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The child food insecurity rate in Pennsylvania was 12.2% in 2021. Explore a map of child hunger statistics in Pennsylvania at the state and local level.
Our interactive map features annual food insecurity estimates for all individuals and children, as well as older adults and seniors, at the state level and below. To achieve our vision of an America where no one is hungry, we believe it is imperative to address disparities in food insecurity by race as well as place.
Food insecurity means not having access to reliable and nutritious meals. Since hunger and health are deeply connected, the effects of chronic hunger are profound. Those effects include increased risks for chronic diseases, higher chances of hospitalization, poorer overall health, and increased health care costs.
Food insecurity is an ongoing lack of certainty about one’s next meal, which can lead to hunger among other physiological conditions like stress. The USDA orgnizes food security and insecurity into four categories, ranging from most to least food secure.
Agriculture’s (USDA) food and nutrition assistance programs aim to increase food security by providing low-income households access to food for a healthful diet, as well as nutrition education.
Children and adults were food insecure at times during 2022 in 8.8 percent of U.S. households with children, up from 6.2 percent in 2021 and 7.6 percent in 2020. In 2022, very low food security among children was 1.0 percent, statistically significantly higher than the 0.7 percent in 2021.
While most U.S. households are food secure, a minority of U.S. households experience food insecurity at times during the year, meaning that their access to adequate food for active, healthy living is limited by lack of money and other resources.
