For Immediate Release
Contact: Johanna Elsemore / +1 202-478-6554 / jelsemore@strength.org
New poll from No Kid Hungry New York finds that 53 percent of New Yorkers’ debt has increased in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food
Poll also finds that 62 percent of New Yorkers oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT
NEW YORK, NY (March 4, 2025) – As the cost of food continues to rise at staggering rates, 53 percent of New Yorkers have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months as they struggle to feed their families, according to a new poll commissioned by No Kid Hungry New York. The rising cost of food has also impacted New Yorkers’ health and wellbeing with 63 percent reporting that their mental health has suffered and 52 percent reporting that their physical health has suffered in the past year.
This dire picture of New York’s hunger crisis has implications for state and federal policy.
- A majority of New Yorkers (62 percent) oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program, and Summer EBT. Opposition was strong in suburbs on Long Island (55%) and in the Hudson Valley (65%). This is particularly relevant as Congress considers proposals to cut SNAP benefits as part of its budget reconciliation bills.
- Large majorities of New Yorkers agree that school meals should be free for all students (84 percent), food assistance benefits should increase at the same rate as food prices (82 percent), and that ending hunger should be a shared, bipartisan priority (91 percent).
“The rising cost of groceries isn’t just straining household budgets—it’s pushing families deeper into debt. This should be a wake-up call to policymakers in Albany and Washington: New York families need help,” said Rachel Sabella, Director of No Kid Hungry New York. “New Yorkers, regardless of region or political party, all agree on the solution: we need bipartisan support for common-sense programs like SNAP, universal school meals, and Summer EBT that help families put food on the table and give kids the healthy food they need to grow and thrive.”
The poll was conducted by Change Research between February 8 and 14 and surveyed 1,596 New Yorkers across the state and has a margin of error of +/- 2.6%. Read the poll summary here.
Statewide Takeaways:
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- Food costs are still outpacing New Yorkers’ income: 86 percent of New Yorkers reported that the cost of food is rising faster than their income, which is consistent with last year’s poll where 85 percent of New Yorkers reported the same.
- Higher food assistance benefits allow New Yorkers to make healthier food choices: 46 percent of New Yorkers reported that they would buy more meat, fish, eggs, and other proteins and 44 percent would buy more fresh fruits and vegetables if they have an extra $80 in their grocery budget.
- New Yorkers see food assistance as a boon for local economies: A majority of New Yorkers (60 percent) believe that food assistance programs, like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT, have a positive impact on local economies and businesses where recipients spend their benefits. 74 percent of New Yorkers say they would shop more locally if they had an extra $80 in their grocery budget.
- The hunger crisis disproportionately impacts families of color in New York, especially Hispanic families: 73 percent of Hispanic families have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months to feed their families, compared with 53 percent of New Yorkers overall. 68 percent of Hispanic families reported that their physical health suffered due to rising food costs, compared with 52 percent of New Yorkers overall.
New York City Takeaways:
- 52 percent of New York City residents have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food
- A majority of New York City residents said their physical health (52 percent) and mental health (61 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food
- 68 percent of New York City residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT
A Bronx mother reported that she has to use a credit card just to make sure there is food in the house: “Being on a budget the rise in food cost strains my pockets. There are times where I have to use my credit card just to make sure there’s enough food in the house for me and my son until my next paycheck.”
Capital Region Takeaways:
- 54 percent of Capital Region residents have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food.
- A majority of Capitol Region residents said their physical health (54 percent) and mental health (66 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food.
- 73 percent of Capitol Region residents said their children’s physical health had suffered due to the rising cost of food.
- 73 percent of Capitol Region residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT.
An Albany County woman reported having to make less healthy choices at the grocery store, due to the rising cost of food: “I worry more about being able to provide good nutrition for my family. We don’t eat as much meat anymore, and only eat fresh produce in season.”
Central New York Takeaways:
- 53 percent of Central New York residents have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food.
- A majority of Central New York residents said that their physical health (55 percent) and their mental health (68 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food.
- 64 percent of Central New York residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT.
A Broome County mother reported that she maxed out her credit card due to the rising cost of food: “I was using a credit card to pay for groceries at least once or twice a month. I maxed out that card and decided to do debt consolidation and now we are eating mostly pasta, and some vegetables.”
Hudson Valley Takeaways:
- 51 percent of Hudson Valley residents have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food.
- A majority of Hudson Valley residents said their physical health (55 percent) and mental health (67 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food.
- 61 percent of Hudson Valley residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT.
- Hudson Valley residents overwhelmingly agree that school meals should be free for all students (78 percent), that free meals provided to kids during the summer are a key way to fight hunger when school is not in session (85 percent), and that food assistance benefits should increase at the same rate as food prices (81 percent).
A Westchester County resident reported that the rising cost of food has affected their ability to cover other basic necessities, like rent: “The rising food cost has impacted my [household] financially because it takes money out of us paying the rent. With more money going towards food, that’s less money going towards the rent. And we need to still have a roof over our heads.”
Long Island Takeaways:
- 58 percent of Long Island residents have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food.
- 55 percent of Long Island residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT.
- Long Island residents overwhelmingly agree that school meals should be free for all students (84 percent), that free meals provided to kids during the summer are a key way to fight hunger when school is not in session (82 percent), and that food assistance benefits should increase at the same rate as food prices (83 percent).
A Suffolk County father reported that he had to withdraw from his 401K due the rising cost of food: “It has [made] me put more [debt] on my credit cards. Also, I had to get money out of my 401k.”
Western New York Takeaways:
- 51 percent of Western New York residents have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food.
- Most Western New York residents said their physical health (56 percent) and mental health (64 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food.
- 41 percent of Western New York residents said their household is now eating less nutritious food due to rising costs.
- 93 percent of Western New York residents said the cost of food is rising faster than their income.
A Monroe County mother reported that she’s experiencing rising debt due to the rising cost of food: “Prices keep going up – groceries, household supplies, pet foods, transportation costs – everything is costing more. We have cut back on all unnecessary purchases, buying cheaper options that are not as good, and our credit card bill still keeps going up and up […] The debt is building up faster than we can pay it.”
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.
About Change Research
Change Research was founded in 2017 and immediately challenged the status quo in political research, making high-quality public opinion data more accessible to forward-thinking organizations and candidates. Change Research’s revolutionary methodology, Dynamic Online Sampling, meets people where they are and delivers a representative sample of everyday people, unlocking an ability to reach many people who are hard to reach and who are traditionally underrepresented in polling. Change Research has conducted more than 3,000 polls in all 50 states, surveying over 4 million people throughout the US. Today, Change Research continues its founding legacy of challenging the status quo in public opinion research, and in 2023, launched an integrated suite of research offerings, all of which employ fresh methods, can be deployed quickly, and cost a fraction of what competitors charge.