Map The Meal Gap: Food Insecurity In Texas Has Increased Exponentially
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يوليو 29, 2026
Study shows Texas continues to have the largest food-insecure population in the nation – يوليو 29, 2026
HOUSTON… Food insecurity in Texas is on the rise and continues to significantly impact families, senior citizens and children, according to the latest Map the Meal Gap study. In fact, the results show that Texas continues to have the largest food-insecure population in the nation.
Today, 19.4% of Texans, or nearly 1 in 5 people, are experiencing food insecurity, up from 17.6%, or 1 in 6 Texans, in last year’s report. Texas continues to have the largest food-insecure population in the nation, with 6,062,890 Texans facing food insecurity.
The findings are part of the 2026 Map the Meal Gap study featuring 2024 data, which is the only comprehensive, county-level study of food insecurity and food costs in the U.S.
Food insecurity means a household lacks enough money or resources to reliably access adequate food. It’s not just families who pay the price, it’s Texas too: worse health, kids falling behind in school, and higher costs down the road for our healthcare system and economy.
“Food-insecure people – who are often living in poverty or just above it – can have food in their pantries, but often cannot often afford fresh produce, meat and other nutritious items that are necessary for a healthy life,” says Brian Greene, president/CEO of Houston Food Bank. “Food insecurity isn’t really about food – it is about income. Food is simply the most flexible household expense when individuals or families lack the money to pay for fixed costs like rent, utilities and medical bills. Solving food insecurity requires addressing low wages.”
Statewide findings from the 2026 report also highlight the growing severity of food insecurity across Texas:
- 1 in 4 Texas children are experiencing food insecurity, representing 1%, or 1,995,810 children, an increase from 22.2% last year.
- 1 in 7 Texas seniors are experiencing food insecurity, increasing from 6% to 15.1%.
- Food insecurity among White, non-Hispanic Texans increased from 11% to 12%, meaning 1 in 8 are now experiencing food insecurity.
- Food insecurity among Black Texans increased from 31% to 34%, meaning 1 in 3 Black Texans are experiencing food insecurity.
The Map the Meal Gap study also reveals a significant portion of individuals experiencing food insecurity may not qualify for federal nutrition assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Across the country, more than half of those struggling with food insecurity fall above the SNAP eligibility threshold, meaning many families must rely on local food banks and community meal programs to get by.
These findings are echoed by recent 211 Texas data from United Ways of Texas. From فبراير to يونيو 2026, calls to 211 seeking food assistance increased 28.6%, while referrals to food banks and food pantries rose nearly 37%, from 4,230 to 5,785 referrals. Among those seeking food assistance between يناير and يونيو 2026, 43% were adults age 50 and older. During the same period, requests for home-delivered meals increased about 23%, growing from 510 to 629 requests.
Additionally, new provisions in HR 1, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” shift certain program costs to states and tie significant new financial obligations to SNAP payment error rates—a statistical measure of how accurately SNAP benefits are calculated by Texas Health and Human Services.
Beginning أكتوبر 1, 2027, states with payment error rates above 6% must share between 5-15% of SNAP benefit costs. Texas’ payment error rate for fiscal year 2025 is 9.34%, meaning the state could face up to $709 million per year in benefit costs beginning in fiscal year 2028. If states are unable to take on this new financial burden, it could put their participation in SNAP at risk, threatening SNAP benefits for millions of working families, children, seniors and veterans.
Notably, states with exceptionally high payment error rates (above 13.34% in FY25), including Alaska and Georgia, have already been granted a two-year extension to meet the new requirements.
Texas food banks currently distribute more than 700 million pounds of food annually through a network of more than 5,000 community partners, yet for every meal provided by food banks, SNAP provides nine. SNAP remains the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program and plays a vital role in supporting local grocers, retailers and agricultural producers across the state. Millions of households rely on SNAP at some point during the year to help stretch their grocery budgets.
“We are calling on Congress to postpone the cost-share requirement for two years in order for every state to have adequate time to implement these improvements before being subjected to significant financial penalties,” Greene says. “Our priority should be ensuring the policy is implemented effectively while safeguarding eligible families’ access to food assistance.”
For a more interactive view of the Map the Meal Gap study, please visit https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2024/overall/texas/organization/houston-food-bank
For more information about Houston Food Bank and to learn about its advocacy efforts and opportunities for the public to support them, please visit HoustonFoodBank.org.
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Serving Houston and southeast Texas since 1982, Houston Food Bank’s mission is to provide food for better lives. We provide access to 143 million nutritious meals in 18 counties through our 1,600 community partners of food pantries, soup kitchens, social service providers and schools. Filling gaps on plates, we have a strong focus on healthy foods and fresh produce. In collaboration with our community, we advocate for policy change and promote dialogue on ways to increase access to food and to improve the lives of those in our communities, including services and connections to programs that address the root causes of hunger and are aimed at helping families achieve long-term stability: nutrition education, health management and help with securing state-funded assistance. We are a resource for individuals and families in times of hardship. Houston Food Bank works alongside our partner food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston County and Brazos Valley. Houston Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the 14th consecutive year.
الموقع الإلكتروني houstonfoodbank.org؛ وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي: @houstonfoodbank (إنستغرام وX)، @thehoustonfoodbank (فيسبوك)
