Summary
Similar to slight decreases across California and the nation, San Diego’s food insecurity rate fell from 15% of the population in 2016 (an estimated 486,000 people) to 14% in 2017 (an estimated 443,000 people). While food security in San Diego continues to improve, the overall rate remains high, with 1 in 7 people facing hunger in 2017.
The estimates in this brief represent the most reliable and up-to-date information that exists on food insecurity in San Diego County and were developed by San Diego Hunger Coalition in partnership with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. These estimates are based on data from the California Health Interview (CHIS). The CHIS food insecurity survey questions are only asked of households with income below 200% Federal Poverty Level. Because authors know families above 200% FPL still experience food insecurity, the data provided in the release is a conservative estimate of food insecurity in the San Diego region.
Publication Authors:
- Hunger Free San Diego
- San Diego Hunger Coalition