After a dramatic rise the year before, a new report shows that food insecurity continues to trend in the wrong direction for communities across the nation – including right here in the Rochester region.

Nearly 10,000 more people experienced food insecurity in 2023 compared to 2022 within Foodlink’s 10-county service area, according to the latest “Map the Meal Gap” report from Feeding America. Approximately 160,920 residents experienced food insecurity in 2023, compared to 151,820 the year prior. Between 2021 and 2023, the region’s food insecurity rate rose from 9.3% to 12% to 12.8%.

“While this spike in food insecurity was not as severe as the year before, it remains a critical issue that impacts thousands of Rochester-area households,” said Julia Tedesco, President & CEO of Foodlink. “While Foodlink and its nonprofit partners continue to do all that we can to support those who need food assistance while food prices remain high, more must be done through policy and legislation on the state and federal level to reverse this troubling trend.”

Map the Meal Gap, now in its 15th year, is the only study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity for every county and congressional district. The study builds upon USDA’s most recent report of national and state data, which showed 47 million people, including 14 million children, experienced food insecurity in 2023, the highest rate in more than a decade.

Key, local takeaways from the report include:

• The 12.8% statistic represents an average of the 10 counties Foodlink serves: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates.
• This marks the highest food-insecurity rate since 2013 (also 12.8%).
• The county-level rates range from a low of 11.8% (Livingston and Ontario) to a high of 14.5% (Allegany). Monroe County registered a rate of 13%.
• Food insecurity rates more than tripled for Black or Hispanic residents, at 28% and 30%, respectively, when compared to 9% of White residents who experience food insecurity.
• Child food insecurity averaged 17.6%, ranging between 13.8% (Genesee) and 19.3% (Allegany).
• The older adult food insecurity rate for the Rochester metro area is 10.7%.
• The 14605 zip code in the City of Rochester owns one of the highest food-insecurity rates (31.7%) in the state. Other Rochester zip codes with rates exceeding one quarter of the population include 14614 (30.7%), 14611 (26.6%), 14608 (26.4%) and 14621 (25.5%).

The Rochester Hope food pantry is located on North Clinton Avenue in the 14605 zip code. Executive Director Dawn Burdick said the pantry has seen a 30% increase in use in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year.

“We’re serving many more children from food-insecure households, and we’re seeing a heartbreaking rise in people having to turn to an emergency food pantry for the first time. Many carry shame and stigma as they walk through our doors — but we want them to know they’re not alone. No one should have to choose between feeding their children and keeping the lights on.”

While the report helps illuminate year-to-year trends, it relies on data and surveys from two years prior (2023) using publicly available data from USDA Economic Research Service, U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate local food insecurity at the county, congressional district and state levels.

A more recent metric to measure the current need in our communities can be found in local requests for food assistance. Foodlink’s network of 350+ food pantries and meal programs recorded 1.86 million individual client visits in 2024 – a 40% jump from the year before (1.33 million).

Accord Corporation, a social services organization based in Allegany County, has seen a recent increase in requests for food assistance that mirrors Foodlink’s overall network data.

“From January to May 2025, ACCORD’s Food Pantry has experienced a 39% increase compared to the same period last year,’ said Belinda Knight, Director of Community Operations. “The pantry is seeing more families – and some families more often. We’re pleased that we can make such a meaningful impact on alleviating hunger in our community.”

All data from the Map the Meal Gap report can be found at map.feedingamerica.org.