Hunger in Idaho
283,630
Food Insecure People in Idaho
14.2%
Food Insecurity Rate
84,750
Food Insecure Children in Idaho
18%
Child Food Insecurity Rate
Map the Meal Gap in Idaho
Since 2011, Feeding America has conducted an annual Map the Meal Gap study to improve our understanding of food insecurity and food costs at the local level.
Food Insecurity in Idaho
Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, released its annual Map the Meal Gap report in July 2026. The report is a county-by-county analysis of food insecurity in the United States in 2024.
According to Map the Meal Gap 283,630 Idahoans experienced food insecurity in 2024. This includes 84,750 children in Idaho who experienced food insecurity in 2024. This means that 1 in 7 Idahoans and 1 in 6 Idaho children experienced food insecurity.
Food insecurity is when there is limited or uncertain access to adequate food to meet one’s basic needs. Food insecurity varies greatly across the state, but it is often persistently higher in rural area. Nearly 64% of Idahoans who are food insecure make too much money to qualify for federal food assistance programs.
The highest rates of food insecurity in Idaho are in Custer County (18.8%), Lewis County (17.9%), and Gooding County (17.5%).
The Idaho counties with the highest rates of food insecurity among children are Boundary County (26.4%), Shoshone County (25.6%), Clark County (24.8%), and Clearwater County (24.6%).
21% percent of people who are Hispanic in Idaho were food insecure in 2024.
8% of seniors in Idaho were food insecure in 2024.
Map The Meal Gap
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National
Food Insecure Overall
47,900,000 people in the United States experienced food insecurity. That is 14.4% of the population.
Food Insecure Kids
14,091,000 children in the United States experienced food insecurity. That is 19.5% of children in the United States.
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Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
283,630 people in Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 14% of the population.
Food Insecure Kids
84,750 children in Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 18% of children.
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North & North Central Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
55,400 people in North & North Central Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 14% of the population in the region.
Food Insecure Kids
16,720 children in North & North Central Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 21% of children in the region.
*2024 Data (10 Counties)
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Southwest Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
151,950 people in Southwest Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 14% of the population in the region.
Food Insecure Kids
46,660 children in Southwest Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 17% of children in the region.
*2024 Data (18 Counties)
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Eastern Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
62,190 people in Eastern Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 14% of the population in the region.
Food Insecure Kids
20,640 children in Eastern Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2024. This is 17% of children in the region.
*2024 Data (16 Counties)