Food insecurity affects every community in the U.S. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study is a powerful tool to understand local impact and take action. We can leverage this data to address factors impacting food insecurity in the Food Bank of the Albemarle’s service area and unite to ensure everyone has access to the food and resources we all need to thrive.   

• Food insecurity in our region has increased from 36,000 to 43,630 neighbors (14.7% of the population).

• The average cost of a meal per person is now $3.91 (up from $3.56).

• The annual meal gap (meals needed to serve food-insecure households) across FBA’s service area is now 8,202,700 meals.

• Many of us have experienced hunger or know someone who has.  

• The Map the Meal Gap study is an important tool to rally our nation around a shared understanding of hunger in America.

• When we listen to our neighbors facing hunger and understand how hunger shows up locally, we can better invest in our communities, drive policy change, and more, to end hunger in northeastern North Carolina and across this nation.
  
  You can view a full interactive map of the Meal Gap study here.

Map the Meal Gap 2024 Key Findings

Food Insecurity by Geography:

• Food insecurity impacts communities in every county, parish, and congressional district in the U.S.  Food Bank of the Albemarle’s (FBA) 15-county service area covers 9,000 sq. miles of rural land.
• Estimated food insecurity levels vary across regions, influenced by factors like unemployment and poverty rates as well as policies and practices rooted in history that continue to hold people back today.  

In northeastern NC, food insecurity ranges from a low of 12% in Camden County to 21.6% in Hyde County.  Every county has food-insecure neighbors.

• Overall, 1 in 7 people in northeastern NC are food insecure.
• 1 in 4 children are food insecure.
• Child food insecurity is highest at 40.6% in rural Hyde County.

Child Food Insecurity Percentage by County:

Food Insecurity (Overall) Percentage by County (highest to lowest):

Income and Food Spending: 

• Here in NC, the percentage is more than 35% of people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP benefits.
• The national food budget shortfall, which reflects the extra money that people who are food insecure report needing to cover their food needs, has hit a record high of $33.1 billion, up nearly 43% from the previous year.

This translates to $24.73 a week per person, on average, for the neighbors in our service area.

• Residents of northeastern NC feel this first-hand, with an estimated food budget shortfall of $3,2048,000. 

Food Costs and Meal Prices: 

• In FBA’s service area, the average cost per meal is $3.91, which reflects the growing need we see at Food Bank of the Albemarle for food pantry services.

Having the data on hunger in our region gives us the tools needed to help fight hunger, and identify those areas of population that may be underserved. With your help, we can provide the food and nutrition that our neighbors need!