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Background
Consistent access to nutritious food is essential for optimal health and wellbeing.[1] Food insufficiency remains a pressing challenge in New York State.[2][3]Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic left households struggling to access healthy food. In response, emergency measures—including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments and enhanced Child Tax Credits—were implemented. However, these temporary programs have ended, leaving many New Yorkers without access to the food they need to lead healthy lives.
This data brief examines household trends in food insufficiency across New York State from May 2020 through October 2024. We use data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey, which tracked social, health, and economic indicators since the onset of the pandemic. The surveys, conducted biweekly, gathered near-real-time data on food insufficiency. Food insufficiency is defined as a household sometimes or often not having enough to eat in the previous seven days.[4] This brief presents the data disaggregated by household composition (with or without children), age, income, race, and ethnicity to provide a population-specific look at food insufficiency across the State.
Suggested Citation:
Okonkwo, C. Ford, M. McCarthy, J. Barrett, A. Havusha, A. Sandman, D. 2025. “Hunger on the Rise: New York’s Food Insufficiency Rates Hit New Highs and Exceed Pandemic Levels (2024 Update).” New York Health Foundation. New York, NY.
[1] New York Health Foundation. “NYHealth Survey of Food and Health” August 2022, https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/nyhealth-survey-of-food-and-health-2022/, accessed March 2025.
[2] New York Health Foundation. “Still Hungry: Food Insufficiency in New York State 2020–2023” April 2024, https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/food-insufficiency-in-new-york-state-2020-2023/, accessed March 2025.
[3] Office of the New York State Comptroller. “DiNapoli: Number of New Yorkers Going Hungry Increases Despite Improving Economy” May 2024, https://www.osc.ny.gov/press/releases/2024/05/dinapoli-number-new-yorkers-going-hungry-increases-despite-improving-economy#:~:text=Nationally%2C%20food%20insecurity%20increased%20for,not%20have%20enough%20to%20eat., accessed March 2025.
[4] Food insufficiency is both more severe and shorter-term than the more commonly used measure of food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined as a household being unable to acquire adequate food because they had insufficient money and other resources for food, typically over a 12-month or 30-day period. From United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, “Food Insecurity in the US,” https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/measurement/#:~:text=Food%20insufficiency%20is%20a%20more,than%20to%20overall%20food%20insecurity, accessed March 2025.
Key Findings
- Hunger is at the highest level in 5 years. More than 1 in 10 New Yorkers struggle to access enough food. The food insufficiency rate in New York State is 10.4%, which is higher than it was during the early days of the pandemic in 2020 (10.2%).
- Households with children are experiencing food insufficiency at about 1.5 times the rate of households without children. Food insufficiency rates for households without children are now higher than in 2020.
- Food insufficiency disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic New Yorkers. Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are more than twice as likely to experience food insufficiency compared to white New Yorkers.
- Every income group has higher food insufficiency rates in 2024 compared to 2020. New Yorkers with the lowest incomes are 13 times more likely to experience food insufficiency than those who earn $100,000 or more.
Policy Timeline
There are clear associations between public policies and hunger. Measures enacted at the federal level in 2020 and 2021 helped mitigate economic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] Food insufficiency rates in New York declined in 2021, following federal initiatives like the expanded Child Tax Credit and SNAP Emergency Allotments. Since then, many federal initiatives have expired or decreased, and hunger has increased. In 2024, overall food insufficiency rates exceeded the spike in rates in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. This increase has been less pronounced among households with children, possibly due to programs such as expanded school meal access, Summer EBT, Nourish New York, and Double Up Food Bucks.[6]
[5] Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “Robust COVID Relief Bolstered Economy and Reduced Hardship for Millions” March 2022, https://clpha.org/news/2022/cbpp-reports-robust-covid-19-relief-bills-bolstered-economy, accessed March 2025.
[6] New York Health Foundation. “Budget Tracker: New York State’s Investments in Food Security Programs” February 2025, https://nyhealthfoundation.org/resource/budget-tracker-new-york-states-investments-in-food-security-programs/, accessed March 2025.
Data and Findings
Overall Trends in Food Insufficiency
In 2024, food insufficiency rates surpassed those in 2020, with more than one in ten (10.4%) New Yorkers struggling to access enough food. This increase from the early pandemic peak in 2020 (10.2%) reflects approximately 15,017 additional households facing food insufficiency.[7]
[7] United States Census Bureau. “American Community Survey (2023) Demographic and Housing Estimates”, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP1Y2023.DP05?g=040XX00US36, accessed March 2025.
Food Insufficiency in Households with and without Children
In 2024, approximately one in eight (13.2%) households with children reported food insufficiency, a slight decrease from the peak observed in 2020 (13.7%). Food insufficiency increased in 2024 for households without children, reaching its highest level in the past five years.
Since the pandemic began, households with children have experienced food insufficiency at a rate roughly 1.5 times higher than households without children.
Food Insufficiency by Age
Since the onset of the pandemic, adults below the age of 65 reported higher rates of food insufficiency than adults ages 65 and older. In 2024, food insufficiency rates increased for adults in age groups 35–64 (12.6%) and 65+ (5.0%) compared to rates in 2020 (11.6% vs. 4.4%, respectively).
Food Insufficiency by Race/Ethnicity
Food insufficiency rates for Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are roughly twice the rates for Asian and white New Yorkers.
Compared to 2020, food insufficiency rates in 2024 have decreased slightly for Black (18.9% vs. 17.9%), Hispanic (18.6% vs. 15.5%), and Asian (7.3% vs. 6.9%) New Yorkers. In contrast, rates for white New Yorkers have increased from 7.7% in 2020 to 8.4% in 2024.
Food Insufficiency by Income
In 2024, food insufficiency rates for all income groups increased compared to 2020. Nearly one in three (29.1%) of New Yorkers making less than $25,000 annually reported food insufficiency in 2024, an increase from 27.0% in 2020. The lowest-income households faced food insufficiency 13 times more than the highest earning households (29.1% vs. 2.2%, respectively).
Discussion and Recommendations
Since early 2020, food insufficiency rates in New York State increased overall. In 2021, a brief decline occurred when pandemic-era government programs helped reduce hunger. Since then, food insufficiency has steadily increased, reaching its highest level in the past five years. The expiration of pandemic-era programs—coupled with rising food prices, inflation, and stagnant wages—has contributed to higher rates of food insufficiency across the State. The burden of food insufficiency continues to fall most heavily on historically marginalized New Yorkers.[8]
Federal and State actions are essential to reduce food insufficiency. State programs supplement federal investments addressing hunger and support many high-need New Yorkers, including low-income households and those with children. These State programs— such as Nourish NY, Double Up Food Bucks, and the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP)—have provided crucial support to these populations.
The degree to which the federal government will continue to support nutrition programs is unclear. In the face of this uncertainty, policymakers, advocates, and community members must protect critical programs like the SNAP, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
State officials should target actions and policies for populations that food insufficiency disproportionately impacts, such as low-income households and households with children. These New Yorkers are more likely to rely on benefit programs like WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid. To reduce food insufficiency, New York should:
- Expand outreach, ensure timely enrollment, and maximize benefits for SNAP and WIC. Nearly half (42%) of New Yorkers eligible for WIC and 9% of New Yorkers eligible for SNAP do not participate. Increased participation in these programs can reduce food insufficiency without significantly increasing State costs, assuming federal program models remain intact. Enhanced benefits administration could also help. For example, SNAP processing times remain a major barrier to participation. While New York has seen some progress, the State currently ranks 47th among 50 states when it comes to timely processing—only a marginal improvement from previous years. New York could also follow New Jersey’s lead by increasing the minimum monthly SNAP benefit.
- Sustain and strengthen the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT). The Summer EBT program provides crucial food benefits to low-income families during the summer months when school meals are unavailable. To maximize program impact, the State should ensure accurate identification of eligible students, timely distribution of benefits, and comprehensive outreach efforts.
- Implement universal free school meals. Proposals to support universal free school meals in the FY 2026 Executive and One-House Budget bills underscore New York’s commitment to reduce hunger. Current eligibility thresholds exclude many families who earn above the limit but still struggle to afford meals. Making free school meals universal would ensure all students have access to nutritious meals, reducing stigma and financial strain.
- Ensure adequate funding for emergency food programs. While SNAP remains the most effective tool for reducing hunger, many New Yorkers depend on emergency food programs.[9] These programs are primarily funded through TEFAP, HPNAP, and local and private sources. Emergency food providers are under enormous strain as they work to meet increased demand. New York State should ensure these programs have the financial resources they require to meet the needs of hungry New Yorkers.
