Top 10+ States That Are Running Out of Sensible and Healthy Food

Mississippi Takes the Lead in Food Scarcity

Imagine living in a place where fresh vegetables cost more than your hourly wage, and the nearest grocery store is farther away than your commute to work. This isn't some dystopian novel – it's the reality for residents in Mississippi, where 30% of residents live in a food desert.

The Magnolia State holds the unfortunate distinction of ranking first nationally in food access problems, creating a perfect storm of poverty, distance, and limited healthy options. Mississippi is the poorest state, with a poverty rate of 20.3%, and 50 out of the 82 counties are considered to be in persistent poverty.

But it's also the hungriest state with 1 in 5 children going hungry. In Mississippi, 15.3% of households are food insecure.

The statistics paint a grim picture where basic nutrition becomes a luxury rather than a right.

New Mexico's Double Trouble with Food Access

New Mexico faces a unique predicament that sets it apart from other struggling states. 29% of New Mexico's population lives in a food desert, but what makes this especially concerning is that New Mexico is one of the most affected states by both measures – both by land area and population percentage. This means vast stretches of the state are completely devoid of accessible healthy food options.

New Mexico ranks fourth highest for childhood food insecurity behind Arkansas (24%), Oklahoma (24%), and Louisiana (23.4%). The data released shows one in four children is at risk of hunger in New Mexico, or 23.3% of all children in the state.

When you're driving through New Mexico's expansive rural areas, you're not just crossing beautiful landscapes – you're crossing food deserts that stretch for miles.

Arkansas Struggles with Stagnant Food Infrastructure

Arkansas represents a textbook case of how food access problems develop over time through systematic neglect. 26% of Arkansas's population lives in food deserts, making it the third-worst state in the nation for food access. What's particularly troubling is that more than 82% of the state's counties have one or more communities that need improved access to food.

The report said traditional grocery store expansion in the state has stagnated for more than a decade with the number of supermarkets and grocery stores per 10,000 people hovering around two since 2010. Think about that – in over ten years, grocery access hasn't improved at all.

Arkansas is one of the acutely affected states, with the USDA estimating there are nearly 700,000 residents living in a Low-Income, Low Access census tract.

Louisiana's Post-Disaster Food Challenges

Louisiana's food access crisis has been compounded by natural disasters and economic instability that have permanently altered the state's food landscape. Many southern states such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama are present among the worst-affected areas, with Louisiana consistently ranking in the top tier of states with food access problems.

The state's unique geography, with its numerous rural parishes and areas still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and other disasters, creates pockets where residents have virtually no access to fresh, affordable food. Despite efforts to strengthen these supply chains, many Louisiana residents continue to face obstacles in attaining dry goods and fresh food.

The Gulf States Newsroom's Stephan Bisaha tells us more about the recent closures of multiple grocery stores across the South. It's a cascading effect where one store closure leads to another, leaving entire communities stranded.

Alabama's Rural Food Crisis

Alabama demonstrates how geographic isolation and economic challenges create lasting food access problems. Many southern states such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama are present in the list of most affected states.

Many rural Alabamians lack access to grocery stores, resulting in "food deserts" with limited access to fresh, affordable and nutritious food. "Food insecurity is a significant issue in Alabama.

Our state ranks as the fifth-poorest in the nation," she said. Taylor cited data from the Alabama Department of Public Health, which indicates that 17 percent of adults and 23 percent of children in the state experience food insecurity.

The numbers reveal a state where nearly one in four children don't know where their next meal is coming from. More than 391,000 households in the state received $2.1 billion in food assistance during 2023, illustrating the massive scale of the problem.

Georgia's Urban and Rural Food Divide

Georgia presents a fascinating case study in food access inequality, where Atlanta's abundance contrasts sharply with rural areas' scarcity. Many southern states such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama are present among the states with the highest percentage of residents living in food deserts.

Atlanta, San Bernardino, Orlando, and Indianapolis are in the top ten cities by both measures, indicating that these cities may suffer a particularly severe problem with reliable access to food. This means that even within Georgia's largest metropolitan area, significant portions of the population struggle with food access.

The state's rural counties face even more severe challenges, where residents must travel enormous distances to reach the nearest grocery store.

Alaska's Geographic Food Isolation

Alaska's food access problems are unique in scale and scope, driven primarily by its vast geography and sparse population. Alaska has the highest relative share of land area that is classified as a food desert due to much of the state being unpopulated or lowly populated.

But it's not just about empty land – it's about real people living in communities where getting fresh food requires extraordinary effort and expense. Alaska has the highest relative share of land area that is classified as a food desert due to much of the state being unpopulated or lowly populated.

In many Alaskan communities, residents pay premium prices for basic groceries that must be flown in, making healthy eating a luxury that many simply cannot afford. With the notable exceptions of Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S.

Virgin Islands, the use of a single average cost to determine SNAP benefits across the country ignores dramatic food price variation households face.

Colorado's Mountain Communities Left Behind

Colorado's food access problems stem from its mountainous terrain and dispersed rural communities that often get overlooked in food distribution networks. Many western states such as New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington are among the states with the highest share of area in a food desert.

The state's ski resort towns and rural mining communities often exist in virtual food deserts, where residents pay inflated prices for basic groceries or must travel long distances to access affordable food options. Colorado enacted HB 24-1416, codifying an incentive program designed to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in low-income communities.

However, legislative efforts like this often struggle to address the fundamental geographic challenges that create food deserts in the first place.

Washington State's Surprising Food Access Problems

Washington State's inclusion in the list of problematic food access states might surprise many, given its reputation for agriculture and progressive policies. Many western states such as New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington are among the states with the highest share of area in a food desert.

The reality is that while the Seattle metropolitan area enjoys abundant food options, vast portions of eastern Washington and rural communities throughout the state face significant food access challenges. In 2023, Illinois (HB 2471) and Washington (HB 1238) also enacted legislation to provide universal free school meals or expand access to free school meals for public school students.

The state's legislative response shows recognition of the problem, but implementation remains challenging across such diverse geographic and economic conditions.

Texas's Vast Food Desert Landscape

Texas, despite its size and economic power, contains enormous food deserts that affect millions of residents across its rural and urban areas. In 2023, the Texas legislature enacted HB 3323, which established a food system security and resiliency planning council, and requires a food system security plan for reasonably-priced food to ensure public health and welfare, economic development, the protection of the state's agricultural resources, and includes legislative recommendations to facilitate the availability of food in the state.

The scale of Texas means that its food access problems affect a massive number of people. Coefficients of park accessibility with a negative direction for obesity (-1.300 to -0.639) are displayed in parts of states including Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, and large areas in Alabama.

Rural Texas communities, particularly along the border and in remote areas, often have residents who must drive hours to reach a full-service grocery store. In Texas, a proposed House Bill would offer incentives to grocers that locate in the state's food deserts, but the sheer size and complexity of the problem makes solutions difficult to implement effectively.

The Hidden Cost of America's Food Crisis

The reality of food deserts across these ten states reveals a deeper crisis in American society – one where geography, poverty, and policy failures converge to create a perfect storm of food insecurity. New analysis from the Association of American Medical Colleges and USDA shows that 44 million people are food insecure and 23.5 million live in food deserts.

This means that 1 in 8 Americans struggles to eat daily, a significant change from 1 in 10 in 2021. These aren't just statistics – they represent real families making impossible choices between paying rent and buying groceries.

Groceries sold in food deserts are often far more expensive than those sold in cities or suburban areas. For example, milk prices in food desert tend to be 5% higher and cereal prices 25% higher.

This is because getting the food to the regions in the first place can be expensive, leading to higher shelf prices that get passed on to consumers. When you're already struggling financially, paying 25% more for basic necessities isn't just inconvenient – it's devastating.

What would you choose if you had to pick between feeding your family tonight or keeping the lights on?

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