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Hunger in Oregon

How is Oregon doing with regard to hunger and food insecurity?

Oregon has higher than national average rates for hunger and food insecurity. For the 2002-2004 period, 11.9% of Oregon households were food insecure, and 3.8% of Oregon households were hungry.¹ The national averages are 11.4% and 3.6%, respectively.²

Although in past years Oregon has experienced some of the highest rates of hunger in the U.S., the most recent data show that Oregon is showing improvement. Increased Food Stamp outreach efforts have resulted in access to more food for many families; however, the demand for emergency food continues to rise.

Those with a higher than average food insecurity prevalence live in households that:

• have children and are headed by a single female
• are Hispanic or Black
• have incomes below 185% of the poverty line
• have children (households with children experience food insecurity at more than double the rate for households without children)
• live in central cities and outside metropolitan areas

An Oregon State University study explored the USDA Current Population Survey (CPS) hunger and food insecurity data to determine what populations were most impacted by hunger and food insecurity in Oregon, and found that 2-adult households with children and households with at least one person employed are far more likely in Oregon than similar families in other states to be food insecure with hunger.³

Footnotes:

1. Oregon Food Bank
2. "Household Food Security in the United States," Mark Nord, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson, Economic Research Report No. (ERR11), 2005. http://www.ers.usda/publication/err11
3. "Food Insecurity and Hunger in Oregon: A New Look," Mark Edwards and Bruce Weber, OSU, 2003. http://arec.oregonstate.edu/ruralstudies/hunger.pdf

Content Contact: Anne Hoisington