The amount of money that people facing hunger said they need to have enough food reached its highest point in the last 20 years, according to Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study. 

At the local level, Map the Meal Gap finds that one in nine people in the 23-county service area of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York (RFB) are living with food insecurity. This number reflects an increase of nearly 90,000 neighbors experiencing food insecurity from last year, when one in 12 individuals were food insecure. 

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

“These new statistics are deeply troubling, and sadly confirm everything that the Regional Food Bank and our 1,000 partner agencies have been feeling this past year,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank. “Neighbors in need are being forced to make hard choices between household expenses—rent, electricity, child care, transportation, health care bills. And mostly, they have had to choose to buy less food. Hunger is indeed an epidemic, and this data comes at a time when contributions to the charitable food system continue to fade year-over-year since the pandemic. We need more support right now to support neighbors in need from all levels of government, from philanthropic organizations and caring individuals.” 

Other key findings of Map the Meal Gap include: 

Food insecurity by geography 

Food insecurity impacts communities in every county, parish and congressional district in the U.S.  In the RFB’s service area, 331,830 individuals are food insecure. 

In the six Hudson Valley counties (Orange, Ulster, Dutchess, Rockland, Sullivan and Putnam) served by the RFB, there are more than 154,000 individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Estimated food insecurity levels vary across regions, influenced by factors such as unemployment and poverty rates as well as policies and practices rooted in history that continue to hold people back today.   

In New York State, food insecurity ranges from a low of seven percent in Nassau County to 20 percent in Bronx County. In the Hudson Valley, we see food insecurity range from a low of 8.4 percent in Putnam County to a high of 13.1 percent in Sullivan County.  

Food insecurity rates among children are even higher, at 15 percent or one in seven.    

Income and food spending  

Nearly 50 percent of people facing hunger might not qualify for SNAP benefits due to income thresholds. In the region, 37 percent of people facing hunger do not qualify for SNAP. 

The national food budget shortfall, which reflects the extra money that people who are food insecure report needing to cover their food needs, has hit a record high of $33.1 billion, up nearly 43 percent from the previous year. This translates to $24.73 per week per person on average.  

Residents of counties in our region feel this first-hand.    

Food costs and meal prices  

The national average cost per meal has increased to $3.99, marking a nearly 3 percent increase compared to the prior year and reaching its highest point in the last two decades, even after adjusting for inflation.  

Here, the cost per meal exceeds this average, at $4.18 marking a 12 percent increase compared to the prior year. This is reflected in the growing need we see at the Food Bank.  

Food insecurity by race and ethnicity  

While nationally nearly 40 percent of the food insecure population in the U.S. is white, food insecurity rates among Black and Latino individuals exceed those of white individuals in most counties. These disparities are an example of how historical, social, economic and environmental factors have held many communities of color back, creating barriers to food insecurity.    

Racial disparities persist, with significant variations in food insecurity rates across different racial and ethnic groups and geographic locations.  

The Regional Food Bank’s service area is no exception. While white residents experience a food insecurity rate of 8 percent, the food insecurity rate for Black and Latino populations is 21 percent.  

The Map the Meal Gap study is supported by the Conagra Brands Foundation and NielsenIQ/NIQ. Additional key takeaways from the report and methodology can be found on the Map the Meal Gap website along with an interactive map that details food insecurity by geography, income, race and ethnicity.   

To learn how food insecurity impacts your community, visit FeedingAmerica.org/MaptheMealGap. For more information about the Regional Food Bank and how to help end hunger in our community, visit www.regionalfoodbank.net.   

The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York (RFB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that collects donated food from the food industry and distributes it to more than 1,000 partners feeding our neighbors in need in 23 counties of northeastern New York. The food provided by the RFB helps to feed over 350,000 people each month. The food bank is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks.