Food insecurity is higher on both the national and local levels. According to the latest Map the Meal Gap study, over 22% of southeast Missouri children live in food-insecure households. Overall food insecurity in the region increased to almost 18%.
Southeast Missouri Food Bank CEO Joey Keys says the data confirms what they and their partners see every day – more people in southeast Missouri need food assistance.
The report finds child food insecurity is as high as 33.2% in Pemiscot County, which has the highest rate of childhood hunger in the state. In the 16 counties served by Southeast Missouri Food Bank, the highest overall food insecurity is in Wayne County at 23.1%, followed by Pemiscot County at 22.7%. Dunklin County is third at 21.3%.
Both Wayne and Pemiscot counties are in the top 100 nationwide for food insecurity.
Another key finding is over 40% of people nationwide who face hunger don’t qualify for SNAP benefits due to income limits. In southeast Missouri, the figure is even higher at 46%.
Map the Meal Gap is the only national study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district in America.