In order to address the problem of hunger, we must first understand it. Feeding America undertook the Map the Meal Gap project to learn more about the face of hunger at the local community level. By understanding the population in need, communities can better identify strategies for reaching the people who most need food assistance. The Map the Meal Gap Preliminary Findings and the Arkansas County Level Data is available in the PDFs below.

Arkansas Map the Meal Gap - County Level Data

Map the Meal Gap - Executive Summary

The faces of hunger are all around us. It affects the young, the old, and every part of our state.

• 18.8% of Arkansans live below the poverty line and can't afford enough food to eat. That means that 1 in 6 of your neighbors struggles with making ends meet and providing enough food for their family. - ACS Survey
• Arkansas' childhood poverty rate is 27.6% compared to the national average of 21.6% - ACS Survey
• 10.2% of Arkansans over the age 65 live below the poverty line and have to choose between food and medicine. - ACS Survey
• Arkansas is ranked 3rd in the nation for the most incidences of food insecurity. - USDA Survey
• 18.6% of households in Arkansas are Food Insecure – USDA survey

Source: www.census.gov
2011 American Community Survey

Source: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/
USDA Household Food Security in the US, 2011

Additional Links for Data and Statistics

Food Action Research Center – http://frac.org/data/

US Food Environment Atlas - http://maps.ers.usda.gov/foodatlas/