Latest data: More East Texas children facing food insecurity than before
Published 5:45 am Wednesday, July 29, 2026
The number of food insecure children in East Texas has increased, according to new data released Tuesday by Feeding America.
In the 26-county area served by the East Texas Food Bank, 83,090 children experienced food security in 2024 — an increase of nearly 3,000 children from the previous year. These statistics are the latest presented by Feeding America through its annual Map the Meal Gap study.
The data means 1 in 4 East Texas children do not have consistent access to enough nutritious food, the food bank said. Compared to the previous year’s data, an estimated 80,250 children in East Texas were food insecure in 2023.
The food bank notes that the updated study, based on 2024 data, highlights a growing challenge for families already struggling with rising costs and economic uncertainty.
“No child should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from,” said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “Yet thousands of children across East Texas may go to bed hungry or without the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and thrive. Through programs like Summer Feeding, the BackPack Program, our network of partner pantries, resource centers, and produce distributions, we’re working every day to meet that need — but these new numbers show there is still much more work to do.”
In the report, Marion County has the highest child food insecurity rate in the 26-county service area, with 38% classified as food insecure. Not far behind is St. Augustine County, which climbed to a rate of 37% in 2024. Shelby County’s rate is 32% and Angelina and Red River counties each saw rates of 31% in 2024, according to Feeding America, which is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States.
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Several of East Texas’ largest counties continue to experience significant child food insecurity, including Gregg and Bowie counties at 28% each and Smith County doing just a few percentage points better at 24%.
“Food insecurity isn’t a problem happening somewhere else, it’s affecting families in every community across East Texas,” Emerson said. “Hunger remains especially severe in many rural areas, where unemployment, rising living costs, transportation barriers, and health challenges make it even harder for families to put food on the table. These findings remind us that it takes all of us — neighbors, businesses, community organizations, and policymakers—working together to create a future where everyone has access to nutritious food.”
While child food insecurity increased, the report found a slight improvement among adults. The adult food insecurity rate in East Texas declined from 18.2% to 17.9%, improving from approximately 1 in 5 adults to 1 in 6 adults experiencing food insecurity.
The East Texas Food Bank is one of more than 200-member food banks in Feeding America’s nationwide network. Map the Meal Gap is the only study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district in the United States. The food bank is the largest hunger-relief nonprofit in East Texas, providing over 34 million meals each year to 200 partner agencies and feeding programs.
Map the Meal Gap uses publicly available data from the USDA Economic Research Service, U.S. Census Bureau, and Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate local food insecurity at the county, congressional district, and state levels. The study also estimates local meal costs and food budget shortfalls using food price data from NIQ based on the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, and grocery sales tax data for every county and state in the country.
The study is supported by Conagra Brands Foundation, Enterprise Mobility Foundation and NielsenIQ/NIQ.