In a newly-released research paper, the organization Feeding America has published data on food insecurity in the US, at the county level. Feeding America is a national network of over 200 food banks, effectively making it the largest hunger-relief charity in the country.
In "Map the Meal Gap 2011", the authors evaluate issues such as food budget short-fall, unemployment and poverty, and the average meal cost, all at the county level. Although the preliminary report does not provide county-by-county data, it does list the counties in the worst position in each category. Of the counties that fall within the top 10 percent in terms of food isecurity, poverty or meal costs, no Montana County was included, though 3.5 percent of these high food insecurity rate counties are located in the Mountain States. Fifty-nine percent of the counties are rural.
Another factor, in addition to rurality, poverty and unemployment, that serve as an indicator for high food insecurity rates, is the presence of certain racial and ethnic groups. American Indian, African American and Latinos are disproportionaltely at risk for food insecurity. Counties with a majority of nonwhites see food insecurity rates such as 25.4 percent (American Indian majority), 25.3 percent (majority Latino), and 28.3 (majority African American), while the national average is 16 percent.
Please consult the full report, avaialble at www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap, should you require more information.
