Table 7

Prevalence of household-level food insecurity and very low food security by State, average 2007-091
Food insecurity
Number of households (low or very low food security) Very low food security
Average
State 2007-092 Interviewed Prevalence Margin of error3 Prevalence Margin of error3
Number Number Percent Percentage points Percent Percentage points
U.S. 117,613,000 123,300 13.5 0.28 5.2 0.13
AK 249,000 1,619 12.9 1.60 4.6 1.27
AL 1,860,000 1,415 15.0 2.08 6.8* 1.22
AR 1,149,000 1,463 17.7* 2.83 6.4 1.40
AZ 2,579,000 1,480 14.5 1.66 5.3 .93
CA 12,994,000 9,186 14.1 .65 5.1 .43
CO 1,987,000 2,739 12.2* 1.11 5.2 .60
CT 1,370,000 2,647 11.4* 1.02 4.6 .67
DC 289,000 1,955 12.9 1.87 4.5 .86
DE 341,000 1,832 9.5* 1.23 3.7* .83
FL 7,492,000 4,873 14.2 .82 6.1* .47
GA 3,750,000 2,652 15.6* 1.47 5.9 .83
HI 442,000 1,743 11.4* 1.32 3.9* .91
IA 1,240,000 2,448 11.5* 1.00 5.0 .92
ID 561,000 1,381 11.6* 1.31 4.5 .91
IL 4,925,000 3,708 12.2* 1.08 4.4* .57
IN 2,467,000 1,992 12.3 1.75 4.8 .79
KS 1,155,000 1,917 14.2 .83 4.8 .93
KY 1,688,000 1,874 13.4 1.87 5.0 1.05
LA 1,716,000 1,237 10.0* 1.42 3.3* 1.00
MA 2,536,000 1,869 10.0* 1.40 4.3 1.10
MD 2,182,000 2,813 11.1* 1.45 4.3* .79
ME 542,000 2,616 14.8 1.53 6.7* 1.04
MI 3,910,000 2,948 13.4 1.40 5.0 .82
MN 2,119,000 3,130 10.5* 1.02 4.1* .55
MO 2,441,000 2,153 15.0 1.74 6.4* 1.10
MS 1,142,000 1,212 17.1* 1.69 6.5* 1.02
MT 419,000 1,399 12.4 1.31 5.0 .76
NC 3,671,000 2,682 14.8* 1.23 5.0 .66
ND 273,000 1,775 6.7* 1.15 2.6* .52
NE 707,000 1,933 12.2 1.93 4.8 1.20
NH 524,000 2,711 8.9* 1.12 3.9* .80
NJ 3,129,000 2,350 11.5* 1.11 4.0* .96
NM 767,000 1,086 14.7 2.16 4.7 1.57
NV 996,000 1,882 12.8 2.22 4.9 1.41
NY 7,592,000 4,910 12.4* .96 4.6* .49
OH 4,589,000 3,508 14.8 1.85 6.1* .83
OK 1,441,000 1,570 15.2 1.80 6.5* 1.30
OR 1,514,000 1,772 13.9 1.46 6.6* 1.02
PA 4,988,000 3,756 11.8* 1.00 4.4* .61
RI 424,000 2,127 13.7 1.20 5.4 .70
SC 1,798,000 1,859 13.5 1.80 5.0 .76
SD 328,000 2,041 11.2* 1.46 4.8 .83
TN 2,513,000 1,704 15.1 1.86 5.3 .99
TX 8,808,000 5,787 17.4* .93 6.4* .41
UT 887,000 1,247 11.8 2.08 4.9 1.10
VA 2,977,000 2,515 9.2* 1.20 3.6* .76
VT 260,000 1,889 13.6 1.60 6.2 1.10
WA 2,624,000 2,137 14.0 1.59 5.8 1.14
WI 2,308,000 2,514 11.4* 1.15 4.4 .85
WV 727,000 1,473 13.4 2.27 5.3 1.09
WY 222,000 1,771 9.8* 1.78 3.6* .87
*Difference from U.S. average was statistically significant with 90-percent confidence (t > 1.645).
1Prevalence rates for 1996-98 reported in Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Hunger, by State, 1996-1998 (Nord et al., 1999) are not directly com-

parable with the rates reported here because of differences in screening procedures in the CPS Food Security Supplements from 1995 to 1998.
Comparable statistics for the earlier period are presented in table 8.
2Totals exclude households whose food security status is unknown because they did not give a valid response to any of the questions in the food

security scale. These represented about 0.3 percent of all households in each year.
3Margin of error with 90-percent confidence (1.645 times the standard error of the estimated prevalence rate).

Source: Prepared by ERS using data from the December 2007, December 2008, and December 2009 Current Population Survey Food Security
Supplements.
20
Household Food Security in the United States, 2009 / ERR-108
Economic Research Service/USDA