Hunger is real. It is in every corner of our society. Here are some recent statistics related to hunger on a national, statewide, and local level.
Hunger in the United States:
● According to the USDA, more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States are food insecure.
● The pandemic has increased food insecurity among families with children and communities of color, who already faced hunger at much higher rates before the pandemic.
● 2.1 million households in rural communities face hunger.
● Rural communities make up 63% of counties in the United States and 91% of counties with the highest rates of overall food insecurity.
● 86% of the counties with the highest percentage of children at risk for food insecurity are rural.
● Poverty is worse in rural communities than in urban communities. In 2019, 13.3% of all people in rural areas lived below the poverty line compared to 10.0% of people in urban areas.
Hunger in West Virginia:
● Feeding America reports that approximately 250, 000 people are facing hunger. 68,300 of those are children. This equates to nearly 14% of the population facing hunger at some time throughout the year.
● Based on this finding, 1 in 7 people and 1 in 5 children throughout the state face hunger.
● 38% of households in West Virginia receiving SNAP benefits have children.
Hunger in Monongalia County:
● 22% of the population live below the poverty line. 18% are children. The majority of these families and children are considered to be Food Insecure, meaning they lack the resources to adequately access enough nutritional food to meet their daily basic needs.