Hunger In Alabama

• According to Feeding America, the food insecurity rate in Alabama is over 16.5%.  Children and seniors are at the greatest risk of food insecurity.

• In Central Alabama, with a population of 1.4 million, over 16% or 232,470 are food insecure.  The cost of an average meal is $2.97 with the annual meal gap of $406,639,000. 

• One in 6 children may not know where they will get their next meal.  When children experience food insecurity, they often experience developmental and impairment in areas like language and motor skills, have more social and behavioral problems and often have to repeat grades.  

• For Alabama seniors, 19.3% are marginally food insecure, 12.8% are food insecure and 5.0% are very low food insecure.  Alabama ranks 6th in senior hunger.

• For those individuals that quality for Federal Nutrition Assistance – 52.8% are below 130% poverty, 6.3% are between 130% poverty and 185% poverty, and 30.9% are above 185% poverty.