Study: 1 in 6 Texans facing hunger

DALLAS - Texas is now leading the nation in food insecurity.

A new study released by Feeding America says about 5 million or approximately one in six Texans are facing hunger.

That puts the state’s food insecurity rate at more than 16%, surpassing California’s rate of more than 12%. It’s an increase of about 3% from the previous year.

The rate of food insecurity in children also rose in the 26 counties covered by the North Texas Food Bank and the Tarrant Area Food Bank. That includes pretty much all of North Texas.

"While Texas boasts of being bigger in many aspects, leading the nation in food insecurity is not a badge of honor we can proudly wear," said Trisha Cunningham, the president and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. "In the heart of North Texas, where the number of people facing hunger is greater than the populations of cities like Seattle or San Francisco, the statistic that strikes hardest is nearly 40% of those in need are children, and that is just unacceptable."

"The rise in child hunger documented by the report substantiates what we have been witnessing in our service area firsthand," said Julie Butner, Tarrant Area Food Bank's president and CEO.

TAFB said it has specifically seen a trend in summer hunger when children are out of school and their families struggle to pay for food on top of the skyrocketing costs of basic necessities.

"Fortunately, we have been bracing for summer hunger by expanding partnerships with local agencies, especially our schools by increasing the number of in-school markets through our new Ready To Learn initiative, which provides children with the nutrition needed to thrive in class and during the summer break," Butner said.

Feeding America's study also found disparities in who faces food insecurity with Black and Hispanic Texans significantly more at risk.

The most recent data being used in the study was collected in 2022. Food prices hit historic highs that year and many pandemic-era programs ended.

While the USDA reports food prices have continued to rise since 2022, they’re now rising at a slower rate.