Food Insecurity

Food insecurity disproportionately impacts lower income, LGBT, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American, residents in King County.  

 

Lack of adequate food can affect physical and mental health. Children who grow up in homes without enough food are at an increased risk of illness and experiencing academic and psychosocial problems. Nutritional deficiencies and family stress both contribute to these outcomes.   

In 2018-2022, about 9.5% of adults in King County reported that food that was bought for their households sometimes or often did not last, and they did not have money to purchase more food.   

  • Race and ethnicity: American Indian/Alaskan Native (30.3%), Hispanic/Latino (27.7%) Black/African American (25.6%), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (19.0%) residents in King County experienced food insecurity at substantially higher rates than the King County average (9.5%).   

  • Income: In King County, residents with household incomes less than $49,999 were more likely to be food insecure. 38.0% of residents from households making less than $20,000 a year and 28.4% of households making between $20,000 and $34,999 a year were food insecure. Residents with household incomes over $75,000 a year were less likely to experience food insecurity, with 4.3%-1.1% reporting running out of food and not being able to afford more.   

  • Sexual orientation: Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) residents experienced food insecurity (12.4%) at a rate higher than heterosexual residents (8.5%).   

  • Gender: Transgender residents (25.6%) were over 2 times more likely to experience food insecurity than the King County average. 

  • Region and city/neighborhood: Food insecurity rates across King County varied. South King County residents (13.9%) were more likely than the county average and all other regions to experience food insecurity, while East King County residents (4.4%) were less likely. Among cities and neighborhoods, residents of Seatac (22.5%), North Highline and White Center (20.8%), and Tukwila (20.8%) experienced some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the county.  

Additional Resources  

 

Notes & Sources

Source: Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, supported in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cooperative Agreement NU58/DP006066-03-00 (2018).  

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System collects information on the health and safety of Washington residents aged 18 and older. Every year, the Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conduct the survey primarily through telephone interviews, including landline and cellphone numbers. To learn more about the survey, please go to https://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/DataSystems/BehavioralRiskFactorSurveillanceSystemBRFSS.   

Numerator: Respondents that answered that food that was bought for their households sometimes/often did not last, and did not have money to buy more food.   

Denominator: All respondents who answered the question.    

To learn more about the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and view the data biography, click here.