Boroughs with the highest rate of food insecurity in Alaska

Written by:
February 5, 2022
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Boroughs with the highest rate of food insecurity in Alaska

Every county in the United States is home to people experiencing food insecurity, defined by the nonprofit Feeding America as "a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life."

The USDA estimates that 89.5% of U.S. households were food secure throughout 2019—that's 116.0 million people. The COVID-19 pandemic put further strain on households already experiencing food hardship, with Feeding America estimating that 42 million people, or 1 in 8 Americans, may experience food insecurity in 2021. This is a slight improvement from 2020 numbers but still represents an enormous burden for millions of children and adults.

Stacker compiled a list of boroughs in Alaska with the highest rate of food insecurity using data from Feeding America. Boroughs are ranked by highest percent of population with food insecurity as of 2019.

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#29. Juneau City and Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 10.3% (3,310 total)
--- 5.5% lower than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 12.6% (880 total)
--- 13.7% lower than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $1,959,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.46

#28. Anchorage Municipality

- Food insecurity rate: 10.9% (32,090 total)
--- 0.0% lower than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 14.7% (10,590 total)
--- 0.7% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $20,681,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.77

#27. Aleutians East Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 11.0% (370 total)
--- 0.9% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 15.4% (70 total)
--- 5.5% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $283,000
--- Cost per meal: $4.47

#26. Fairbanks North Star Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 11.1% (10,990 total)
--- 1.8% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 14.5% (3,480 total)
--- 0.7% lower than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $6,867,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.65

#25. Valdez-Cordova Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 11.3% (1,040 total)
--- 3.7% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 14.8% (320 total)
--- 1.4% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $682,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.84

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#24. Sitka City and Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 11.4% (980 total)
--- 4.6% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 14.4% (270 total)
--- 1.4% lower than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $621,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.70

#23. Aleutians West Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 11.5% (650 total)
--- 5.5% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 9.3% (90 total)
--- 36.3% lower than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $724,000
--- Cost per meal: $6.52

#22. Kodiak Island Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 11.5% (1,550 total)
--- 5.5% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 14.6% (510 total)
--- 0.0% lower than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $1,037,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.91

#21. Yakutat City and Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 12.0% (80 total)
--- 10.1% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 15.6% (20 total)
--- 6.8% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $55,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.99

#20. Matanuska-Susitna Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 12.0% (12,680 total)
--- 10.1% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 16.6% (4,700 total)
--- 13.7% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $9,258,000
--- Cost per meal: $4.27

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#19. Bristol Bay Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 12.7% (110 total)
--- 16.5% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 16.4% (30 total)
--- 12.3% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $73,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.90

#18. Petersburg Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 12.7% (410 total)
--- 16.5% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 19.3% (130 total)
--- 32.2% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $260,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.70

#17. Ketchikan Gateway Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 12.9% (1,790 total)
--- 18.3% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 17.5% (530 total)
--- 19.9% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $1,112,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.63

#16. North Slope Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 13.2% (1,290 total)
--- 21.1% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 18.0% (460 total)
--- 23.3% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $815,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.70

#15. Skagway Municipality

- Food insecurity rate: 13.4% (150 total)
--- 22.9% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 18.0% (30 total)
--- 23.3% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $94,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.67

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#14. Wrangell City and Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 13.5% (340 total)
--- 23.9% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 17.2% (80 total)
--- 17.8% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $217,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.74

#13. Kenai Peninsula Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 13.5% (7,890 total)
--- 23.9% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 18.5% (2,450 total)
--- 26.7% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $6,024,000
--- Cost per meal: $4.47

#12. Haines Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 13.9% (350 total)
--- 27.5% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 19.5% (130 total)
--- 33.6% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $221,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.69

#11. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 14.5% (990 total)
--- 33.0% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 20.6% (380 total)
--- 41.1% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $643,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.80

#10. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 14.9% (320 total)
--- 36.7% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 22.8% (70 total)
--- 56.2% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $191,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.49

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#9. Denali Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 15.1% (340 total)
--- 38.5% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 16.7% (40 total)
--- 14.4% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $223,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.83

#8. Dillingham Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 16.3% (810 total)
--- 49.5% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 23.2% (360 total)
--- 58.9% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $576,000
--- Cost per meal: $4.16

#7. Lake and Peninsula Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 16.7% (230 total)
--- 53.2% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 25.8% (80 total)
--- 76.7% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $153,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.90

#6. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 18.2% (1,170 total)
--- 67.0% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 27.5% (410 total)
--- 88.4% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $699,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.49

#5. Nome Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 18.9% (1,890 total)
--- 73.4% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 25.0% (860 total)
--- 71.2% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $1,448,000
--- Cost per meal: $4.48

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#4. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 22.0% (1,180 total)
--- 101.8% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 32.5% (480 total)
--- 122.6% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $776,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.85

#3. Northwest Arctic Borough

- Food insecurity rate: 22.2% (1,720 total)
--- 103.7% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 30.6% (830 total)
--- 109.6% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $1,166,000
--- Cost per meal: $3.96

#2. Bethel Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 22.5% (4,080 total)
--- 106.4% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 30.3% (1,940 total)
--- 107.5% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $2,853,000
--- Cost per meal: $4.09

#1. Kusilvak Census Area

- Food insecurity rate: 28.6% (2,360 total)
--- 162.4% higher than national average
- Child food insecurity rate: 40.5% (1,350 total)
--- 177.4% higher than national average
- Annual food budget shortfall: $1,808,000
--- Cost per meal: $4.48

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