Kentucky · Affordability
Food Insecurity Rate in Kentucky
3-year average share of households uncertain of having enough food due to lack of money or other resources.
19% in 2022-2024
#49 of 50 · Bottom tier (lower is better)
Kentucky is worse than the 50-state median (13%). That's a gap of 6.3%.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
2006-2008 – 2022-2024 · Kentucky only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About food insecurity rate
What this measures: Three-year average share of households uncertain of having enough food at some point in the year due to lack of resources.
Why it matters: Food insecurity is a leading indicator of broader hardship and a strong predictor of children's health, school performance, and adult chronic disease.
Watch out: Reported as a three-year rolling average, so movements lag current conditions by roughly 18 months.
Recent trend
| Year | Kentucky | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2013-2015 | 18% | 13% |
| 2014-2016 | 17% | 13% |
| 2015-2017 | 15% | 12% |
| 2016-2018 | 15% | 11% |
| 2017-2019 | 14% | 11% |
| 2018-2020 | 14% | 10% |
| 2019-2021 | 12% | 10% |
| 2020-2022 | 13% | 11% |
| 2021-2023 | 14% | 11% |
| 2022-2024 | 19% | 13% |
Kentucky vs. neighboring states
Same metric (food insecurity rate), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Food Insecurity Rate | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 14% | #36 of 50 |
| Ohio | 14% | #39 of 50 |
| West Virginia | 14% | #38 of 50 |
| Virginia | 12% | #22 of 50 |
| Tennessee | 13% | #34 of 50 |
| Missouri | 13% | #33 of 50 |
How Kentucky compares (2022-2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | North Dakota | 902% |
| #2 | New Hampshire | 910% |
| #3 | Vermont | 940% |
| #4 | South Dakota | 948% |
| #5 | New Jersey | 982% |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Mississippi | 1731% |
| #47 | Texas | 1755% |
| #48 | Louisiana | 1767% |
| #49 | Kentucky | 1883% |
| #50 | Arkansas | 1943% |
Source and methodology
Source: USDA ERS · Direction: lower is better · Unit: %
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)