Feeding America: financial need for those facing hunger reaches highest level in 20 years

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 found that one in nine people in the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York’s 23-county service area 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 amidst historically high food prices and the expiration of many pandemic-era programs.

In the six Hudson Valley counties (Orange, Ulster, Dutchess, Rockland, Sullivan and Putnam) served by the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, there are more than 154,000 individuals experiencing food insecurity.

In New York, food insecurity ranges from a low of 7% in Nassau County to 20% in Bronx County and averages 13.4% statewide. The national average is 13.5%.

The local rates per county break down as follows:

Orange County
Food insecurity rate: 11.3%
Food insecure population: 45,290
Average meal cost: $4.25
Additional money required to meet food needs: $36,177,000

Ulster County
Food insecurity rate: 12.8%
Food insecure population: 23,310
Average meal cost: $4.33
Additional money required to meet food needs: $18,960,000

Dutchess County
Food insecurity rate: 10%
Food insecure population: 29,700
Average meal cost: $4.41
Additional money required to meet food needs: $24,638,000

Rockland County
Food insecurity rate: 11%
Food insecure population: 37,180
Average meal cost: $4.37
Additional money required to meet food needs: $30,543,000

Sullivan County
Food insecurity rate: 13.1%
Food insecure population: 10,310
Average meal cost: $4.02
Additional money required to meet food needs: $7,797,000

Putnam County
Food insecurity rate: 8.4%
Food insecure population: 8,270
Average meal cost: $4.74
Additional money required to meet food needs: $7,377,000

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

In the Food Bank of Northeastern New York’s 23-county service area, the cost per meal is $4.18, marking a 12% increase compared to the prior year.

Food insecurity by race and ethnicity 
While nationally nearly 40% of the food insecure population is white, food insecurity rates among Black and Latino individuals exceed those of white individuals in most counties.

In Orange County, food insecurity is 16% among Black people, 19% among Hispanics, and 9% among white peopl.

To learn more about the study, visit FeedingAmerica.org/MaptheMealGap. For more information about the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, visit regionalfoodbank.net.