Food insecurity in Montgomery County on the rise

Food insecurity remains a relentless challenge across the United States, affecting one in five children and sparking national debates over how to respond. Should schools provide free lunch to all students, regardless of income? What role should the government play in reducing grocery prices and combating poverty? And are such safety nets worth the potential burden on taxpayers?

Even in Montgomery County, one of the wealthiest regions in the nation, the crisis is deepening. Recent surveys show that 37 percent of households experience food insecurity, with 20 percent facing severe food insecurity, both figures climbing steadily in recent years.

In the Greater Washington area, the problem extends beyond low-income families. Even households earning up to $120,000 a year are struggling to keep food on the table. Among the food insecure, 76 percent are employed and one in three hold college degrees. Hunger no longer seems confined to the poor. Moreover, food insecure individuals are nearly three times more likely to work multiple jobs than their food-secure counterparts (20 percent compared to 7 percent).

For families squeezed by rising costs, what once seemed a stable income is now barely enough to survive. And though the demographics are broadening, people of color remain much more vulnerable.

So what’s driving these numbers upward? Inflation is one key culprit. Between May of 2020 and May of 2024, the Consumer Price Index in the Washington, D.C. metro area jumped 18.8 percent, averaging 4.4 percent annually. These price increases have hit renters and working families hardest, especially as housing, gas, and utility costs continue to climb. The average annual cost of childcare rose 23 percent between 2017 and 2023, straining household budgets even further.

The end of pandemic-era relief programs has only worsened the problem. Throughout COVID-19, federal initiatives like enhanced SNAP benefits, rental assistance, and expanded childcare funding helped millions stay afloat. But by spring of 2023, most of these programs had ended. The expiration of SNAP Emergency Allotments and the expanded Child Tax Credit in particular left families exposed. During the credit’s brief expansion under the American Rescue Plan, child poverty dropped to 5.2 percent, but when it ended, it more than doubled to 12.4 percent, pushing many back into hardship.

Behind these stark numbers are daily sacrifices. More than half of food insecure residents in Greater Washington report cutting the size of their meals or skipping them altogether. Six in ten admit they eat less than they should because they simply can’t afford enough food. Close to one-third have gone an entire day without eating, and more than a quarter have lost weight due to lack of food.

It is clear that food insecurity, in Montgomery County and beyond, is a symptom of a larger economic reality that demands urgent attention. Montgomery County has a sizable Free and Reduced-Price Meals program, but it alone cannot compensate for the systemic difficulties families and individuals face in getting enough to eat.

By freezing rent prices, expanding food assistance programs, and working toward establishing a more substantial safety net, the county and the state of Maryland could move closer to a future in which its residents are no longer burdened with the stress of fulfilling their basic needs—a victory that would help everyone in the long run.