Hunger & Poverty in Arizona 

Child Food Insecurity in the United States 2005-2007

Released in May 2009, this groundbreaking new report issued by Feeding America reveals one in six young children live on the brink of hunger in 26 states in the U.S.  In Arizona, 20.2% of children under 18 are food insecure, the 5th highest rate in the country.

The rate of food insecurity in young children is 33% higher than in U.S. adults, where one in eight live at risk of hunger.  The report shows that 3.5 million children, ages five and under, are food insecure.  In Arizona, 19.2% of children ages five and under are food insecure, ranking 14th in country.

The analysis included the first ever state-by-state analysis of early childhood hunger, using data collected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report also found that food insecurity among all children (less than 18 years of age) increased dramatically in many states compared to USDA data collected between 2003 and 2005.The report was funded with a grant from the ConAgra Foods Foundation.

In total, more than 12 million children in the United States are food insecure and unable to consistently access adequate amounts of nutritious food necessary for a healthy life.

 View The Complete Report


Current State of Poverty in Arizona

Poverty guidelines are updated annually in the Federal Register by the U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and currently define the poverty threshold as a gross annual income of less than $22,050 for a family of four.

• 14.2% or 881,257 Arizonans live in poverty;
  
• 20.2% or 330,910 are under the age of 18, meaning that in Arizona, 1 in 5 children live in poverty;
  
• 30.3% or nearly 1.9 million people in Arizona are considered to be the "working poor," meaning they live at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline.  This is defined as a gross annual income of less than $39,200 for a family of four.

2008 Federal Poverty Guidelines Chart

Report: Profiles of General Demographic Characteristics 2000 for Arizona counties and cities


Status of SNAP (Food Stamp) Participation

The Food and Nutrition Service has released the Trends In Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates: 2000 - 2007.  A brief summary report is also available.  

The report shows the average monthly number of participants grew from about 25 million in 2006 to 26 million in 2007, and during that same period, the number of people eligible for the program grew even faster - twice as fast as the number of participants.  Program participation has continued to grow substantially since 2007, reaching more than 33 million people in March 2009.  The rapid growth in the SNAP eligible population, which is outpacing participation increases, has led to a small reduction in the participation rate.

Even as State agencies have increased outreach, implemented program simplifications, and engaged community partners, they face substantial economic challenges. Caseloads are increasing at a greater rate than State administrative resources.  The Recovery Act provided States $144.5 million this year and will provide $146 million next year to help offset these rising costs.

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As of March 2009, 791,244 Arizonans receive SNAP (food stamp) benefits, a 22% increase over March 2008. Before the recent surge, starting in September 1995, more than 192,439 low-income Arizonans dropped off the Food Stamp roles due to program eligibility changes and misunderstandings about benefit eligibility. It took more than seven years to exceed participation rates of September 1995.

As of March 2009, the average Arizona Food Stamp benefit is $1.20 per meal. The average food stamp allotment per person in Arizona was $112.87 and the average food stamp allotment per household in Arizona was $269.50.

As of January 2008, reports show 608,423 Arizonans are living at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, but DO NOT receive food stamps.

• 41% are children and senior citizens.
• 30% of the households are headed by single-parents among households with children under 18.
• 13% of the families had children under age five. These are children who are at a critical stage of development, which will in part determine their future success and productivity.
• 15% of families reported their children skipped meals because there was not enough money for food.
• The racial/ethnic make-up is 42% White, 9% Black, 7% Native American and 41% Hispanic.
• 42% of the households reported having someone in the household who is employed.
• 27% reported that work provided the primary source of income and 32% reported that it was Social Security.
• 47% of the households have annual incomes of $10,000 or less. While 75% of the households had an income of 130% or below the Federal Poverty Guideline.
• 28% of the people within the past year had to choose between buying food and paying for medical care.
• 41% of the people within the past year had to choose between buying food and paying for utilities.
• 83% of people interviewed are United States Citizens.
• 30% of people interviewed are homeless.

AAFB members and their emergency food bank network distributed more than 109 million pounds of food last year, which equates to roughly 85.2 million meals served. Yet a gap still exists between the number of hungry people in our state and the ability of existing food programs to feed them.

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