DALLAS — A new survey validates the lived experience of many North Texans: Food is taking up a larger share of their income.
More than three-quarters of Texans told surveyors that it has become harder to afford groceries over the last year, according to data from No Kid Hungry. Last year, slightly fewer Texans, 73%, reported having a harder time affording groceries compared to last year.
The survey shows 81% of DFW residents reported that the cost of food is rising faster than their wages. As a result, 40% of DFW-area respondents demonstrated symptoms of food insecurity, the study found.
Several local nonprofits have reported a growing need among DFW residents and in May, Texas surpassed California to lead the nation in food insecurity with a rate of 16.4%.
No Kid Hungry is a national nonprofit run by Share Our Strength working to end childhood hunger, according to the organization's website. The 2024 study is the result of a survey of 1,133 Texas adults, including many parents of school-aged children.
“We are disheartened to see that for many Texans, the food affordability crisis is getting worse,” Stacie Sanchez Hare, director of No Kid Hungry Texas, said.
The percentage of families experiencing food insecurity is higher, more than 50%, among public-school-attending families and rural residents, the survey found.
To make ends meet, 32% of DFW-area respondents reported eating low-quality or a limited variety of food due to cost, the survey found. A higher share, 52% of households, said they had to choose between purchasing food and other essential services in the past year.
“Nutrition is often the first thing to go when money is tight, and families should not have to make impossible choices between a healthy meal or paying the utility bill," Sanchez Hare said.
A survey respondent from Dallas County told surveyors they could avoid painful tradeoffs if grocery costs were a non-issue.
“[We] would eat healthier, pay more bills on time, and not have to look at the possible repo of the family vehicle,” the respondent said.
