More of your neighbors are struggling when it comes to having enough food to eat. The percentage of people experiencing food insecurity in the Greater Washington area is rising, and it’s an issue being felt increasingly among college graduates and people in the middle class, the Capital Area Food Bank’s Hunger Report 2024 finds.
Overall, the survey conducted by the food bank and the National Opinion Research Center found 37 percent of households — nearly 1.5 million people — experienced food insecurity between May 2023 and May 2024, compared to 32 percent the year earlier.
The food bank’s report said it is the highest level of regional food insecurity seen since it began its survey in 2022. The general population survey involved 3,819 households in Maryland’s Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, DC, Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Prince William.
“Reversing this growth in food insecurity and inequity so that more of our neighbors can thrive must be a priority for all of us — everyone has a role to play in addressing this large but ultimately very solvable problem,” said Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank, in a news release.
How Food-Insecure is NoVA?
The level of food insecurity in Prince William County is the second highest in the region at 43 percent. Prince George’s County, Maryland, had the highest at 50 percent. A year ago, 36 percent of Prince William County experienced food insecurity.
- 36 percent in Alexandria said they were food-insecure, up from 31 percent in 2023
- 27 percent in Fairfax County said they were food-insecure, up from 24 percent in 2023
- 23 percent in Arlington County said they were food-insecure, up from 17 percent in 2023
Food Insecurity: A Growing Problem in the Middle Class
The food bank finds 1 in 3 households is food insecure while making the median income level for the region of $121,000, up from 1 in 5 in 2023.
The “greatest rates of increase were in the middle-income groups — households earning approximately $100K to $150K,” the report said.
“Compared to years past, the food insecure population now has a higher number of college graduates, almost one-third of the group. And, as in previous years, well over half of the food insecure population has more than a high school diploma.”
Of those experiencing problems, 76 percent are employed, with 1 in 5 of those with jobs has more than one job.
Forty percent of food-insecure households have children, compared to just 28 percent of food-secure households, the report said. The food bank said 103,000 children are food insecure.
Finances Not Keeping Up
Wages for food-insecure households have not kept up. “Only 29 percent of food insecure households saw any increases in their wages or salary last year, compared to 51 percent of food secure households,” the report said.
Among those experiencing problems, the Capital Area Food Bank said 55 percent said “their household’s financial situation has gotten worse since last year.”
Inflation, employment hardships, and reduced government benefits are top three factors causing the problem, with more DMV residents (64 percent) reporting food costs have had a major impact, up from 52 percent.
“Among people surveyed, nearly half of all respondents — 46 percent — said that higher than usual prices for housing had a major impact on their household budget in the last year, up from 36 percent the year prior. And over half, 52 percent, cited increases in housing-adjacent costs for gas, water, and other utilities as having a major impact,” the report said.
Child care costs, which started rising before the pandemic, continue to rise, further contributing to the problem as parents try to balance priorities.
In its report, the food bank makes recommendations to address food insecurity, including strengthening federal programs, adopting policies on the state level, and upskilling the food-insecure population.
Additionally, it created a multi-year strategy to address barriers food-insecure people encounter. Among them: more convenient locations to receive food, adding more culturally familiar foods, and increasing language capacities at its food distribution sites.
Feature image, StarStockArt/stock.adobe.com
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