Map of Pennsylvania food insecurity by county
Philadelphia has a 22 percent “food insecurity” rate.
That number is 13.7 in Delaware County, 9.7 in Chester County, 10.5 in Montgomery County and 10.1 in Bucks County, and represents the amount of people who have trouble accessing food and meeting the healthy diet standards of the USDA.The figures are part of the Coalition Against Hunger’s “State of Hunger: Pennsylvania 2013” report, which evaluates food needs and access by county, and looks at the number of people getting food assistance in the state.
Highlights of the report, which can be read in full on the Coalition’s website, include the following:
One in five eligible Pennsylvanians who qualify for SNAP don’t participate in the program.
Fewer than half of low-income students who receive free or reduced-price school lunch are getting school breakfast.
When school is out, four in five low-income students miss out on summer meals.
Bucks is one of the counties that’s seen a big spike (108 percent) in the number of people who rely on SNAP.
These numbers are represented on an interactive map that has hunger information about all 67 counties.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.