Food insecurity hits hardest along lines of race, household structure, age, and disability, but it reaches far broader than most people assume. In 2024, 13.7% of U.S. households (18.3 million) were food insecure, meaning they lacked consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The groups most affected share overlapping vulnerabilities: lower incomes, fewer safety nets, and higher costs of living relative to what they earn.
Race and Ethnicity
The widest disparities in food insecurity fall along racial and ethnic lines. American Indian and Alaska Native households have the highest rate at 23.3%, meaning roughly one in four households doesn’t have reliable access to adequate food. Black households follow at 21.0%, and Hispanic households at 16.9%. All of these rates are significantly above the national average.
By contrast, White households experience food insecurity at 8.0% and Asian households at 5.4%, both well below average. These gaps reflect long-standing differences in wealth accumulation, neighborhood access to affordable grocery stores, and the types of jobs available to different communities. Multiracial households also face elevated rates, ranging from about 18% to nearly 22% depending on the specific racial combination.
Single-Mother Households
Household structure is one of the strongest predictors. Single-mother households with children have a food insecurity rate of 28.7%, the highest of any household type. That’s roughly double the national average and reflects the compounding pressure of being the sole earner while also covering childcare, housing, and transportation. When one unexpected expense hits, food is often the flexible line item in the budget.
Children
In 2024, 18.4% of U.S. households with children under 18 were food insecure, affecting 6.7 million households. Within those households, 7.3 million children experienced food insecurity themselves, not just their parents. About 751,000 children lived in households where at least one child faced very low food security, meaning they had reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at some point during the year.
For children, the consequences extend well beyond hunger in the moment. Inconsistent nutrition during early development is linked to difficulty concentrating in school, behavioral challenges, and poorer long-term health outcomes. Children with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to live in food-insecure households (19.3%) compared to children without disabilities (9.8%), adding another layer of vulnerability for families already managing higher caregiving costs.
Older Adults
An estimated 12.6 million seniors (age 60 and older) and older adults (age 50 to 59) experience food insecurity. For this group, the barriers are distinct. Many live on fixed incomes from Social Security or pensions that don’t keep pace with rising food prices. Mobility limitations can make grocery shopping difficult, especially in areas without reliable public transportation or delivery options. Seniors who live alone are at particular risk because they lack another household member who might contribute income or help with meal preparation.
People With Disabilities
Disability status doubles the risk of food insecurity across age groups. Among children, 19.3% of those with a disability live in food-insecure households compared to 9.8% of children without one. The pattern holds for adults: households that include a member with a disability face higher food costs (many medical diets are more expensive), reduced earning capacity, and additional expenses for care and equipment that leave less money for groceries.
The Working Poor
One of the most persistent misconceptions about food insecurity is that it primarily affects people who aren’t working. In reality, 55% of all food-insecure households include at least one adult working full time. That share has held steady since 2017. Low wages, unpredictable schedules, lack of benefits, and the high cost of housing in many job markets mean that a full-time paycheck doesn’t automatically translate to a full refrigerator. Many of these households earn just enough to disqualify for federal nutrition assistance but not enough to comfortably afford food every week of the month.
Urban, Rural, and Suburban Areas
Geography plays a role, though not always in the direction people expect. Food insecurity rates are highest in urban areas (15.3%), followed closely by rural areas (14.7%), with suburban areas lowest at 10.5%. Urban food insecurity is driven by high housing costs that squeeze food budgets, while rural food insecurity often stems from fewer nearby grocery stores, longer travel distances, and limited public transportation. In both settings, the practical result is the same: families rely on cheaper, calorie-dense foods that are widely available rather than the fruits, vegetables, and proteins that support long-term health.
Among children specifically, the urban-rural gap is even wider. One study found that 29.15% of urban children aged 6 to 11 lived in food-insecure households, compared to 19.10% of rural children in the same age range.
Health Consequences Compound the Problem
Food insecurity doesn’t just mean going hungry. It changes what people eat, pushing them toward inexpensive, shelf-stable foods that tend to be high in sodium, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Over time, this dietary pattern takes a measurable toll. Adults in food-insecure households have a 21% higher risk of hypertension compared to those in food-secure households. Clinical evidence of diabetes is also more common: 10.2% of adults in food-insecure homes showed signs of diabetes compared to 7.4% of adults in food-secure homes.
These chronic conditions then create their own costs, from medications to medical visits to missed work, making it even harder for affected households to stabilize their food budgets. The cycle reinforces itself, which is why food insecurity tends to persist across years rather than resolve on its own. The populations who face the highest rates are often the same ones with the least access to affordable healthcare, creating a compounding effect that widens health disparities over time.