Explore the Data

Food insecurity

Lancaster County’s rate of food insecurity continues to decrease

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as limited or uncertain access to adequate food.⁸ Food insecurity negatively impacts health.⁹ For children, it can also impede physical and mental development.¹⁰ The rate of food insecurity in Lancaster County in 2014 was 14% for the overall population, and 20% of children were food insecure. In 2019, 12% of the overall population and 15% of children in Lancaster County were food insecure. Lancaster County now has a similar rate of food insecurity as Nebraska as a whole (it was previously higher than Nebraska as a whole).

• In 2019, Lancaster County (12%) had a slightly higher rate of food insecurity than the rest of the United States (11%).
• Food insecurity in Lancaster County is higher for children (15%) than for the overall Lancaster County population (12%).

Footnotes

8. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (Last Updated April 22, 2022). Definitions of Food Security. Retrieved May 1, 2022 from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-food-security.aspx

9. Healthy People 2020. (n.d.) Social Determinants of Health. Retrieved May 1, 2022 from: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health

10. Feeding America (n.d.) Child Hunger in America. Retrieved May 1, 2022 from: http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/child-hunger/