Food Insecurity by State
7.03% of Americans report food insufficiency — sometimes or often not having enough to eat, according to Census HTOPS data.
Note: USDA reports ~14.3% food insecurity nationally using a broader measure. HTOPS captures food insufficiency, a more severe indicator.
Food Insufficiency by Census Region
Regional rates of food insufficiency from the Census HTOPS survey. The Middle Atlantic division (NJ, NY, PA) reports the highest rate at 9.46%, while Mountain states report the lowest at 5.32%.
Top 15 States by Food Insecurity (USDA)
State-level food insecurity rates from USDA Economic Research Service data. These use a broader food insecurity measure than the HTOPS food insufficiency question.
Understanding Food Insecurity
HTOPS Measure
The Census HTOPS survey asks respondents to describe their food situation in the last 7 days using four categories: enough of the kinds wanted (70.49%), enough but not always the kinds wanted (22.48%), sometimes not enough (5.29%), and often not enough (1.74%). Food insufficiency combines the last two categories.
USDA Measure
The USDA uses an 18-item food security module administered annually in the Current Population Survey. Food insecurity includes both low and very low food security, capturing a broader range of food access challenges including reduced quality and variety of diet.
Explore the full HTOPS food security data with detailed breakdowns.
View Full Food Security Data →