Struggling to Make Ends Meet: Food Insecurity in California

​Across California, 4.7 million adults and 2.0 million children live in low-income households affected by food insecurity. Food insecurity means having limited, uncertain, or inconsistent access to the quality and quantity of food that is necessary to live a healthy life. Having sustained access to enough food is tied to positive social, physical, and mental health outcomes. 

While the data shared in this fact sheet focus on Californians with incomes below 200% of the official federal poverty measure ($50,930 for a family with two adults & two children), food insecurity also affects households with higher incomes. In many California communities, the official federal poverty measure does not reflect the true level of need ― and neither do program eligibility criteria based on that measure. The fact sheet includes a comparison of the maximum allowable income (before deductions) for CalFresh, income limits for school meal programs, and the living wage deemed necessary to meet the basic needs of a family of four in California.

This publication uses 2015-2016 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data. 

• California Food Policy Advocates