Yes, food insecurity exists in the U.S. According to the USDA, in 2023, about 13.5% of U.S. households, 47.4 million people, including 7.2 million children, experienced food insecurity. This marked an increase from 2022, when the rate was 12.8%, underscoring how quickly families can fall into hardship when faced with rising costs and limited access to resources.
Food insecurity does not affect every community equally. In Appalachia, the problem is especially severe. Families in this region face some of the highest poverty rates in the nation, along with limited grocery access, long travel distances, and fewer safety net services. In communities where jobs are scarce and transportation is limited, many households struggle not just with putting food on the table, but with accessing nutritious meals that support long-term health.
At Americans Helping Americans®, we see the daily reality of food insecurity in Appalachia. While national statistics provide context, our mission is rooted in serving this region directly, where structural barriers and geographic isolation make families particularly vulnerable.
What Is Food Insecurity?
When we ask if there’s food insecurity in the U.S., it’s important to understand exactly what that means. Food insecurity is defined as a household’s limited or uncertain access to enough food for an active, healthy life. It reflects the economic and social conditions that prevent families from consistently securing nutritious meals.
Hunger is different. Hunger is the individual, physiological experience of not eating enough, while food insecurity describes the broader household condition that often leads to hunger.
Researchers use four levels to describe household food security:
- High food security: No problems with consistent access to food.
- Marginal food security: Some concerns about running out of food, but little or no reduction in actual intake.
- Low food security: Households reduce the quality, variety, or desirability of their diets, but the quantity of food eaten is not substantially disrupted.
- Very low food security: Eating patterns are disrupted and food intake is reduced because household resources are insufficient.
In this way, food insecurity is best understood as a spectrum. Some families may be worried about affording balanced meals, while others may regularly skip meals altogether. Throughout Appalachia, many households fall into the low or very low categories, where limited income and geographic isolation force families to rely on less nutritious foods or skip meals entirely. Hunger is the consequence of food insecurity, not its definition.
How Many People Are Food Insecure in The United States
When looking at statistics, the numbers leave no doubt that there is food insecurity in the U.S., and they reveal just how many families face this challenge. According to the USDA’s 2023 report, food insecurity rose to its highest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by inflation and the expiration of emergency food relief measures.
Key findings from Statista in 2023 include:
- 8.4% of U.S. households (11.2 million households) had low food security, meaning reduced diet quality and variety.
- 5.1% of households (6.8 million) experienced very low food security, where eating patterns were disrupted and intake was reduced.
- 7.2 million children lived in households where both adults and children were food insecure.
- 841,000 children (1.2%) experienced disrupted food intake due to very low food security.
- Among households with children, 17.9% were food insecure.
These figures show how food insecurity is not limited to isolated cases but affects millions of families across the country. In Appalachia, the challenge is often even greater, with food insecurity rates consistently above the national average due to higher poverty levels, geographic isolation, and limited access to affordable groceries. The rise from 2022 levels underscores how quickly economic shifts can impact household stability, especially for vulnerable populations.
Causes of Food Insecurity
Understanding why there is food insecurity in the U.S. requires looking beyond food itself. Families often struggle not because food is unavailable, but because income, health, and geography limit consistent access to nutritious meals. For families across Appalachia, these barriers overlap more sharply than in many other places, leading to persistent and widespread hardship.
Economic Barriers
Low wages, unstable employment, and inflation are among the most significant drivers of food insecurity. For single-income households, even a temporary job loss can make it impossible to cover the rising costs of essentials such as food, rent, and utilities. Inflation has made basic groceries more expensive, forcing many families to stretch already limited budgets or turn to food assistance. Appalachian families, who already face some of the nation’s highest poverty rates, feel these economic pressures most acutely.
Health and Disability
Chronic illnesses and disabilities contribute to food insecurity in two ways. First, medical costs can consume a large share of household income, leaving less money available for food. Second, health conditions often limit employment opportunities, reducing earning potential and creating long-term income instability. For many in Appalachia, where access to affordable healthcare is limited, the financial burden of illness compounds the challenge of keeping food on the table.
Geographic Barriers
Geography also plays a key role. Rural communities in particular face long distances to the nearest full-service grocery store, with little or no public transportation available. In these areas, often labeled “food deserts,” families are left relying on convenience stores and gas stations, where healthy foods are scarce and prices are higher.
Some urban neighborhoods face similar challenges, with limited grocery access and overreliance on low-nutrition, high-cost options. Across Appalachian communities, geographic isolation, high poverty rates, and underdeveloped infrastructure make nutritious food especially difficult to obtain, creating a cycle where scarce resources and limited access continually reinforce one another.
Who Is Most Affected by Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity does not impact all households equally. Data from the USDA and the Economic Research Service (ERS) show that certain groups are disproportionately affected, with households that include children, single parents, and American Indian/Alaska Native families among the most at risk. Rural regions like Appalachia add another layer of vulnerability, where poverty and limited resources magnify these disparities.
- Households with children: In 2023, 17.9% of households with children were food insecure. Families with children face higher costs and greater vulnerability when income is disrupted.
- Single-parent households headed by women: Food insecurity was severe in 2023, with 34.7% of female-headed households experiencing food insecurity (USDA/FRAC, 2024).
- By race and ethnicity (USDA April 2024 Report):
- American Indian/Alaska Native households: 23.3% food insecure
- Multiracial households (American Indian–White): 25% food insecure, including 11.3% experiencing very low food security
- Asian households: Lowest prevalence, at 5.4% food insecure
- American Indian/Alaska Native households: 23.3% food insecure
These food insecurity statistics in the United States demonstrate how systemic inequities, economic challenges, and geographic isolation combine to place certain communities at higher risk. The disparities are especially visible in Native and rural populations, with Appalachian families facing some of the toughest conditions, underscoring the need for targeted solutions.
Food Insecurity in Appalachia
While food insecurity is a national issue, Appalachia faces distinct and ongoing challenges that make the problem severe. Rural isolation, high poverty rates, and limited infrastructure mean that many families must travel long distances to reach grocery stores or rely on small retailers with few healthy options. In many areas, these conditions create persistent food deserts where nutritious, affordable food is difficult to obtain.
According to the 2023 ARC report, based on 2020 estimates, about 13% of Appalachian residents (3.4 million people) were food insecure. This was higher than the U.S. average of 11.5%. Central Appalachia experienced the highest levels of hardship, with 21.2% of residents, including many children, living in food-insecure households.
Food insecurity is not distributed evenly across the region. State-level data show the extent of the challenge:
- Kentucky (Appalachian counties): 17.8% food insecurity; 21.5% childhood food insecurity
- Mississippi (Appalachian counties): 16.8% food insecurity; 19.9% childhood food insecurity
- West Virginia: 13.0% food insecurity; 19.0% childhood food insecurity; with 100% of the state located within the Appalachian region
- Alabama (Appalachian counties): 14.2% food insecurity; 18.2% childhood food insecurity
- Tennessee (Appalachian counties): 14.0% food insecurity; 16.2% childhood food insecurity
- Georgia (Appalachian counties): 10.1% food insecurity; lower than other Appalachian states overall, but still above the national average in some counties
- Virginia (Appalachian counties): 13.5% food insecurity; 15.8% childhood food insecurity
These statistics underscore that food insecurity in Appalachia is both widespread and deeply tied to structural barriers. Limited SNAP retailers, underdeveloped transportation networks, and persistent poverty make it harder for families to secure the food they need. For many Appalachian households, the issue is not just affording food, but being able to reach it in the first place.
Solutions to Food Insecurity in America
Addressing food insecurity in America requires a multi-layered approach. Government policy, community initiatives, and nonprofit action must work together to ensure that families not only have enough to eat but also have access to nutritious and affordable food year-round.
Federal & State Programs
Government safety nets are among the most significant tools for reducing food insecurity in the U.S. Programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) provide critical support for millions of households each year.
- SNAP helps low-income families purchase groceries through monthly benefits. According to the USDA, SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in the country, supporting households that might otherwise be unable to afford healthy meals.
- WIC serves pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children by providing vouchers for nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, and healthcare referrals. The program improves both short- and long-term health outcomes for vulnerable families (USDA WIC).
Together, SNAP and WIC are two of the most important federal tools in how to solve food insecurity for families with low incomes. These programs play a crucial role in stabilizing household food security. However, eligibility restrictions and limited benefits often leave gaps. Geographic barriers add another challenge, especially across many Appalachian communities where grocery access is limited. Families in these areas still rely on additional support from nonprofits and community programs.
Organizations That Help With Food Insecurity
In Appalachia, food insecurity is not an abstract problem; it is a daily struggle for families, children, and seniors. At Americans Helping Americans, we work alongside community partners to meet immediate food needs while building a stronger foundation for long-term stability. Two of our core efforts, Food Bank Support and the Summer Food Program, address both urgent hunger and systemic gaps.
Food Bank Support
For many children living in poverty, having reliable meals is just a dream. Our Food Bank Support program makes that dream a reality. Our grants stock food banks with healthier perishable items. We deliver meals to children in the summer times when school is out as well as to families without vehicles that live too far from grocery centers. In addition to daily needs, we also make sure families can come together around the table for important moments, such as holiday celebrations.
Food bank support in Appalachia matters because the region experiences some of the nation’s highest poverty rates:
- Child poverty rates are consistently above the national average. In 2023, the U.S. child poverty rate was 16%, but states like West Virginia and Tennessee reached 17% or higher.
- Elder poverty rates are rising, with increases in Virginia and Tennessee from 2022 to 2023. For many seniors, fixed incomes cannot keep up with the cost of food and utilities.
- Regional hardship remains acute in the South, where most Appalachian states fall above national child poverty levels.
Your support allows us to provide thousands of food boxes each year across Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and beyond. Each $36 donation fills a box with enough essentials to feed a family of four for a week. Holiday vouchers make it possible for families to purchase turkeys and dinner staples with dignity, while seasonal deliveries ensure children and seniors are not forgotten.
The impact goes beyond calories; it builds community. In Lee County, KY, Crystal shared, “Because of you all at Americans Helping Americans®, my family was able to have a wonderful Thanksgiving!”
At Friendship Central School in Allegany County, NY, food boxes became the centerpiece of a Good Food Fest, where families used their box contents in cooking demonstrations and taste tests. Staff member Jacqueline Dent reflected, “Every meal at the event was made with the foods in each box. We are excited and had a great response!”
Summer Food
When school cafeterias close for summer break, thousands of children across Appalachia lose their most reliable source of daily meals. The Summer Food Program helps close this gap by delivering healthy lunches directly to children in rural communities.
One of the most innovative efforts is the Lunch Box Bus in rural Tennessee. Supported by AHA, the bus provides about 320 meals every weekday throughout the summer months. These meals include milk, protein, and fresh fruit; essentials that are often unaffordable for families struggling to make ends meet.
For children, these meals mean more than full stomachs; they mean the chance to play, learn, and grow without the burden of hunger. For parents, they ease the financial pressure of providing extra meals at home when school is out.
By supporting Summer Food, donors ensure that children in Appalachia are not left behind during the months when their needs are greatest.
How to Fight Food Insecurity
If you’ve ever wondered whether there is food insecurity in the U.S., the statistics make the answer clear: millions of families face it every day. No family should have to struggle with putting meals on the table, yet across the country, and especially in Appalachia, food insecurity remains a daily reality. The good news is that there are concrete ways we can respond together.
One of the most effective steps is donating to organizations like Americans Helping Americans® that focus on underserved regions. Even a small contribution goes a long way. Just $36 provides a food box that feeds a family of four for up to a week. These boxes deliver not only essential groceries, but also peace of mind for parents and dignity for families during difficult times.
Your support makes it possible to keep shelves stocked, deliver meals to children in the summer, and provide seniors with the nutrition they need. Together, we can fight food insecurity and bring relief to Appalachian families who need it most.
Take action today and donate to Americans Helping Americans® to help feed families and build stronger communities.
