Food Security
Food security measures the percentage of people who have had access to sufficient food. Consistent access to safe and nutritious food is fundamental to human existence. It contributes to positive short and long-term health outcomes and is essential to children’s development.
The food security rate fluctuated widely between 2014 to 2022. The rate of food security steadily increased from 2014 to 2019. The rate dropped in 2020 as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic but returned to the pre-pandemic high in 2021. However, the food security rate has been falling since 2021.
Food security rates varied across counties in 2022. In Ferry County, only 85% of households were food secure, whereas 93% of King and Snohomish County households were food secure.
Children below the age of 18 experienced the lowest rate of food security at 83%. This means that almost 2 in 10 children and adults were food insecure. Seniors (65+) also experience with food security although to a lesser degree at 96% in 2022.
The Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS) is the source of national and State-level statistics on food insecurity used in USDA’s annual reports on household food security.