Level of Food Insecurity Remains Steady in San Bernardino County
Food insecurity is not having consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. It reflects both the quantity and quality of food in a household, as people may decide to go without food or purchase less expensive food, which may be less nutritious. Food insecurity can also cause increased stress, requiring families to choose between food and other essentials such as housing, utilities, transportation, and medical care. People who are food insecure are disproportionally affected by diet-sensitive chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and according to research, food insecurity is also linked to many adverse effects on overall health.[1] For children, research shows an association between food insecurity and delayed development in young children; risk of chronic illnesses like asthma and anemia; and behavioral problems like hyperactivity, anxiety, and aggression in school-age children.[2] This indicator reports data from the national annual food security survey, including both low food security (reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet) and very low food security (food intake is reduced and normal eating patterns are disrupted because the household lacks money and other resources for food).
TREND
Food insecurity in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area has remained relatively stable. The proportion of the population that has low food security increased slightly from 10.8% in 2019 to 11.0% in 2023.
METRO REGION FOOD INSECURITY RELATIVELY CONSTANT SINCE 2019
Percent of Residents Experiencing Low and Very Low Food Security in the Riverside-San Bernardino Metro Area, 2019-2023
GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISON
In 2023, fewer people in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area were considered to have low food security compared to the state and nation. This is a notable change from 2019 through 2021, when the region had a higher level of food insecurity than the state and nation.
METRO REGION FOOD INSECURITY LOWER THAN STATE AND NATION
Percent of Residents Experiencing Low Food Security in the Riverside-San Bernardino Metro Area, California, and the United States, 2019-2023
What is it like in a household with very low food security?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 2023 Food Security Survey, households with very low food insecurity reported experiencing the following conditions (national data):[3]
- 98% reported having worried that their food would run out before they got money to buy more.
- 97% reported that the food they bought just did not last, and they did not have money to get more.
- 96% reported that they could not afford to eat balanced meals.
- 97% reported that an adult had cut the size of his/her meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food; 88% reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months of the year.
- 68% of respondents reported that they had been hungry but did not eat because they could not afford enough food.
- 30% reported that an adult did not eat for a whole day because there was not enough money for food; 23% reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months of the year.
[1] Gregory, C. and Coleman-Jensen, A. (2017). Food Insecurity, Chronic Disease, and Health Among Working-Age Adults. [online] United States Department of Agriculture. Available at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/84467/err-235_summary.pdf?v=0 [Accessed 13 Nov. 2019].
[2] Cook, J. and Jeng, K. (2009). Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on our Nation. [online] Nokidhungry.org. Available at: https://www.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/child-economy-study.pdf [Accessed 13 Nov. 2019].
[3] Rabbitt, M.P., Reed-Jones, M., Hales, L.J., & Burke, M.P. (2024). Household food security in the United States in 2023 (Report No. ERR-337). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.