Florida families are doing everything they can to keep up with rising costs but for many, it’s no longer enough. Across the state, parents are making impossible decisions between groceries and other basic necessities like rent, transportation, and medical bills. While inflation may dominate headlines, behind the numbers are real families stretching paychecks, skipping meals, and accumulating debt just to put food on the table.
A new poll conducted alongside Aspect Strategic reveals the growing strain rising food costs are placing on Floridians. An overwhelming 82% of Floridians say the cost of food is rising faster than their income, while 70% report that rising food costs have negatively impacted their financial situation over the past year. Nearly half (49%) say their debt has increased because of the cost of food alone.
At the same time, Floridians overwhelmingly agree that no child should go hungry — a view shared across political lines — with 92% saying ending child hunger should be a bipartisan priority and 87% wanting elected officials to do more to address it. Support for programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps families access nutritious food, remains strong across the state. These findings make one thing clear: in moments like these, when families are being pushed to the brink by rising costs, we need to not only recognize the importance of these programs, but actively advocate for and protect them so they continue to serve the families who rely on them most.
These findings paint a troubling picture of what food insecurity is looking like in Florida: not just empty pantries, but families forced into financial instability in order to feed their children.
Read the full findings in the report below:
