Feeding America: Map the Meal Gap
| Details | Overall food insecurity rates, child food insecurity, older adult/senior food insecurity, and food-budget shortfall |
|---|---|
| Topics | Food insecurity |
| Source | Feeding America |
| Years Available | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Geographies | state, county, congressional district |
| Public Edition or Subscriber-only | Public Edition |
| Download Available | yes |
| For more information | http://map.feedingamerica.org/ |
| Last updated on PolicyMap | July 2025 |
Description:
Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap analysis is published annually to assess food insecurity and food costs across the United States, with estimates modeled at national, state, county, and congressional district levels. The data can help illustrate how food insecurity varies across different communities and population groups.
Dataset includes:
- Food insecurity rates and estimated counts (overall and for children)
- Breakdowns by race/ethnicity (Black, Hispanic, White non-Hispanic)
- Breakdowns by age (older adults and seniors, state-level only)
- Localized meal costs and food budget shortfall estimates
- State-level SNAP income thresholds and access gaps
Feeding America uses data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), American Community Survey (ACS), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and NielsenIQ. The relationship between food insecurity and factors such as poverty, unemployment, homeownership, and disability is modeled at the state level, then applied to local demographic and economic conditions.
Notes:
- SNAP income eligibility thresholds vary by state and affect access to nutrition programs.
- Methodology changes in 2023 limit comparability of food budget shortfall, local meal cost, and meal gap estimates across years.
- Modeled estimates represent approximations and are not direct counts.
More detail on Feeding America’s methodology can be found in the technical brief:
https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/map-the-meal-gap/how-we-got-the-map-data
Source: Ribar, D.C., Harris, V., Dewey, A., Dawes, S., and Engelhard, E. (2025). Map the Meal Gap: An Analysis of Local Food Insecurity and Food Costs in the United States in 2023. Feeding America National Organization.