New Food Security Stats Released

Nearly 50 Million People Live In Food-Insecure Households

Food security is defined as when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The overwhelming majority of U.S. households have consistent, dependable access to food. However, some people and families experience food insecurity, meaning that their access to food is limited by a lack of money or other resources.  

Until recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) monitors the extent and severity of food insecurity in American households and releases an annual report of the information surveyed. Information gathered covers household food security, food expenditures, and the use of Federal food and nutrition programs. 

In its final report in late 2025, the ERS reported on information gathered in 2024. The Household Food Security Report revealed that 47.9 million Americans live in food-insecure households. 

Key Findings From the Household Food Security Report

For decades, reports by annual reports by ERS have been how we understand the struggle that millions of families have putting food on the table. The newest Household Food Security report shows that hunger has reached crisis levels. Here are a few key findings from the report:

• 1 in 7 households (13.7 percent) in America experienced food insecurity, or lack of access to an affordable, nutritious diet, in 2024.

• 14.1 million children lived in households that experienced food insecurity in 2024, a slight increase from the 13.8 million children reported in 2023.

• More single-parent households headed by women experienced food insecurity at 36.8 percent, nearly 2 percent higher than 2023 (34.7 percent).

• Rates of food insecurity remained high for Black (24.4 percent) and Latinx (20.2 percent) households. The rate for Black households was more than double the 10.1 percent rate for White, non-Latinx households.

• Food insecurity was significantly higher in urban areas (16.0 percent) and rural areas (15.9 percent) compared to suburban areas (11.9 percent).

Information from the ERS food security report has been used to inform critical policy decisions that fed millions of Americans through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), School Breakfast Program, and the National School Lunch Program. 

The Trump administration has announced that the ERS report will no longer be issued after the release of 2024 information. This will severely hinder tracking food insecurity and impacts related to last year’s SNAP cuts. There is no other survey that tracks food security information at this level.

What Is Next in Food Security

SNAP is a federally funded program that gives money for groceries to more than 40 million people in eligible low-income households – mostly older adults, disabled people, and families with children. The budget bill passed by Congress in July 2025 will cut 20% of spending on SNAP through 2034. Millions of people across the country, including our friends and neighbors here in the Tri-Valley, will face greater difficulties in getting the nutrition they need.

What does this look like?

Hunger has many faces. Hunger looks like a parent skipping dinner so a child can eat. A senior on a fixed income choosing between groceries or medicine. A veteran experiencing homelessness who can’t afford a healthy meal. A child going to school on an empty stomach.   

Open Heart Kitchen is prepared to help. Since 1995, we have served people in Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton facing hunger. 

In 2025, we opened the Open Heart Food Bank to serve our region. Open Heart Food Bank is the first food bank in the Tri-Valley, currently supplying nine food pantries in the area with reliable access to culturally appropriate grocery items for their clients. This 19,000-square-foot warehouse in Livermore is capable of distributing 3 million pounds of food each year to our local partners.

Open Heart Kitchen isn’t going anywhere. We are dedicated to our mission of supporting anyone facing hunger. But we can’t do it without the Tri-Valley community. Please consider donating to Open Heart Kitchen. Together, we can fight hunger and build a future where everyone has access to nutritious food and a sense of hope.