, over onethird of those affected are children.

Moreover, the study highlights the ongoing challenges within NTFB’s 13-county service area, ranking it as the nation's fourth-largest area of food insecurity. Approximately 777,690 individuals, or 1 in 8 people, confront food insecurity within NTFB's service area, with children bearing a disproportionate burden. The rate of child food insecurity surged to 20.8%, reflecting a distressing rise from the previous year.

“While Texas boasts of being bigger in many aspects, leading the nation in food insecurity is not a badge of honor we can proudly wear,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “In the heart of North Texas, where the number of people facing hunger is greater than the populations of cities like Seattle or San Francisco, the statistic that strikes hardest is nearly 40% of those in need are children, and that is just unacceptable. Yet, amid these struggles, the North Texas Food Bank is committed to closing the hunger gap in North Texas through the dedication of generous supporters and steadfast partnerships.'

Map the Meal Gap is the only study providing local-level estimates of food insecurity and costs for every county and congressional district. The study builds upon the USDA’s latest national and state data report, which showed a sharp increase in food insecurity in 2022 amid historically high food prices and the expiration of many pandemic-era programs. Map the Meal Gap emphasizes the urgent call to take action.

Key findings of Map the Meal Gap include:

• Texas has a food insecurity rate of 16.4% or 1 in 6, with nearly 5 million people facing hunger, up from 13.7% in 2021.

• Texas has 1,697,870 children facing hunger with a food insecurity rate of 22.8% or 1 in 4, up from 18% in 2021.

• NTFB’s 13-county service area continues to have the fourth-highest number of people facing hunger in the nation, with a food insecurity rate of 14.2%, up from 11.9% in 2021.

• An estimated 777,690, or 1 in 8 people, face food insecurity in NTFB’s service area

• NTFB has a child food insecurity rate of 20.8%, with 286,860 children, or 1 in 5, up from 15.8% in 2021.

• There continue to be disparities in who faces hunger. In the NTFB service area:

„ 1 in 4 (28%) Black persons are food insecure, up from 1 in 5 (22%) in 2021.

„ 1 in 5 (20%) Hispanic persons, up from 1 in 7 (14%) in 2021.

„ 1 in 11 (9%) White, non-Hispanic persons, up from 1 in 14 (7%) in 2021.

• The estimated annual meal gap for NTFB’s service area is more than 146 million, compared with nearly 113 million in 2021.

• In NTFB’s service area, 51% of those facing hunger have a family income under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) threshold.

• Map the Meal Gap data estimates the cost per meal for those living in NTFB’s service area is $3.83, up from $3.37 in 2021.

• Dallas County has 52% of NTFB’s food-insecure population, followed by Collin County, which has 17%; Denton County, which has 15%; and the remaining 10 counties, which have 16%.