Texas ranks among the nation’s most food-insecure states after pandemic-era programs expired and record-high inflation drove up food prices, according to a national study released Wednesday by Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.

At its annual Mayor Day event on Wednesday, the North Texas Food Bank unveiled the latest insights from the Map the Meal Gap study of 2022 data, which revealed a stark reality for the Lone Star State.

The North Texas Food Bank — a partner food bank of Feeding America — sources, purchases, packages and distributes food through its 500 partners across 13 counties in the region.

The annual Mayor Day event allows Dallas-Fort Worth area city leaders to learn more about food insecurity and roll up their sleeves by volunteering at the food bank’s headquarters in Plano.

Texas grapples with a food insecurity rate of 16.4%, up from 13.7% in 2021. Food insecurity is a result of economic inequality, where households do not earn enough money to regularly afford basic food needs, leading to skipped meals and hungry bellies, according to Feeding America.

Following decades of booming population growth, Texas now has the largest number of food-insecure residents — more than 4.9 million people — surpassing California for the first time.

One out of three food-insecure Texans is a child.

“We typically see families with children being disproportionately affected because they have more mouths to feed,” said Trisha Cunningham, the North Texas Food Bank’s president and CEO.

The latest Map the Meal Gap study, which provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs, confirmed much of what North Texas’ hunger fighters already knew, according to Cunningham.

A hunger crisis is worsening, she said.

“Texas boasts of being bigger in so many aspects that leading the nation in food insecurity is not a badge of honor that we should proudly wear in Texas,” said Cunningham in an interview with The Dallas Morning News.

The North Texas Food Bank’s region, which includes 13 counties, has the fourth largest number of food-insecure residents in the nation, behind Los Angeles, New York City and Houston.

North Texans have tried their best to endure a perfect storm of rising inflation and drops in income and government support, Cunningham said.

“We know that neighbors in every ZIP code had to make those difficult choices every day,” she said. “Do they buy groceries, or do they pay for child care or gas? Their standard of living didn’t change. What changed was the cost of the basic needs that ate up any kind of buffer that they had. And now they’re having to make choices that they’ve never had to make before.”

Despite a robust food network, the North Texas region still fights to fill a gap of 146 million meals annually, according to the study.

Congressman Colin Allred, who represents parts of the North Texas Food Bank’s region, said in a statement that no family should ever wonder where they’ll get their next meal.

“Sadly, over 777,000 people are facing hunger in North Texas, and we must ensure that the North Texas Food Bank can meet those needs,” said Allred, a supporter of federal food assistance programs. “Let’s keep working to lower costs and ensure our economy is lifting up every Texan.”

More than half of the North Texas Food Bank’s food-insecure population lives in Dallas County, followed by Collin County at 17%, Denton County at 15% and the remaining 10 counties making up 16%.

Racial disparities

Understanding where families facing hunger live is critical to the food bank’s work to ensure they have access to food, said Erica Yaeger, the food bank’s chief external affairs officer.

The food bank uses the Feeding America data along with a Hunger Action Map, a comprehensive report developed in partnership with Bain Consulting, to look at regional demographic information and work with its partners to distribute food in ZIP codes with high unmet needs.

In Dallas County, 20% of the people facing hunger reside in 10 South Dallas and southern Dallas ZIP codes. Last year, the food bank provided about 20 million meals to residents living in those 10 ZIP codes through 160 feeding programs and partners.

In North Texas, the percentage of Black and Hispanic families facing insecurity increased the most compared with white, non-Hispanic households.

About 28% of Black North Texans were food insecure, up from 22% the previous year. About 20% of Hispanic residents were food insecure, a jump from 14%. About 9% of white, non-Hispanic residents in North Texas were food-insecure, up slightly from 7% in 2021.

A North Texas impact

The North Texas Food Bank’s network has been a steady lifeline to support hungry families over the years, Cunningham said.

“Amid these struggles, there shines a beacon of hope,” she said. “Through the dedication of generous supporters and steadfast partnerships, the North Texas Food Bank delivered a record 144 million meals in fiscal year 2023, a testament to the power of collective compassion and action in the face of adversity.”

The food bank’s strategic plan addresses the increased need by partnering with over 500 food pantries and organizations, like its redistribution partners Crossroads Community Services in South Dallas and Sharing Life Community Outreach in Mesquite. The North Texas Food Bank provides access to about 400,000 meals each day.

“We see a clear picture of food insecurity not just in Dallas County, but also in Rockwall and Kaufman counties,” said Teresa Jackson, CEO of Sharing Life. “These are our communities, where our friends and neighbors struggle to put food on the table every single day.”