Families
Food Insecurity
Source: Feeding America
Food Insecurity Rate
2021
Arkansas County14%
Ashley County18%
Baxter County16%
Benton County11%
Boone County15%
Bowie County, Texas14%
Bradley County14%
Calhoun County12%
Carroll County13%
Chicot County20%
Clark County16%
Clay County18%
Cleburne County16%
Cleveland County13%
Columbia County16%
Conway County18%
Craighead County15%
Crawford County16%
Crittenden County14%
Cross County16%
Dallas County14%
Desha County17%
Drew County14%
Faulkner County14%
Franklin County19%
Fulton County17%
Garland County17%
Grant County15%
Greene County17%
Hempstead County16%
Hot Spring County17%
Howard County15%
Independence County17%
Izard County18%
Jackson County18%
Jefferson County14%
Johnson County17%
Lafayette County17%
Lawrence County17%
Lee County18%
Lincoln County13%
Little River County13%
Logan County17%
Lonoke County13%
Madison County15%
Marion County18%
Miller County16%
Mississippi County18%
Monroe County17%
Montgomery County19%
Nevada County18%
Newton County14%
Ouachita County16%
Perry County16%
Phillips County21%
Pike County17%
Poinsett County18%
Polk County18%
Pope County15%
Prairie County14%
Pulaski County13%
Randolph County18%
Saline County11%
Scott County16%
Searcy County20%
Sebastian County17%
Sevier County17%
Sharp County18%
St. Francis County19%
Stone County20%
Union County15%
Van Buren County18%
Washington County13%
White County15%
Woodruff County16%
Yell County15%

Source: Feeding America




Food Insecure Households
2021
Arkansas County2,500
Ashley County3,380
Baxter County6,730
Benton County29,770
Boone County5,610
Bowie County, Texas13,140
Bradley County1,500
Calhoun County580
Carroll County3,780
Chicot County2,070
Clark County3,500
Clay County2,570
Cleburne County4,010
Cleveland County1,020
Columbia County3,770
Conway County3,670
Craighead County16,900
Crawford County9,630
Crittenden County6,870
Cross County2,690
Dallas County900
Desha County1,980
Drew County2,470
Faulkner County16,810
Franklin County3,280
Fulton County2,080
Garland County16,460
Grant County2,600
Greene County7,620
Hempstead County3,230
Hot Spring County5,530
Howard County1,910
Independence County6,240
Izard County2,430
Jackson County3,070
Jefferson County9,660
Johnson County4,400
Lafayette County1,060
Lawrence County2,730
Lee County1,580
Lincoln County1,680
Little River County1,530
Logan County3,620
Lonoke County9,590
Madison County2,520
Marion County3,030
Miller County6,700
Mississippi County7,260
Monroe County1,180
Montgomery County1,600
Nevada County1,470
Newton County990
Ouachita County3,650
Perry County1,610
Phillips County3,540
Pike County1,760
Poinsett County4,250
Polk County3,460
Pope County9,760
Prairie County1,140
Pulaski County53,400
Randolph County3,220
Saline County13,820
Scott County1,560
Searcy County1,570
Sebastian County21,250
Sevier County2,690
Sharp County3,140
St. Francis County4,360
Stone County2,430
Union County5,730
Van Buren County2,840
Washington County32,510
White County11,820
Woodruff County1,000
Yell County3,020

Source: Feeding America
Notes: Food insecurity refers to USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.



NATIONAL RANKING
50

OUT OF 51
2021

STATE TREND

Decreasing


16%

2021
1% = 30,165
People

What does this measure?

The percentage of households that lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and/or experience limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.

Why is this important?

Food insecurity is one way to measure and assess the risk of hunger. Being food insecure is stressful, and food insecurity makes it difficult for children to learn and grow. Financially stressed families often need to choose between spending money on healthy food or other basic needs such as housing or health expenses.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2021, 16% of state residents were food insecure, similar to the rate in 2020. The national rate was 10% in 2021, making Arkansas 50th in the nation, including all 50 states and Washington D.C., second only to Mississippi on this indicator. Among counties in the state, food insecurity was highest in Phillips County at 21% and lowest in Benton County at 11%. The rate of food insecurity was highest amongst Black residents (25%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16%) and White (13%) residents in 2021.

What contributes to racial and ethnic disparities?

Food insecurity is influenced by drivers such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of financial assets. A long history of structural racism and biased policies in the areas of housing, education, and employment have caused many communities of color to face barriers in each of these areas, making it more difficult to afford enough healthy food. Additionally, communities that are predominately Black are more likely to be food deserts: areas without grocery stores or other places to buy fresh, healthy food.

Notes about the data

Feeding America estimates the level of food insecurity in counties by analyzing the relationship between reported food insecurity and related indicators such as poverty, unemployment, homeownership at the state level, then applying that knowledge to generate estimates based on county data on poverty, unemployment and similar indicators.




Source: Feeding America


Food Insecurity Rate
201320142015201620172018201920202021
Arkansas20%19%18%17%17%17%17%15%16%
United States16%15%13%13%13%12%11%12%10%

Source: Feeding America






Source: Feeding America


Food Insecurity by Race/Ethnicity
BlackHispanic or LatinoTotalWhite
Arkansas25%16%16%13%

Source: Feeding America









INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Education: Access to Quality Slots for Infants and Toddlers Not Applicable
Education: Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers Not Applicable
Education: Grade 3 Reading Decreasing
Education: Grade 8 Math Maintaining
Education: Graduation Rate Increasing
Education: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Education: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Education: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Education: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Education: Imagination Libraries Increasing
Health: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Health: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Health: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Health: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Health: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Health: Oral Health Increasing
Health: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Health: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Health: Overdose Deaths Increasing
Families: Teen Births Decreasing
Families: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Median Household Income Maintaining
Families: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Families: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Families: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Families: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Families: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Families: Food Deserts Not Applicable
Families: Homelessness Decreasing
Families: Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Families: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Families: Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Families: Overall Housing Cost Burden Decreasing
Families: Child Care Costs for Toddlers Not Applicable
Families: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Families: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Families: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Community: Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Community: Charitable Giving Increasing
Community: Volunteering Increasing
Community: Group Participation Increasing
Community: Connection to Neighbors Decreasing
Community: Local Voting Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population Increasing
Demographics: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Racial Equity: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Racial Equity: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Racial Equity: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Racial Equity: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Racial Equity: Oral Health Increasing
Racial Equity: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Racial Equity: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Racial Equity: Teen Births Decreasing
Racial Equity: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Median Household Income Maintaining
Racial Equity: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Racial Equity: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homelessness Decreasing
Racial Equity: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Racial Equity: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Racial Equity: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Racial Equity: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable








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