Food Insecurity in LA County Remains Alarmingly High Despite Some Improvement

Despite a  5 percent decline in food insecurity rates from 2023, Los Angeles County continues to face significant challenges, with 25 percent of households — approximately 832,000 — struggling to access sufficient food, according to a USC Dornsife study. The problem is even more acute among low-income residents, where food insecurity affects 41 percent, well above pre-pandemic levels. Nutrition insecurity, marked by limited access to healthy food, impacts 29 percent of households, with Asian communities disproportionately affected. Persistent high living costs and cuts to federal and local food assistance programs have exacerbated these challenges, underscoring the fragile nature of food access in the region.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded food assistance programs like CalFresh and local initiatives helped reduce food insecurity, but the rollback of these supports combined with inflation caused a resurgence in 2023, when food insecurity peaked at 30 percent. Although rates have since declined, they remain far above the national average of 14 percent, disproportionately impacting Latino, Black, and low-income households. For example, Latinos account for 76 percent of food-insecure residents, while 47 percent of affected households include children, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of this crisis.

The study emphasizes that food assistance programs are not reaching enough people, with only 29 percent of food-insecure households enrolled in CalFresh and 9 percent in WIC. Researchers recommend targeted interventions, such as increasing funding for these programs, making healthy and culturally relevant foods more affordable, and strengthening local food systems. USC Dornsife’s research also highlights stark racial disparities in nutrition insecurity, with Asian residents facing the highest rates (35 percent) and Black and Hispanic populations three times more likely to experience food insecurity than white residents, prompting calls for action to address both food and nutrition disparities.