On a Tuesday night in Philadelphia, a mother opens her fridge. A half-empty carton of milk, a jar of mustard, and barely anything else. She calculates how to stretch what remains until payday.

Her story is not unusual. In 2023, hunger in the United States climbed to a record high in nearly a decade. The data translates into everyday lived experiences. They describe kids who are too hungry to concentrate in class, parents standing in grocery aisles putting food back on the shelf, and seniors opening refrigerators that hold a  little more than a couple bottles of condiments.

The Scale of Hunger in the U.S. 

According to USDA Economic Research Service, in 2023, 13.5% of U.S. households, 18 million in total, were food insecure, meaning about one in seven families worried about their next meal. Among them, 6.8 million households faced “very low food security,” skipping or cutting meals.

In total, 47.4 million people lived in food-insecure households, more than the population of California.

Children Carry the Burden

Hunger is hardest on children.

• 13.8 million kids, about 1 in 5 nationwide, lived in food-insecure homes in 2023.
  Think of a typical classroom of 25 students. Five of them may be unsure of dinner tonight.
  
  
• In 374,000 households, children themselves skipped meals or went without food for part of the day.

Parents often sacrifice their own meals first. But in 3.2 million households, there simply was not enough food for anyone.

Unequal Impact

Some families face hunger far more often than others.

• 23.3% of Black households and 21.9% of Latinx households faced food insecurity, compared to 9.9% of White households.
  
  
• Hunger was more common in urban (15.9%) and rural (15.4%) areas than in suburbs (11.7%).

Behind these numbers are families affected by systemic inequities in income, housing, and access to resources.

What Drives Hunger

For millions of families, hunger comes from a mix of everyday challenges:

• Location shapes access: Families in neighborhoods with limited transportation, unsafe streets, or poor schools may find it harder to reach grocery stores.
  
  
• Income gaps: Low wages, job instability, or disabilities can leave households unable to afford enough food.
  
  
• Rising living costs: Expenses like rent, utilities, health care, and child care often force families to cut back on groceries.
  
  
• Systemic barriers: Discrimination and structural inequities create cycles that make it difficult for some communities to escape poverty and hunger.
  
  
• Health and nutrition challenges: Limited access to healthy foods can worsen medical conditions, which in turn can deepen food insecurity.

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The Human Cost of Hunger

Hunger is not just an empty stomach.

• A child who skips breakfast struggles to focus in school.
  
  
• A senior who rations food risks worsening health.
  
  
• A parent juggling groceries against rent carries stress into every part of life.

The costs ripple outward into classrooms, hospitals and workplaces.

A Path Forward

The numbers are sobering, but they are not fixed. This does not have to be the conclusion.

Programs and policies that increase access to nutritious food, together with local community initiatives, help families put meals on the table. At Food Connect, we see the impact in small but meaningful ways: a bag of produce reaching a senior, a child eating before school, a family breathing easier knowing there will be dinner tonight. 

Every meal we deliver carries a story, brought to life by our partners.

The scale of hunger shows up in statistics, but its impact is felt in every home. It’s a serious challenge, but one we can address together.

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