Feeding America Study Shows More East Texas Children Are Going Hungry
New Map the Meal Gap data reveals 1 in 4 children in East Texas faces food insecurity
TYLER, Texas — More children across East Texas are experiencing food insecurity, according to new data released today by Feeding America through its annual Map the Meal Gap study.
The latest findings show that 83,090 children in the East Texas Food Bank’s 26-county service area experienced food insecurity in 2024, an increase of nearly 3,000 children from the previous year. The data means 1 in 4 East Texas children do not have consistent access to enough nutritious food.
In 2023, an estimated 80,250 children in East Texas were food insecure. The updated study, based on 2024 data, highlights a growing challenge for families already struggling with rising costs and economic uncertainty.
The counties with the highest child food insecurity rates in the East Texas Food Bank’s service area are:
- Marion County – 38%
- St. Augustine County – 37%
- Shelby County – 32%
- Angelina County – 31%
- Red River County – 31%
Several of East Texas’ largest counties also continue to experience significant child food insecurity:
- Bowie County – 28%
- Gregg County – 28%
- Smith County – 24%
“No child should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from,” said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “Yet thousands of children across East Texas may go to bed hungry or without the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and thrive. Through programs like Summer Feeding, the BackPack Program, our network of partner pantries, resource centers, and produce distributions, we’re working every day to meet that need—but these new numbers show there is still much more work to do.”
While child food insecurity increased, the report found a slight improvement among adults. The adult food insecurity rate in East Texas declined from 18.2% to 17.9%, improving from approximately 1 in 5 adults to 1 in 6 adults experiencing food insecurity.
The East Texas Food Bank is one of more than 200-member food banks in Feeding America’s nationwide network. 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 in the United States.
“Food insecurity isn’t a problem happening somewhere else, it’s affecting families in every community across East Texas,” Emerson said. “Hunger remains especially severe in many rural areas, where unemployment, rising living costs, transportation barriers, and health challenges make it even harder for families to put food on the table. These findings remind us that it takes all of us—neighbors, businesses, community organizations, and policymakers—working together to create a future where everyone has access to nutritious food.”
The Map the Meal Gap study is supported by Conagra Brands Foundation, Enterprise Mobility Foundation and NielsenIQ/NIQ.
Methodology:
Map the Meal Gap uses publicly available data from the 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 the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, and grocery sales tax data for every county and state in the country.
To learn how food insecurity impacts your community, visit EastTexasFoodBank.org and click on Map the Meal Gap.