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PantryPath Research · Senior Hunger Atlas

Senior Food Insecurity in
California

California's senior poverty rate is 11.3%, and 21.9% of seniors 65+ live alone — across 58 counties. Use the interactive map to see how senior food-insecurity risk varies within the state.

11.3%

Senior poverty (65+)

21.9%

Seniors living alone

41.9%

Senior SNAP take-up

$69,431

Senior median income

California by county

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Toggle between five ACS metrics to see how senior food-insecurity risk varies within California. Hover a county for its exact value.

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California at a glance

Seniors in poverty

666K

Ages 65+

Senior poverty rate

11.3%

Ages 65+

Living alone

21.9%

1-person HH, 65+

Senior SNAP

41.9%

HH with 60+ member

Senior median income

$69,431

Householder 65+

Isolation index

0.28

Blended 0–1

County-level hotspots

Top five counties across 58 counties in California.

Highest senior poverty

Ages 65+, rate

  1. 1 Imperial 19.7%
  2. 2 Modoc 18.9%
  3. 3 Sierra 17.9%
  4. 4 San Francisco 16.4%
  5. 5 Merced 15.2%

Most seniors living alone

1-person HH, 65+

  1. 1 Colusa 35.5%
  2. 2 Mendocino 31.6%
  3. 3 San Francisco 29.4%
  4. 4 Siskiyou 29.0%
  5. 5 Lassen 28.9%

Largest senior population

Absolute count, 65+

  1. 1 Los Angeles 1.4M
  2. 2 Orange 493K
  3. 3 San Diego 485K
  4. 4 Riverside 367K
  5. 5 Santa Clara 269K

Every county in California

All 58 counties across the five senior-hunger metrics plus senior population counts.

County Senior poverty Living alone Senior SNAP Senior income Seniors (count) Isolation idx
Alameda 11.0% 22.5% 44.8% $77,320 242,162 0.28
Alpine 5.1% 12.7% 57.5% $107,917 369 0.05
Amador 7.6% 21.3% 52.7% $63,401 10,711 0.18
Butte 10.8% 26.8% 32.6% $57,001 37,070 0.38
Calaveras 11.8% 19.8% 54.8% $58,429 13,135 0.24
Colusa 12.0% 35.5% 15.5% $41,864 3,237 0.60
Contra Costa 7.3% 22.6% 44.4% $89,620 191,244 0.20
Del Norte 8.0% 25.2% 50.4% $51,750 5,262 0.28
El Dorado 6.5% 21.1% 43.4% $77,013 43,524 0.15
Fresno 14.6% 23.7% 31.8% $53,818 126,060 0.39
Glenn 9.1% 20.6% 35.6% $56,263 4,748 0.20
Humboldt 12.9% 27.1% 36.5% $57,298 25,853 0.43
Imperial 19.7% 21.1% 42.5% $36,499 23,940 0.45
Inyo 12.9% 28.1% 52.9% $48,298 4,498 0.45
Kern 14.9% 23.2% 31.1% $49,707 104,013 0.39
Kings 10.5% 21.2% 30.2% $51,256 15,728 0.24
Lake 10.0% 25.9% 43.8% $56,126 15,883 0.34
Lassen 10.6% 28.9% 41.4% $46,918 4,842 0.42
Los Angeles 14.2% 21.1% 45.1% $62,342 1,417,556 0.33
Madera 13.1% 18.9% 33.7% $64,746 22,130 0.25
Marin 7.2% 28.2% 43.9% $104,436 59,036 0.33
Mariposa 6.2% 24.8% 49.5% $57,382 4,990 0.23
Mendocino 11.7% 31.6% 42.8% $55,761 21,551 0.51
Merced 15.2% 21.7% 33.3% $46,867 32,697 0.36
Modoc 18.9% 21.3% 41.5% $55,788 2,597 0.44
Mono 14.4% 20.2% 29.3% $58,882 2,164 0.31
Monterey 10.8% 21.1% 33.9% $80,990 62,143 0.25
Napa 8.6% 24.5% 38.2% $83,048 27,069 0.27
Nevada 10.7% 23.3% 44.6% $68,335 29,056 0.30
Orange 9.9% 19.7% 47.5% $82,350 492,945 0.19
Placer 7.0% 23.4% 41.5% $77,005 82,039 0.21
Plumas 5.7% 25.7% 44.8% $58,514 5,784 0.24
Riverside 10.6% 20.6% 40.3% $63,520 366,827 0.23
Sacramento 10.5% 25.4% 37.3% $67,057 232,767 0.34
San Benito 8.2% 17.5% 34.1% $83,527 8,815 0.12
San Bernardino 12.3% 19.1% 38.5% $59,851 264,436 0.24
San Diego 9.4% 21.8% 43.0% $75,968 485,457 0.23
San Francisco 16.4% 29.4% 58.8% $67,161 141,232 0.56
San Joaquin 11.1% 20.8% 36.5% $63,018 101,223 0.25
San Luis Obispo 6.8% 24.9% 42.2% $76,673 59,662 0.24
San Mateo 8.6% 20.3% 46.5% $100,224 127,099 0.18
Santa Barbara 9.3% 25.0% 34.8% $79,230 70,416 0.30
Santa Clara 9.1% 18.7% 54.1% $91,010 269,162 0.15
Santa Cruz 9.1% 24.9% 38.4% $84,758 48,391 0.29
Shasta 10.4% 26.9% 43.0% $52,797 37,785 0.37
Sierra 17.9% 23.1% 25.0% $43,152 911 0.46
Siskiyou 11.5% 29.0% 44.3% $48,653 11,797 0.44
Solano 8.2% 20.9% 44.0% $78,622 74,660 0.19
Sonoma 8.4% 27.2% 48.8% $77,597 100,656 0.33
Stanislaus 12.6% 21.8% 39.7% $56,817 73,187 0.31
Sutter 12.1% 21.8% 39.0% $58,567 15,529 0.29
Tehama 13.5% 24.7% 48.9% $46,971 12,993 0.39
Trinity 8.2% 20.6% 26.3% $46,782 4,645 0.18
Tulare 13.3% 19.7% 31.4% $54,387 54,607 0.27
Tuolumne 7.5% 28.2% 44.1% $62,531 14,914 0.33
Ventura 8.4% 21.3% 43.8% $80,368 139,621 0.20
Yolo 11.2% 24.6% 32.3% $70,267 28,256 0.34
Yuba 9.5% 25.7% 32.5% $46,984 10,757 0.32

Senior food help in California

SNAP, CSFP senior boxes, Meals on Wheels, and senior-specific pantry programs.

Seniors Resource Guide

California senior SNAP

Senior-specific SNAP rules, how to apply in California, and benefit amounts.

California SNAP guide

Find a food pantry

Search California's verified pantries — many serve seniors with home delivery or box programs.

California food pantries