Food insecurity rates in the Washington region remain at critically high levels, with 1.5 million people facing uncertainty about their next meal, according to a report released by the Capital Area Food Bank.
The organization’s annual hunger report, released Thursday, found 36% of respondents struggled to access enough food between May 2024 and May 2025, virtually unchanged from 37% in 2024 but up from 32% in 2023.
More concerning, the report found very low food security — when people skip meals or eat smaller portions — has worsened significantly. That category now affects 820,000 adults in the region, representing 22% of the population, up from 16% in 2022.
“No one should have to worry about whether they’ll be able to put food on the table tomorrow, but that very concern is weighing on the minds of far too many of our neighbors,” said Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank.
The report identified wage growth that continues lagging inflation and reductions in federal jobs and spending as key drivers of regional food insecurity. Since May 2020, regional prices have risen 21% while wages have grown only 6%, reducing household purchasing power.
Approximately 29,000 federal workers and contractors have been affected by job and spending cuts as of May. Among federally impacted households, 41% are experiencing food insecurity and over half have low or no confidence in finding similar-paying work.
Food insecurity rates varied by jurisdiction, ranging from 22% of residents in Arlington County, Virginia, to 49% in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The problem is expected to worsen with cuts to federal assistance programs. An estimated 50,000 families in the region will be affected by SNAP cuts in budget reconciliation legislation, according to an Urban Institute analysis commissioned by the food bank. Another 116,000 people are expected to lose Medicaid coverage.
Food-insecure residents reported difficult financial trade-offs, with 83% using savings to pay everyday bills, 70% making only minimum payments on credit cards or loans, and 63% no longer saving for retirement.
More than half of low-income households said they had to choose between food and transportation, while significant numbers chose between food and utilities (43%), housing (42%) or medicine (40%).
Among those who sometimes or often ran out of food before having money to buy more, 61% said they ate less than they should, 47% didn’t eat when hungry, and 34% had to reduce their children’s meal portions.
The report marks the sixth such study by the Capital Area Food Bank, with data gathered in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago for the fourth consecutive year.