The Food Insecurity Map: Where Americans Are Going Hungry

Food insecurity remains a persistent challenge across America. The 2026 Census HTOPS survey finds that 7.03% of Americans are food insecure, meaning they sometimes or often do not have enough to eat. The broader picture shows 70.49% report having enough food, while 22.48% say they have enough but not always the kinds of food they want — suggesting financial strain even among the nominally food-secure.

The National Picture

The survey asked 7,467 respondents about their food sufficiency in the past 7 days. The results, weighted to represent the U.S. population of approximately 260.6 million adults:

- 70.49% had enough of the kinds of food they wanted

- 22.48% had enough food but not always the kinds wanted

- 5.29% sometimes did not have enough to eat

- 1.74% often did not have enough to eat

Combining the last two categories yields the 7.03% food insecurity rate — representing roughly 18.3 million American adults who sometimes or often go without adequate food.

Regional Disparities

The Census division data reveals significant geographic variation in food insufficiency:

Highest food insecurity:

- Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA): 9.46% — the highest rate in the nation, likely reflecting the high cost of living in the New York metropolitan area

- East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN): 8.12% — historically one of the poorest regions, with persistent rural poverty

- Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA): 7.47% — driven by California's high cost of living and homeless population

Lowest food insecurity:

- West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX): 5.30% — a lower cost of living may buffer food access

- Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY): 5.32% — similar cost advantages

- West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD): 5.39% — agricultural heartland with lower food costs

The South Atlantic region comes in at 7.17%, close to the national average, while New England at 6.97% and East North Central at 6.90% fall slightly below.

The Broader Context

Food insecurity doesn't exist in isolation. Regions with higher food insecurity also tend to show higher expense difficulty rates. The Middle Atlantic reports 82.94% of residents finding expenses at least somewhat difficult, while the East South Central reports 75.58%.

These numbers represent real families making impossible tradeoffs between food, rent, and other necessities. The 22.48% who have "enough but not always the kinds they want" represent a shadow food insecurity — Americans who technically eat enough calories but cannot afford nutritious or preferred foods.

*Explore food data in detail on our Food Security page. See regional breakdowns on our Regions page.*

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau HTOPS, March 2026.