Child food insecurity affects every county in the United States, with rates reaching almost 50% in some areas, according to Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study. At the local level, Map the Meal Gap finds that 1 in 5 children in the upper eight counties of Northeast Tennessee are food insecure, with 100% of children in Unicoi County and 94% of children in Carter and Hancock Counties living in households below 185% of the federal poverty limit (the amount that qualifies a household for WIC funding & free and reduced school lunches). Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee is part of the Feeding America nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations and 60,000 agency partners, food pantries, and meal programs.
Map the Meal Gap, now in it’s 15th year, 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 USDA’s most recent report of national and state data, which showed 47 million people, including 14 million children (persons 17 years and younger), experienced food insecurity in 2023, the highest rate in more than a decade. Map the Meal Gap emphasizes the need for the public to join the movement to end hunger.
“Leveraging the data in this year’s study will help us address challenges shared with us by people facing hunger and identifying local ways to support our community, especially those in rural areas where the numbers of food insecure neighbors is the highest,” said Rhonda Chafin, Executive Director at Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee. “Hunger remains an urgent crisis in Northeast Tennessee. When we listen to people facing hunger and use the study’s findings, we can unite in our efforts to create a future where everyone, including children, has access to the nutritious food they need to thrive. You can learn more about the study results for our region by visiting our website: www.netfoodbank.org in the coming weeks.”
Other key findings of the Map the Meal Gap study include:
Food Insecurity by Geography and Demographics:
- Food insecurity impacts communities in every county, parish, and congressional district in the United States. Food insecurity affects people from all backgrounds and demographics.
- Nationwide, nearly 9 out of 10 high food insecurity counties are rural, indicating regional disparities. This is true in Tennessee, which sees high levels of food insecurity across our rural counties, including the 8 counties that make up our service region in Northeast Tennessee—Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Washington and Unicoi counties.
- In Tennessee, food insecurity among all individuals has climbed to 15.6%, or 1 in 6 Tennesseeans, with the child food insecurity rate now at 19.8% or one in five children across the state. Of the eight counties that SHFBNT serves, we see food insecurity range from a low of 16.6% in Sullivan County to a high of 24.2% in Hancock County—all above the state average.
- Food insecurity also varies for different age groups. Among children, food insecurity in the SHFBNT service area ranges from a low of 17.7% in Washington County to a high of 26.8% in Hawkins County and 28.9% in Hancock County. Meanwhile, the food insecurity rate among seniors in the state of Tennessee ages 60+ is 7.5% and the food insecurity rate among older adults (those ages 50-59) is 12.5% or 1 in 8.
- In Tennessee, available data for race/ethnicity shows that 13% of white individuals, 28% of black individuals, and 23% of Latino individuals experienced food insecurity in 2023.
Income and Program Eligibility:
- Nationally, more than 2 out of 5 people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP benefits due to income limits. Within the SHFBNT service area, 44.2% of people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP and more than 18% of children facing hunger may not qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
Food Spending and Prices:
- The national food budget shortfall, which reflects the extra money that people who are food insecure report needing to cover their food needs, is $32 billion. This translates to $22.37 per week per person on average. Food insecure residents living in the SHFBNT service area feel this firsthand, with an estimated food budget shortfall of $21.06 per person per week.
- Individuals who were food secure in 2023 reported spending an average of $3.58 per meal. Meal costs vary significantly by county throughout the nation, ranging from $2.60 to $6.09, showcasing the diverse economic challenges faced by all communities. In the SHFBNT service area, the average cost per meal is $3.37, which reflects the growing and sustained need we see at Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee.
The Map the Meal Gap study is supported by Conagra Brands Foundation, Enterprise Mobility Foundation, and NielsenIQ/NIQ. Additional key takeaways from the report can be found on the Map the Meal Gap website (www.map.feedingamerica.org) along with an interactive map that details food insecurity by geography, income, race and ethnicity.
Methodology:
Map the Meal Gap uses publicly available data from USDA Economic Research Service, U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate local food insecurity at the county, congressional district and state levels. The study also estimates local meal costs and food budget shortfalls using food price data from NIQ, based on USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan, and grocery sales tax data for every county and state in the country.
To learn how food insecurity impacts your local community, visit www.FeedingAmerica.org/MaptheMealGap.