New Research Reveals Surge In Maryland Households Not Having Enough to Eat in Maryland During Pandemic

Media Contact:
Brittani Riddle
briddle@frac.org
202-640-1089

Washington, July 22, 2021 — A dramatic number of households across Maryland struggle with not having enough to eat, according to a new data tool released by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), the parent organization of Maryland Hunger Solutions.

This new tool provides comprehensive data and research on the connection between hunger, poverty, and health during the pandemic. The pandemic has had an enormous impact on communities in Maryland. While several communities across the state saw a rise in food insufficiency, households with lower educational attainment and Black and Latinx households overall saw a startling increase.

The most recent data from Maryland in June reveal critical findings:

• the average food insufficiency rate for households with a high school education or lower was much worse in Maryland (11.50 percent) than in Virginia (6.4 percent);
•   the average food insufficiency rate for Latinx households was much worse in Maryland (14.9 percent) than in Virginia, (10.2 percent); and
• Black households reported food insufficiency about three times more often than White households.

“The FRAC dashboard is a very helpful tool in analyzing and addressing food insecurity, at the state level, at the regional level, and at the national level. These data are critical in assessing the success of federal nutrition programs, as we work to address hunger-related poverty and to improve the standard of living for Marylanders all across our state,” said Michael J. Wilson, director, Maryland Hunger Solutions.

The information available in FRAC’s Food Insufficiency During COVID-19 Dashboard is calculated using the Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey Data Tables data. The dashboard will be updated every two weeks and is available online.

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About Maryland Hunger Solutions
Founded by the Food Research & Action Center in 2007, Maryland Hunger Solutions works to end hunger and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of children and families in Maryland. Learn more at mdhungersolutions.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.