BEREA, Ky. — Despite an improving economy, 17% percent of households in Kentucky reported that they struggled to buy enough food for themselves and their families during 2016–2017, according to a new report released by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC, a national anti-hunger advocacy group).
How Hungry is America? provides data on food hardship — the inability to afford enough food— nationally, for every state, the District of Columbia, and 108 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) across the country. The report is based on 337,690 interviews in 2016–2017.
Nationally, the report found that after several years of decline, the food hardship rate for all households increased from 15.1 percent in 2016 to 15.7 percent in 2017. The food hardship rate for households with children is 1.3 times higher than for households without children.
The report finds:
- Kentucky ranked 12th in the nation for food hardship (1 being the worst), with more than 1 in 6 households reporting they had trouble putting food on the table.
- The food hardship rate in Kentucky is considerably higher in households with children, 18.6 percent compared to 16.1 percent, respectively.
- For Louisville/Jefferson County, the food hardship rate was 15.6 percent in 2016–2017, giving it a ranking of 47 among 108 Metropolitan Statistical Areas.
“Food hardship affects people in every community in Kentucky, although it often goes unseen by those not looking for it,” said Kate McDonald, KY Kids Eat Coordinator at the Kentucky Association of Food Banks. “Hunger can hide behind doors of nice houses with mortgages in default, with all of the income going to housing costs, leaving little or no money for food. Sometimes it hides behind the stoic faces of parents who skip meals to protect their children from hunger.”
The Southeast region in which Kentucky is included in this report, had the second-highest food hardship rate in 2017, behind the Southwest, at 17.1 percent. The Southeast had the second-highest rate for households with children, also behind the Southwest – 19.6 percent. Of the 20 states with the worst food hardship rates, eight, including Kentucky, were in the Southeast.
— Kentucky Association of Food Banks
For more news from Kentucky, click here.