Fact Sheet on State Food Insecurity Rankings State prevalence rates of food insecurity, average 1996-98 Release No. f414.99 Fact Sheet State Food Insecurity Rankings State prevalence rates of food insecurity, average 1996-98 Food Insecure1 State (% of households) Rank NM 15.1 (A) 1 MS 14.0 (A) 2 TX 12.9 (A) 3 AZ 12.8 (A) 4t LA 12.8 (A) 4t AR 12.6 (A) 6t OR 12.6 (A) 6t WA 11.9 (A) 8t OK 11.9 (A) 8t FL 11.5 (A) 10 CA 11.4 (A) 11 AL 11.3 12 DC 11.1 (A) 13 TN 10.9 14 HI 10.4 15 MT 10.2 16t SC 10.2 16t ID 10.1 18 NY 10.0 19 KS 9.9 20 US Average 9.7 GA 9.7 21 WY 9.0 22t WV 9.0 22t NC 8.8 24t CO 8.8 24t CT 8.8 24t UT 8.8 24t RI 8.7 28t ME 8.7 28t NV 8.6 30t MO 8.6 30t OH 8.5 (B) 32 KY 8.4 (B) 33 VA 8.3 (B) 34 IL 8.2 (B) 35 MI 8.1 (B) 36 IN 7.8 (B) 37 VT 7.7 (B) 38 AK 7.6 (B) 39 NE 7.5 (B) 40 NH 7.4 (B) 41 NJ 7.3 (B) 42 WI 7.2 (B) 43 PA 7.1 (B) 44t MD 7.1 (B) 44t IA 7.0 (B) 46 MN 6.9 (B) 47 DE 6.8 (B) 48 SD 6.4 (B) 49 MA 6.3 (B) 50 ND 4.6 (B) 51 (A) Above U.S. average - difference statistically significant with 90% confidence (B) Below U.S. average - difference statistically significant with 90% confidence 1 Food insecurity means that a household has limited or uncertain access to enough safe, nutritious food for an active and healthy life. These households have reduced quality and variety of meals, and may have irregular food intake. There may be a need for recourse to emergency food sources or other extraordinary coping behaviors to meet their basic food needs. Source: Calculated by ERS based on Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement data, September 1996, April 1997, and August 1998. Measuring Food Security in the United States: Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Hunger, by State, 1996-1998 (FANRR-2) is available on the ERS Website at http://www.econ.ag.gov/epubs/ pdf/fanrr2/index.htm. For a printed copy, call: 1-202-694-5139 (News Media); 1-800-999-6779 (Non-News Media). #