OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Data from the United States Department of Agriculture sheds light on food insecurity in American.

According to the USDA:

• Food insecure – These households were uncertain of having or unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food.
• Low food security – These food-insecure households were able to get enough food to avoid substantially disrupting their eating patterns or reducing food intake by using a variety of coping strategies, such as eating less varied diets, participating in Federal food assistance programs, or getting food from community food pantries.
• Very low food security – In these food-insecure households, normal eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake was reduced at times during the year because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. 

USDA data from 2020-2022 breaks down where each state ranks in terms of food security. The three years of data places the states in three categories:

• Food insecurity below U.S. average
• Food insecurity near U.S. average (11.2%)
• Food insecurity above U.S. average

According to the USDA, Oklahoma experiences food insecurity above the U.S. average much like Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina.

Officials say food insecurity may affect a household based on factors like number of children, race/ethnicity, income-to-poverty-ratio, location and geographic region.

Across the United States in 2022, 82.7% of homes with children were food secure, while only 17.3% of homes with children were food insecure.

In 8.5% of homes with kids, only adults faced food insecurity, while in 8.8% of homes with kids, both children and adults faced food insecurity.

For more information and a full list of states, visit ers.usda.gov.