Feeding America study shows more people are hungry in East Texas New Map the Meal Gap numbers released

More East Texans are food insecure according to Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study.

At the local level, Map the Meal Gap finds that in East Texas more people are hungry with the new data numbers showing 1 in 5 East Texas adults are hungry including 1 in 4 children with a meal gap of over 44.6 million meals, up from a gap 40.8 million meals. That is a significant change from the 1 in 6 adults from the previous study. The East Texas Food Bank is one of more than 200 food banks that are part of Feeding America’s nationwide food bank 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. The study builds upon the USDA’s latest report of national and state data, which showed 47 million people, including 14 million children, 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.

“This year’s study confirms that food insecurity levels are influenced by income related factors, like unemployment, poverty, high cost of living, and health-related factors,” said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “Hunger remains an urgent crisis especially in rural America. 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, has access to nutritious foods they need to thrive.”

Other key findings of the 2023 Map the Meal Gap in East Texas versus 2022 data include:

  • 1 in 5 adults are food insecure or 18.2% compared to 1 in 6 adults or 16.9% from 2022 data
  • 1 in 4 children or 26.3% are food insecure compared to 1 in 4 children or 26.1% from 2022 data
  • 235,670 are food insecure in East Texas up from 217,260
  • 80,370 children in East Texas are food insecure up from 78,620

Income and Food Spending: 

  • Nationally, more than 2 out of 5 people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP benefits due to income limits.
  • 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 a week per person, on average.

Food Costs and Meal Prices: 

  • Meal costs vary significantly throughout the nation and here in East Texas the average cost of a meal is $3.21.

      Food Insecurity by Race and Ethnicity in East Texas

  • 32% of Blacks are food insecure (1 in 3)
  • 24% of Hispanics are food insecure (1 in 4)
  • 13% of Whites are food insecure (1 in 8)

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.