Hunger in Vermont

One in six Vermont children experiences hunger. Many Vermonters find this number surprising. In the United States, a country with so much wealth, it is inconceivable that there are people who struggle to meet their basic needs. And yet, hunger is a daily reality for Americans in every state. Lack of affordable housing, low wages, high unemployment, a decrease in the number of local, affordable grocery stores, and lack of public transportation all contribute to hunger and food insecurity in Vermont.

Hunger & the Nutrition Safety Net

Thousands of low-income households struggle to make ends meet each month. There are many federal and private nutrition programs to help ease this burden; however, there are still gaps. How does the nutrition safety net in your county measure up?

Vermont Hunger Facts

Food Insecurity in Vermont (2006-2008, 3 year average from US Census): Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to lack of financial resources.

12.1% of all Vermont households are food insecure¹
23,000 children under 18 live in food insecure households (17.8%)²
81,400 Vermonters of all ages live in food insecure households (13%)²
37% of Vermonters cannot afford either enough food or nutritious food³

Food Insecurity with Hunger in Vermont (2006-2008, 3 year average from US Census): Households that are classified as food insecure with hunger are those in which adults are likely to be hungry on a regular basis and children are hungry at least occasionally.

5.7% of all households are food insecure with hunger¹
4.7% of Vermonters sometimes or often cannot afford enough to eat³

Emergency Food Utilized in Vermont

12,290 Vermont children depend on food shelves each month⁴

The effects of hunger on children can be detrimental to their health, well-being, and lifelong success. Children living in food insecure homes are at greater risk for poor health, nutritional deficiencies and obesity/overweight, as well as developmental delays, poor academic achievement, depression, and increased aggressive or hyperactive behavior.

Federal Nutrition Programs Improve Health and Well-Being

Participation in 3SquaresVT (formerly Food Stamps): reduces food insecurity and improves children’s diet quality; decreases risk of poor health, anemia, diabetes, and malnutrition; increases achievement in math and reading; and is associated with decreases in child abuse.
Participation in school and out-of-school time meals: reduces risk for diabetes and obesity in school-age children and improves student behavior, social interactions, and academic performance
Participation in child care meal programs: provides foods higher in important nutrients that are crucial as a young child’s brain is still developing

Click here for a printer-friendly version of Vermont Hunger Facts (.pdf).

To learn more about hunger in Vermont and its consequences, contact the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger at or 802-865-0255.

1 “Household Food Security in the United States, 2008,” www.ers.usda.gov. The food insecure households with hunger are a subset of the total food insecure households.

2 Data on Vermont children living in food insecure homes from 2006-2008 Current Population Surveys of the US Census, through DataFerrett.

3 Data from 2007 Vermonter Poll.

4 Emergency food data from “Report on the 2008 Survey of Vermont Food Shelves and Community Kitchens,” Planning, Policy and Regulation Unit, Economic Services Division, VT Dept for Children and Families, April 2008.