COVID Food Insecurity Survey

Produce on the shelf at the grocery store

A real time look at hunger in Colorado

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunger Free Colorado began quarterly food insecurity surveys across the state to find out how the pandemic has impacted Coloradans’ access to food and economic security. This short term look at Coloradans’ access to food provided valuable insight about the need in our state and the impact of federal and state responses to the crisis. The surveys also highlighted disparities along demographic lines, something Hunger Free Colorado is working to address through advocacy and community partnerships.

Our recent statewide survey, conducted in April by Hunger Free Colorado, found 1  in 3 (33%)  of Coloradans are  food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to nutritious food. Though this rate is down from the December survey, this is still a historical high for Colorado. Even more startling is the clear inequities along racial and demographic lines when examining hunger and income loss.

Long-standing disparities in access to healthy food have grown dramatically due to the pandemic and 43% of non-white and Latinx individuals are now struggling to put food on the table, compared to  29% of white Coloradans.

Households with children also remain at the forefront of Colorado’s hunger crisis, with 44% unable to consistently put healthy food on the table,  posing risks to the long-term health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of children across the state. Among households with children,
30% of adults reported having to regularly cut back or skip meals
because there wasn’t enough money to buy food.

“The current efforts to address hunger and economic hardship in Colorado and across the nation have not been sufficient to stem widespread pain and growing racial inequities. We need a federal and state government response commensurate to the scale of the crisis we are facing, including an investment in long-term solutions for strengthening nutrition programs and other economic supports.” – Marc Jacobson, CEO of Hunger Free Colorado

Key Findings

According to the recent statewide survey:

  • 1 in 5 Colorado households (21%) consider hunger a top concern
  •  1  in 3 (33%)  of Coloradans are food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to nutritious food, with people of color and households with children facing even higher levels of hunger
  • Forty-three percent of non-white and Latinx individuals are now struggling to put food on the table, compared to 29% of white Coloradans
  • Almost half of households with children (44%) are struggling to have regular access to
    nutritious food
  • 1 in 5 adults in Colorado (20%) reported having to cut back or skip meals because there wasn’t enough money to buy food. Among non-white or Latinx households that rose to 26%.
  • 1 in 6 children (16%)  are not getting adequate nutrition because there is not
    enough money for food
  • Forty-five percent of Coloradans identified the high cost of healthy food as a problem
    for their household

Key Recommendations

Based on these findings, Hunger Free Colorado has the following key recommendations for Congress and our state:

  • Both the state and federal government should enact extensive, multi-pronged and long-term agendas to tackle this unprecedented and on-going hunger crisis.
  •  The state should invest general fund dollars, as well as a significant portion of remaining federal stimulus dollars, on reducing hunger, increasing income supports and strengthening
    local food systems
    .
  • Congress should build on the lessons learned from our pandemic experience by making permanent some key nutrition program improvements, including creating a robust Summer EBT program, providing universal school meals and significantly increasing SNAP and WIC benefit levels. Congress should also expand access to SNAP to all immigrant families, as well as to all college students.

More Information About the Survey

Methodology

This survey was conducted online among 535 Coloradans from April 14, 2020 -April 26, 2021. Respondents were identified via an online panel recruiting firm and were compensated for their time and participation. The overall sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.2% at the 95% confidence level. The data reflects the demographics of the Colorado Census and American Community Survey. 

Share the Findings

Help spread the word about the survey findings! For social media, here are sample posts that can be used by individuals and/or groups:

Short copy (Twitter)

  • In Colorado, almost half of households with children are food insecure. Learn more.
  • We need a bold response to address hunger in Colorado. New survey from @HungerFreeCO
  • New @HungerFreeCO survey shows addressing hunger is a top concern for Coloradans.

Longer copy (Facebook/LinkedIn)

  • NEW HUNGER DATA: In Colorado, 43% of non-white and Latinx individuals are currently struggling with hunger, compared to 29% of white Coloradans. Learn more.
  • According to Hunger Free Colorado’s recent survey, the rate of hunger remains high. Parents and people of color face higher rates of food insecurity. Find out more.