Food insecurity in Maryland and Prince George’s County Although Maryland is the wealthiest state in the country in 2013,140 close to 760,000 Marylanders struggled with food insecurity.141 Seventeen percent or 129,000 of them were Prince George’s County residents. The County had a food insecurity rate of 15 percent, compared to 13 percent in Maryland.142
In Maryland: • One in eight people is food insecure. • One in five children does not have enough food for regular, healthy meals. • One in 10 Marylanders lives below the poverty line.
In Prince George’s County, the situation is similar where: • One in seven people is food insecure. • One in eight children experiences a lack of food. • Almost one in 10 residents lives below the poverty line. Source: 2013 data. Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap 2015. Poverty data from U.S. Census Bureau.
Chart 20 compares Maryland and Prince George’s County in 2013 regarding food insecurity, child food insecurity, and residents below the poverty line.
Chart 20: Comparison of food insecurity and poverty in Maryland and Prince George’s County, 2013
19%
20%
15% 15%
15%
13% 10%
10%
9%
Maryland Prince George's County
5%
0% Food insecure people
Food insecure children
Residents below the poverty line
Source: Food insecurity data from Map the Meal Gap 2015. Poverty data from U.S. Census Bureau.
“America’s Richest (and Poorest) States.” Special report, 24/7 Wall Street, September 18, 2014. http://247wallst.com In Maryland, the median household income was $72,483 in 2013, which is more than $20,000 higher than the national median income of $52,250. 141 Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap 2015. 142 Ibid. 140
Page 102 Prince George’s County Food System Study