PantryPath Research
Food Deserts in the
United States
Interactive data on food insecurity, low-access census tracts, and SNAP participation across all 50 states, built from USDA, Feeding America, CDC, and Census Bureau sources.
13.7%
of U.S. households were food insecure
USDA ERS, 2024
47.4 million
Americans lived in food-insecure households
Feeding America MMG, 2023
13.4 million
children in food-insecure households
Feeding America MMG, 2023
Data last updated: April 2026
What is a food desert?
A food desert is a geographic area where residents have limited access to affordable, nutritious food. The USDA defines these areas using the Low Income, Low Access (LILA) census tract framework: a tract qualifies when a significant share of residents are low-income and live beyond standard distances from a grocery store: one mile in urban areas, or 10 miles in rural areas.
The term "food desert" is widely used in public discourse. USDA moved toward "LILA tract" in its research products around 2021, recognizing that proximity alone does not determine food access. A grocery store nearby does not help a family without a car, without the income to purchase healthy food, or without the time to shop during limited hours. This report uses both terms and explains the distinction wherever it matters.
Full methodology and definitionsFood insecurity vs. food deserts
Food insecurity measures whether a household had enough food to eat at some point during the year. Food deserts measure whether nutritious food is geographically accessible. The two overlap, but they are not the same: a household can be food insecure without living in a food desert, and can live in a food desert without being food insecure.
The USDA distance thresholds
Urban
1 mile to nearest large grocery store or superstore
Rural
10 miles to nearest large grocery store or superstore
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas. The 0.5-mile threshold applies to an alternate vehicle-access measure.
Why food deserts persist
Low access to healthy food is not a natural outcome — it reflects decades of policy decisions, private investment patterns, and structural inequality.
🚗
Transportation gaps
Without a car, a grocery store one mile away can be effectively unreachable. SNAP benefits cannot purchase transit fares.
🏪
Retail redlining
Decades of disinvestment in low-income and minority neighborhoods left fewer full-service grocery stores and more fast-food and convenience stores.
💵
Income constraints
Even where healthy food is nearby, families below the poverty line may lack the budget to choose fresh produce over calorie-dense, lower-cost alternatives.
⏱
Time poverty
Working multiple jobs, caring for children, or relying on irregular schedules limits when and how far people can travel to shop.
The national picture
All sources ↓Household food insecurity rate
13.7%
USDA ERS, 2024
Very low food security rate
5.4%
USDA ERS, 2024
Avg. monthly SNAP participants
41.5 million
USDA FNS, FY 2024
Annual meal-gap shortfall
$32.2 billion
Feeding America, 2023
Adult obesity rate
33.1%
CDC PLACES, 2023
Frequent mental distress
16.8%
CDC PLACES, 2023
Interactive map
Select a metric to see state-level variation. Click any state to view its full data profile.
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State-by-state comparison
All 51 states. Click any column header to sort. Export to CSV for your own analysis.
State-by-state comparison
51 states · Click column headers to sort · All rates are percentages
| State | Food Insecurity | Poverty Rate | SNAP Rate | Obesity | Diabetes | Mental Distress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 19.4% | 16.0% | 10.2% | 39.6% | 11.5% | 19.5% |
| Kentucky | 18.8% | 16.1% | 13.2% | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | 17.7% | 18.9% | 17.3% | 40.1% | 13.4% | 20.2% |
| Texas | 17.6% | 13.8% | 11.4% | 35.7% | 12.3% | 17.1% |
| Mississippi | 17.3% | 18.9% | 13.5% | 40.7% | 13.6% | 18.2% |
| Oklahoma | 16.9% | 15.3% | 14.1% | 39.3% | 11.6% | 18.6% |
| Wyoming | 15.6% | 10.5% | 5.2% | 33.9% | 9.3% | 16.8% |
| Nevada | 15.0% | 12.4% | 12.7% | 31.2% | 10.6% | 19.2% |
| Michigan | 14.7% | 13.2% | 13.5% | 36.4% | 10.1% | 18.7% |
| Georgia | 14.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% | 35.2% | 12.1% | 17.4% |
| New Mexico | 14.5% | 17.8% | 19.2% | 34.5% | 11.4% | 17.1% |
| Ohio | 14.2% | 13.3% | 12.5% | 37.2% | 11.3% | 18.6% |
| West Virginia | 14.1% | 16.7% | 17.3% | 40.8% | 12.9% | 22.9% |
| New York | 14.0% | 14.0% | 15.6% | 28.9% | 9.9% | 15.9% |
| Indiana | 13.7% | 12.3% | 9.1% | 38.6% | 11.5% | 18.4% |
| South Carolina | 13.5% | 14.1% | 10.5% | 35.9% | 11.8% | 17.5% |
| Florida | 13.3% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 32.2% | 11.1% | 17.3% |
| Illinois | 13.3% | 11.8% | 13.8% | 34.1% | 10.2% | 16.3% |
| Missouri | 13.3% | 12.6% | 9.8% | 36.8% | 10.4% | 18.5% |
| Tennessee | 13.3% | 13.8% | 10.8% | 37.6% | 11.9% | 20.2% |
| Arizona | 13.1% | 12.5% | 10.4% | 31.7% | 9.9% | 16.2% |
| Alaska | 13.0% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 35.3% | 9.0% | 16.3% |
| Maine | 12.9% | 10.7% | 12.0% | 32.7% | 8.8% | 19.6% |
| Nebraska | 12.7% | 10.6% | 8.2% | 38.1% | 9.5% | 14.8% |
| Idaho | 12.6% | 10.6% | 7.6% | 32.4% | 9.0% | 16.8% |
| California | 12.5% | 12.0% | 12.4% | 27.9% | 10.7% | 16.9% |
| Kansas | 12.5% | 11.3% | 6.8% | 37.0% | 10.1% | 16.6% |
| Oregon | 12.5% | 11.9% | 16.0% | 33.6% | 9.6% | 18.6% |
| Virginia | 12.4% | 9.9% | 9.1% | 34.6% | 11.0% | 16.7% |
| Alabama | 12.1% | 15.6% | 13.7% | 39.6% | 12.7% | 18.2% |
| Connecticut | 12.1% | 10.0% | 11.8% | 30.7% | 8.6% | 16.7% |
| Wisconsin | 12.0% | 10.6% | 11.1% | 37.9% | 9.6% | 16.5% |
| North Carolina | 11.8% | 13.0% | 12.8% | 35.2% | 10.5% | 17.3% |
| Massachusetts | 11.7% | 10.0% | 14.7% | 27.8% | 8.6% | 17.0% |
| Montana | 11.7% | 11.5% | 7.8% | 31.6% | 8.3% | 18.5% |
| Maryland | 11.5% | 9.4% | 11.2% | 35.0% | 10.9% | 15.7% |
| Utah | 11.5% | 8.5% | 5.2% | 31.5% | 8.8% | 17.0% |
| Washington | 11.0% | 9.9% | 11.5% | 30.6% | 8.6% | 17.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 10.9% | 11.7% | 14.4% | — | — | — |
| Delaware | 10.8% | 10.4% | 10.7% | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | 10.8% | 10.0% | 11.4% | 26.1% | 10.2% | 15.9% |
| Iowa | 10.8% | 11.1% | 8.8% | 38.2% | 9.7% | 17.3% |
| Rhode Island | 10.6% | 11.2% | 14.0% | 32.0% | 9.7% | 17.5% |
| Colorado | 10.5% | 9.4% | 8.5% | 26.1% | 8.0% | 16.4% |
| District of Columbia | 10.3% | 15.4% | 14.3% | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | 9.9% | 9.3% | 7.9% | 33.6% | 8.7% | 15.9% |
| New Jersey | 9.8% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 28.8% | 9.4% | 15.6% |
| South Dakota | 9.5% | 11.9% | 7.9% | 36.2% | 10.1% | 16.2% |
| Vermont | 9.4% | 10.1% | 10.6% | 28.8% | 7.0% | 17.3% |
| New Hampshire | 9.1% | 7.2% | 6.1% | 31.7% | 7.6% | 16.6% |
| North Dakota | 9.0% | 10.8% | 6.6% | 37.3% | 9.0% | 14.7% |
The health cost of food deserts
Limited access to nutritious food is not merely an inconvenience. Research consistently links LILA tract residence and household food insecurity to elevated rates of diet-related chronic illness.
Adult obesity rate
33.1%
CDC PLACES 2025 (2023 model year)
Obesity rates are 40-60% higher in counties with the lowest fruit and vegetable availability.
Diagnosed diabetes
10.5%
CDC PLACES 2025 (2023 model year)
Type 2 diabetes risk rises sharply with diets high in processed foods and low in fiber.
High blood pressure
31.0%
CDC PLACES 2025 (2023 model year)
Sodium-heavy diets driven by limited fresh-produce access are a primary hypertension pathway.
Frequent mental distress
16.8%
CDC PLACES 2025 (2023 model year)
14+ bad mental health days per month. Food insecurity is among the strongest predictors of frequent mental distress in adults.
State-level age-adjusted prevalence, population-weighted from county estimates. Methodology.
SNAP: the primary federal response
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the federal government's largest anti-hunger program. In FY 2024, SNAP served an average of 41.5 million people per month across 22.1 million households.
Despite its scale, SNAP does not fully close the food gap. The average monthly benefit of $186.78 per person works out to roughly $6 per day, and benefits cannot cover the transportation cost of reaching a well-stocked grocery store in a food desert.
Avg. monthly participants
41.5 million
Avg. monthly households
22.1 million
Total FY 2024 benefit costs
$92.9 billion
Avg. benefit per person/month
$186.78
Research atlas
Rural & Persistent Poverty Counties Atlas
Food deserts map access gaps inside cities; the rural atlas tracks the 318 U.S. counties where poverty has topped 20 percent for three decades or more. It pairs USDA ERS persistent-poverty designations, Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, and ACS S1701 poverty with PantryPath's own pantry-density metric to show where chronic rural hunger meets thin pantry coverage.
Open the Rural & Persistent Poverty Counties AtlasFrequently asked questions
How many Americans live in food deserts?
The most recent USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019 data) estimated that approximately 54 million Americans lived in low-income, low-access (LILA) census tracts. Updated LILA data is not yet available for 2020-2024, so this figure should be treated as a baseline. Food insecurity — whether a household had enough to eat — is measured more frequently: USDA ERS found that 13.7 percent of U.S. households were food insecure in 2024.
What is the difference between a food desert and food insecurity?
Food deserts (LILA tracts) describe a place: a census tract where low-income residents live far from a full-service grocery store. Food insecurity describes a condition: a household that at some point during the year could not reliably access enough food for all members. The two overlap but are distinct. You can live in a LILA tract and be food secure if you have a car, online delivery, or other access. You can be food insecure without living in a LILA tract if income is the binding constraint.
Which state has the highest food insecurity rate?
Based on USDA ERS 3-year average data (2022-2024), Arkansas had the highest food insecurity rate among U.S. states at 19.4 percent, followed by Kentucky (18.8%), Louisiana (17.7%), and Texas (17.6%). North Dakota had the lowest rate at 9.0 percent. All state rates are available on individual state pages.
Why did USDA stop publishing the household food security survey?
USDA ERS terminated the Household Food Security in the United States report series with the 2024 edition (ERR-358, published October 2025). The agency cited budgetary constraints and program restructuring. The 2024 edition remains the authoritative federal source for 2024 food insecurity data. Going forward, Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap provides annual modeled estimates at state and county levels.
How is the 'meal gap' calculated?
Feeding America's meal gap is the estimated number of meals that food-insecure individuals cannot afford in a year, multiplied by the average cost of a meal. In 2023, the gap was $32.2 billion, representing roughly 5.3 billion meals. The meal cost ($3.58 in 2023) is derived from local food price data in the Map the Meal Gap model.
Where does this data come from?
This report draws from seven federal and nonprofit sources: USDA ERS ERR-358 (2024), Feeding America Map the Meal Gap 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), CDC PLACES 2025 release, USDA FNS SNAP data tables, the USDA Food Environment Atlas (August 2025), and the BLS Consumer Price Index. Full AMA citations and access dates are on the sources page.
Explore your state
Each state page includes food insecurity rate, poverty rate, SNAP participation, median income, and health indicators from CDC PLACES.
Methodology
Last reviewed April 2026
This page documents how PantryPath's Food Deserts in America report defines key terms, selects and processes data sources, handles differences in geographic granularity and survey vintage, and enforces citation standards. Every statistic on the site links to a source entry in this documentation.
The report is generated by an open, reproducible data pipeline: raw data is fetched from authoritative federal and nonprofit sources, processed through defined transformation steps, and emitted as structured JSON that drives all stat cards, maps, and tables. No statistics are entered manually without a corresponding hard-coded citation and methodology note.
"Food desert" vs. low-income, low-access (LILA)
LILA census tract
The USDA Economic Research Service classifies a census tract as low-income, low-access (LILA) when it meets two conditions simultaneously:
- Low income: The poverty rate is at or above 20 percent, or the median family income is at or below 80 percent of the statewide or metropolitan area median family income.
- Low access (urban): At least 500 people, or 33 percent of the tract population, live more than 1 mile from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store.
- Low access (rural): At least 500 people, or 33 percent of the population, live more than 10 miles from the nearest large store.
An alternate USDA measure uses a 0.5-mile urban threshold for areas with vehicle-access challenges. The 2019 Food Access Research Atlas (the most recent vintage) provides both measures.
Food insecurity
USDA ERS defines food insecurity as a household-level condition in which the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, is limited or uncertain at some point during the year. It is measured through the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, a validated 18-question instrument administered as part of the Current Population Survey.
Low food security
Reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet; little or no indication of reduced food intake.
Very low food security (VLFS)
Multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake among household members.
Food insecurity vs. hunger
Hunger is a physiological condition — the sensation of discomfort caused by lack of food. Food insecurity is a household economic and social condition. They are related but not interchangeable. USDA uses "food insecurity" because it is measurable and policy-actionable. This report follows USDA terminology: we do not use "hunger" as a synonym for food insecurity.
Source-by-source methodology notes
Each source below documents what it measures, how it is collected, the geographic granularity available, and known limitations that affect interpretation.
USDA ERS Household Food Security in the United States (ERR-358, 2024)
What it measures: Annual household-level food security status for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Produces national, regional, and state-level food insecurity and very low food security (VLFS) rates.
Collection method: The Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS), administered to approximately 45,000 households annually by the U.S. Census Bureau for USDA ERS. Respondents answer the 18-question U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module.
Data year: 2024 (calendar year). Published October 2025 as the final edition in the series.
Geographic granularity: National, regional (4 Census regions), and state-level. State rates use 3-year rolling averages (2022-2024) to reduce sampling error from small per-state samples. DC is included.
Key limitation: USDA ERS terminated this survey series after the 2024 edition (ERR-358) due to budgetary restructuring. Future updates will rely on Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap as the primary topline food insecurity source. The 2024 data serves as the historical anchor.
Use in this report: State food insecurity rates, VLFS rates, and confidence intervals. National single-year 2024 rates.
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024
What it measures: Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the U.S. population, including poverty, income, transportation access, and SNAP receipt.
Collection method: Continuous monthly survey of approximately 3.5 million housing unit addresses per year. 5-year estimates pool 5 years of data for greater statistical reliability, especially at small geographies.
Data year: 2020-2024 pooled estimates, released December 2025.
Geographic granularity: National, state, county, census tract, and block group.
Tables used in this report:
- S1701 — Poverty status (poverty rate)
- S1901 — Income in the past 12 months (median household income)
- B08201 — Household size by vehicles available (no-vehicle households)
- S2201 — Food stamps/SNAP (SNAP receipt rate)
- B03002 — Hispanic or Latino origin by race (race/ethnicity composition)
Key limitation: 5-year pooled estimates represent the period as a whole, not a snapshot at any single point. Changes occurring late in the period are diluted by earlier years.
CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 Release
What it measures: County-, census tract-, and ZIP code-level estimates of chronic health conditions, health behaviors, and preventive services among U.S. adults aged 18 and older.
Collection method: Multilevel regression and poststratification (MrP) modeling applied to Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey data. The 2025 release models 2022 BRFSS data to 2023 estimates.
Data year: 2023 model year (from 2022 BRFSS).
Measures used in this report:
- OBESITY — Adult obesity (BMI ≥ 30) age-adjusted prevalence
- DIABETES — Diagnosed diabetes age-adjusted prevalence
- BPHIGH — High blood pressure age-adjusted prevalence (cardiovascular/dietary proxy)
- MHLTH — Frequent mental distress (14+ bad mental health days/month) age-adjusted prevalence
Why age-adjusted: Age-adjusted prevalence removes the confounding effect of age-structure differences across counties, enabling direct cross-county and cross-state comparisons.
Key limitation: PLACES estimates are modeled, not directly surveyed at county level. Small counties may have wider model uncertainty. DC (1 county) and Delaware (3 counties) are excluded from state rollups due to insufficient county count for reliable weighted averaging.
Feeding America Map the Meal Gap (2025 edition, 2023 data)
What it measures: Food insecurity rates and the "meal gap" (estimated annual food budget shortfall) at national, state, and county levels. Published annually by Feeding America.
Methodology: Econometric model using unemployment, poverty, homeownership, disability, race, and other socioeconomic variables to estimate food insecurity at the county level. State and national rates are derived from county-level model outputs.
Data year: 2023 estimates, published in the 2025 report edition.
Use in this report: National food insecurity rate (14.3%), individual count (47.4 million), child count (13.4 million), meal gap ($32.2 billion), and average meal cost ($3.58).
Attribution requirement: Feeding America requires verbatim attribution: "Source: Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap 2025."
Key limitation: State and county estimates are model-derived. Feeding America's methodology and USDA's CPS-based methodology yield somewhat different national estimates (14.3% vs. 13.7% in overlapping years) due to different measurement approaches.
USDA FNS SNAP Participation and Costs Data (FY 2024)
What it measures: Monthly SNAP participant counts, household counts, total benefit costs, and average benefit per person, by fiscal year.
Collection method: Administrative data from state SNAP agencies, aggregated and published by USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
Data year: FY 2024 (October 2023 through September 2024). Monthly data averaged to annual figures.
Use in this report: National SNAP participation (41.5 million avg. monthly participants), household count (22.1 million), total benefit costs ($92.9 billion), and average benefit per person ($186.78/month).
Key limitation: USDA FNS direct download URLs were unavailable (404) as of April 2026. Data was staged from the FNS portal. State-level SNAP receipt rates come from Census ACS S2201, which is more stable and consistently updated.
Aggregation methods
Population-weighted state averages (CDC PLACES)
CDC PLACES provides estimates at the county level. To produce state-level health rates, we compute population-weighted averages using each county's adult population (totalpop18plus, from ACS 5-year estimates, embedded in the PLACES dataset):
A simple unweighted mean would assign equal weight to a 500-person rural county and a 1-million-person urban county. Population weighting produces a rate comparable to a single survey administered to all state residents. We require at least 5 counties per state for a rollup to be included; DC (1 county) and Delaware (3 counties) are excluded on this basis.
State food insecurity rates (USDA ERR-358)
USDA ERS publishes state food insecurity rates as 3-year rolling averages to reduce
sampling error from the relatively small per-state CPS sample (typically 400-1,200
households per state per year). This report uses the 2022-2024 3-year average for
all state-level food insecurity comparisons, labeled as "2022-2024" throughout.
The 90 percent confidence intervals from the published USDA Table 4 are preserved
in each state stat's confidence_interval field.
National rates
National food insecurity statistics use single-year 2024 USDA ERS estimates (not the rolling average) for the topline headline, since the 2024 figure is the most recent and least confounded by pre-2022 conditions. Feeding America MMG 2025 is used for individual-level counts (47.4 million) and the meal gap, as these are not available from the USDA household survey.
Data vintage table
Different sources have different update cadences and data years. Cross-source comparisons
on a single page may use data from different years; each stat card displays its
year_of_data field to make this transparent.
| Source | Data year | Published | Age at launch (Apr 2026) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USDA ERS ERR-358 | CY 2024 (3-yr avg 2022-2024 for states) | Oct 2025 | ~6 months | Current — final edition |
| Census ACS 5-Year | 2020-2024 pooled | Dec 2025 | ~4 months | Current |
| CDC PLACES | 2023 (modeled from 2022 BRFSS) | Dec 2025 | ~4 months | Current |
| Feeding America MMG | 2023 data | May 2025 | ~11 months | Current |
| USDA FNS SNAP | FY 2024 (Oct 2023-Sep 2024) | Nov 2025 | ~5 months | Current |
| USDA Food Access Research Atlas (LILA) | 2019 | 2021 | ~7 years | ⚠ Stale — no replacement as of Apr 2026 |
| USDA Food Environment Atlas | Aug 2025 | Aug 2025 | ~8 months | Current (deferred to Phase 2) |
| BLS CPI Food at Home | March 2026 | Apr 2026 | Current month | Current (deferred to Phase 2) |
Limitations
Food Access Research Atlas vintage (2019)
The most recent USDA LILA classification data is from 2019. No updated atlas has been released as of April 2026. County-level and tract-level LILA classifications may not reflect changes in grocery store presence, road infrastructure, or population distribution since 2019. All LILA statistics in this report carry a vintage warning.
USDA food security survey termination
The USDA ERS Household Food Security survey series ended with ERR-358 (2024 data). The 2024 national rate of 13.7 percent food-insecure households is the last available federal estimate from this methodology. Future refreshes will rely on Feeding America's annual Map the Meal Gap estimates, which use a different modeling approach and may yield modestly different topline numbers.
CDC PLACES health estimates are modeled
CDC PLACES does not directly survey every county. The multilevel regression and poststratification model estimates local rates from state-level BRFSS survey data combined with county-level demographic covariates. Small counties have greater model uncertainty. State-level rates, which are population-weighted averages of county estimates, are more reliable than individual county estimates.
State-level averages mask internal variation
A state's average food insecurity rate may conceal substantial county-to-county variation. Rural counties within otherwise food-secure states often have rates well above the national average. Each state page now includes a county-level choropleth covering poverty, SNAP receipt, median income, and three CDC PLACES health metrics for all 3,144 U.S. counties (ACS 2019-2023 + CDC PLACES 2025 release). State-level comparisons should always be interpreted alongside the county view.
Cross-source comparison caution
Statistics on a single state page may come from different data years and different measurement methodologies. The food insecurity rate (USDA ERS 2022-2024), poverty rate (Census ACS 2020-2024), and obesity rate (CDC PLACES 2023) are from different surveys with different sample frames. They are related but are not directly causally comparable without controlling for confounders. Correlations implied by visual co-location on a page do not constitute causal claims.
Citation standards
Every statistic in this report carries two citation fields: inline_attribution
(a short source credit displayed on stat cards) and ama_citation (a full
American Medical Association format citation linked from stat footnotes to the sources page).
The data pipeline fails validation if any stat is missing either field.
AMA citation format used: [Authors or Organization]. [Title]. [Publisher]; [Year]. Accessed [Month Day, Year]. [URL].
Feeding America requires verbatim attribution: "Source: Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap 2025." This attribution is used wherever Feeding America data appears.
View full bibliography in the sources section ↓Update log
April 2026 — Phase 2 county maps shipped
Added interactive county-level choropleth to every state page with six metrics from two public data sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year (2019-2023) Subject Tables S1701 (poverty rate), S1901 (median household income), and S2201 (SNAP receipt rate), plus CDC PLACES 2025 release (2023 BRFSS) for adult obesity, diabetes, and frequent mental distress. Covers all 3,144 U.S. counties.
- 3,144 counties × 6 metrics = 18,864 data points
- Hover tooltips, metric switcher, auto-fit bounds per state
- Poverty as default metric (strongest public-data proxy for county FI)
April 2026 — Initial publication
Report launched with seven data sources: USDA ERS ERR-358 (2024), Feeding America Map the Meal Gap 2025 (2023 data), Census ACS 5-year 2020-2024, CDC PLACES 2025 (2023 model year), USDA FNS SNAP FY 2024, USDA Food Environment Atlas August 2025, and BLS CPI Food at Home March 2026. Total: 511 statistics covering all 50 states and DC.
- 51 state pages, each with 10 statistics
- 17 national statistics
- 511 total statistics, all validated against JSON schema
- 5 unique AMA citations in bibliography
Sources & bibliography
35 primary sources · AMA format
Every statistic on this site carries an inline source attribution and links to a full AMA-format citation here. This bibliography is generated automatically from the data pipeline: only sources that contribute statistics to the published report appear. Entries are grouped by publishing organization.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service
-
Household Food Security in the United States in 2024 (ERR-358)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Rabbitt MP, et al. Household Food Security in the United States in 2024. ERR-358. USDA ERS; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details?pubid=113622
-
Household Food Security in the United States in 2023 (ERR-337) — Households with Children
Rabbitt MP, Reed-Jones M, Hales LJ, Burke MP. Household Food Security in the United States in 2023 — Food Security Status of Households With Children. ERR-337. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details?pubid=109895
-
Household Food Security in the United States in 2023 (ERR-337) — Households with Older Adults
Rabbitt MP, Reed-Jones M, Hales LJ, Burke MP. Household Food Security in the United States in 2023 — Food Security Status of Households With Older Adults. ERR-337. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details?pubid=109895
-
County Typology Codes, 2025 Edition
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. County Typology Codes, 2025 Edition. USDA ERS; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/county-typology-codes
Year of data: 2017–2021 ACS (persistent poverty); 2025 edition Published: 2025 Accessed: 2026-04-20 View source ↗ -
Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023 Edition
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023 Edition. USDA ERS; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/rural-urban-continuum-codes
-
Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America. USDA ERS; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/atlas-of-rural-and-small-town-america
Feeding America
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Map the Meal Gap 2025
Feeding America. Map the Meal Gap 2025. Feeding America; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://map.feedingamerica.org
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The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2022
Ziliak JP, Gundersen C. The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2022: An Annual Report. Feeding America; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/senior-hunger-research
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Rural Hunger Facts
Feeding America. Rural Hunger Facts. Feeding America; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/rural-hunger-facts
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
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SNAP Data Tables
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Data Tables. USDA FNS; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap
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SNAP Program Data — Participation, Costs, and Benefits (FY2024)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Data Tables. USDA FNS; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap
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Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) State Participation, 2025
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT (SUN Bucks): Participating State Agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations, 2025. USDA FNS; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.fns.usda.gov/sebt
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Summer EBT Implementation Year 2024 Report
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (Summer EBT): Implementation Year 2024 Report. USDA FNS; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.fns.usda.gov/sebt/research
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National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and Program Reach in 2022
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and Program Reach in 2022. USDA FNS; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/eligibility-and-coverage-rates
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WIC Program Monthly Participation Data
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. WIC Program Data — Monthly Participation and Average Benefit. USDA FNS; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program
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WIC Participant and Program Characteristics 2022 (WIC PC2022)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. WIC Participant and Program Characteristics 2022. USDA FNS; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-participant-and-program-characteristics-2022
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Child Nutrition Tables — NSLP
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. National School Lunch Program: Participation and Lunches Served, FY2024. USDA FNS; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/child-nutrition-tables
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 Release
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 Release. CDC; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.cdc.gov/places/
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PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data, 2025 Release (2023 BRFSS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, County Data, 2025 Release. CDC; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://chronicdata.cdc.gov/500-Cities-Places/PLACES-Local-Data-for-Better-Health-County-Data-20/swc5-untb
U.S. Census Bureau
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American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024. U.S. Census Bureau; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
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American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2019-2023 (county subject tables)
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2019-2023 (Subject Tables S1701, S1901, S2201). U.S. Census Bureau; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://api.census.gov/data/2023/acs/acs5/subject
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American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2019-2023 (SNAP receipt tables)
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2019-2023 (Subject Table S2201, Detailed Table B22003). U.S. Census Bureau; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://api.census.gov/data/2023/acs/acs5
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Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), 2023 vintage
U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program, 2023 State and County Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe.html
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SAIPE Methodology and Technical Documentation
U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Methodology. U.S. Census Bureau; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/technical-documentation/methodology.html
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Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) — School-Age Children
U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), School-Age Children in Poverty, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe.html
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
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A Closer Look at Who Benefits from SNAP: State-by-State Fact Sheets
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. A Closer Look at Who Benefits from SNAP: State-by-State Fact Sheets. CBPP; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-closer-look-at-who-benefits-from-snap-state-by-state-fact-sheets
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States Should Adopt Summer EBT to Help Families Afford Food
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. States Should Adopt Summer EBT to Help Families Afford Food When School Meals Aren't Available. CBPP; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/states-should-adopt-summer-ebt-to-help-families-afford-food-when-school
U.S. Department of Education
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Title I, Part A — Funding Allocation
U.S. Department of Education. Title I, Part A — How Funds Are Distributed. U.S. Department of Education; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-19. https://www.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html
National Council on Aging
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Get the Facts on Senior Hunger
National Council on Aging. Get the Facts on Senior Hunger. NCOA; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-senior-hunger
Food Research & Action Center
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Summer Nutrition Status Report 2024
Food Research & Action Center. Summer Nutrition Status Report 2024. FRAC; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://frac.org/research/resource-library/summer-nutrition-status-report
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Making WIC Work for Families
Food Research & Action Center. Making WIC Work for Families: Priorities for the 2024–2025 Program Year. FRAC; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://frac.org/programs/wic
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Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools, School Year 2023-2024
Food Research & Action Center. Community Eligibility: The Key to Hunger-Free Schools, School Year 2023-2024. FRAC; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://frac.org/research/resource-library/community-eligibility-the-key-to-hunger-free-schools-school-year-2023-2024
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School Breakfast Scorecard: School Year 2022-2023
Food Research & Action Center. School Breakfast Scorecard: School Year 2022-2023. FRAC; 2024. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://frac.org/research/resource-library/school-breakfast-scorecard-school-year-2022-2023
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
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Common Core of Data (CCD) Public School Universe Survey
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Common Core of Data (CCD): Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey, school year 2023-24. NCES; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/
Urban Institute
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Education Data Portal
Urban Institute. Education Data Portal (v1), School-Level Common Core of Data files (NCES). Urban Institute; 2025. Accessed 2026-04-20. https://educationdata.urban.org/documentation/
Reuse & citation
Citation enforcement: Every stat published on this site must include
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This atlas is published under a CC BY 4.0 license. You are welcome to reuse the statistics, charts, and maps with attribution. Suggested citation:
PantryPath Research. Food Deserts in America: Interactive Atlas of Food Insecurity, Low-Access Census Tracts, and SNAP Participation Across the United States. PantryPath; 2026. Accessed [date]. https://pantrypath.com/food-deserts/