Hunger in Idaho
156,640
Food Insecure People in Idaho
8.2%
Food Insecurity Rate
40,410
Food Insecure Children in Idaho
8.6%
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 May 2023. The report is a county-by-county analysis of food insecurity in the United States in 2021.
According to Map the Meal Gap 156,640 Idahoans experienced food insecurity in 2021, which equates to 8.2% of the population. 40,410 children in Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2021, which equates to 8.6% of Idaho’s children.
For the second year in a row, Map the Meal Gap included racial demographic information. Fifteen percent of people who are Hispanic in Idaho were food insecure in 2021.
Food insecurity varies greatly across the state with Shoshone County having the highest overall rate at 14.1 percent and Teton at 5.4 percent.
Food insecurity rates are highest in Shoshone County, Lewis County (13.4%), Butte County (13.2%), and Custer County (12.9%).
The county that is estimated to have the highest food insecurity rate for children in Idaho in 2021 was Lewis County with 18.4 percent. That is followed by Shoshone County (17.9%), Custer County (16.6%), and Butte County (16.4%).
Map The Meal Gap
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National
Food Insecure Overall
33,844,000 people in the United States experienced food insecurity. That is 10.4% of the population.
Food Insecure Kids
9,262,000 children in the United States experienced food insecurity. That is 12.8% of children in the United States.
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Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
156,640 Idahoans experienced food insecurity in 2021, which equates to 8.2% of the population.
Food Insecure Kids
40,410 children experienced food insecurity in 2021, which equates to 8.6% of Idaho’s children.
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North & North Central Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
34,790 people in North & North Central Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2021. This is 11.2% of the population in the region.
Food Insecure Kids
8,700 children in North & North Central Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2021. This is 13.5% of children in the region.
*2021 Data (10 Counties)
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Southwest Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
82,330 people in Southwest Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2021. This is 9.4% of the population in the region.
Food Insecure Kids
22,660 children in Southwest Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2020. This is 11.4% of children in the region.
*2021 Data (18 Counties)
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Eastern Idaho
Food Insecure Overall
34,580 people in Eastern Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2021. This is 8.4% of the population in the region.
Food Insecure Kids
10,340 children in Eastern Idaho experienced food insecurity in 2021. This is 9.5% of the children in the region.
*2021 Data (16 Counties)