Arizona’s food hardship rate decreased slightly in 2014 according to a new report from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). In 2014, one in five Arizonans (19.2%) said that there had been times over the past 12 months that they didn’t have enough money to buy food that they or their families needed. This ranks Arizona 13th worst in the country in food hardship rate, down from a peak of 20.9% in 2012 but still higher than the pre-recession level of 18.8% in 2008, the first year food hardship was tracked. Nationwide, food hardship rate was 17.2% in 2014.
The 2014 report on food hardship includes data by state and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Food hardship rates are a reflection of the current economic condition, and help quantify the inability of a household to afford enough food for all its members at any point during the year.
Two Arizona MSAs are in the top-100 nationally, with the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale MSA experiencing a 19.2% food hardship rate, ranking 42nd in the country. The Tucson MSA ranked 69th with a 16.9% food hardship rate.
Click here to read the full FRAC Food Hardship report (PDF).
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