For Immediate Release
Contact: Justin Henry / 908.448.8397 / jhenry@rubenstein.com
Kayla McCullough / 214.794.0886 / kmccullough@rubenstein.com
Poll from No Kid Hungry New York finds 67 percent of New Yorkers have had to choose between buying enough nutritious food and other household, financial necessities
Poll also finds 62 percent of New Yorkers oppose cuts to federal SNAP funding
NEW YORK, NY (MARCH 4, 2026) – A new poll commissioned by No Kid Hungry New York found that two-thirds (67 percent) of New Yorkers have had to choose between buying enough nutritious food and other necessities, like rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, or transportation costs, in the past year. For families with children, the rate was even higher as three-fourths (74 percent) reported making difficult trade-offs between paying for groceries and covering basic household expenses.
Overall, 74 percent of New Yorkers reported their financial situation suffered in the past year due to the cost of food.
The poll also found overwhelming, bipartisan support among New Yorkers for critical food assistance programs: 62 percent of New Yorkers oppose federal cuts to SNAP and most believe SNAP helps low-income families afford healthy foods (74 percent) and prevents them from taking on debt (67 percent). Eighty percent of respondents agreed SNAP helps ensure parents can afford enough food for their families, including 91 percent of Democrats, 78 percent of Independents, and 66 percent of Republicans.
The poll findings come as rising food costs and federal cuts to critical food assistance programs push even more children and families into hunger. According to the USDA’s latest hunger survey, 14 million children face hunger nationwide. They also come as the U.S. House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committee considers the Farm Bill – a critical opportunity to reverse millions of dollars in federal SNAP funding cuts.
“These findings make clear that families across New York are struggling to keep up with rising food costs and are making impossible choices between groceries and other basic needs,” said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York. “No child should go hungry in our state. New Yorkers overwhelmingly agree that we need strong, effective food assistance programs and bipartisan action to ensure every child has the food they need to learn, grow and thrive.”
Statewide Takeaways:
- New Yorkers are still struggling to keep up with food costs: Three-fourths (74 percent) of New Yorkers say their financial situation has suffered over the past 12 months because of food costs. Half (50 percent) report taking on more debt due to the cost of food and more than one-fourth (28 percent) have used “buy now, pay later” plans to cover the cost of groceries. Overall, 84 percent of New Yorkers say the cost of food is rising faster than their income, showing no improvement since this time last year.
- Families with children are facing even greater strain: Seventy-seven percent of families with children reported that their financial situation had suffered due to the cost of food, compared with 74 percent of New Yorkers overall. Fifty-seven percent of families said they have accrued debt in the past year due to food costs, compared with 50 percent of poll respondents overall. Four in ten families (39 percent) reported using buy now, pay later plans to afford food, compared with 28 percent of respondents overall.
- New York’s hunger crisis continues to have a disproportionate impact on families of color: Eighty-seven percent of Black families and 84 percent of Latino families reported having to choose between buying nutritious food and covering basic household expenses, compared with 74 percent of families overall. Seventy-two percent of Black families and 67 percent of Latino families reported taking on more debt due to the cost of food, compared with 57 percent of families overall.
- Moms are more acutely impacted financially: Eighty percent of women with children report having to choose between food and other essentials (compared with 69 percent of men with children). Eighty percent of women with children also reported that their financial situation had suffered due to the cost of food (compared with 69 percent of men with children)
- A majority of New Yorkers oppose cuts to federal SNAP funding: Sixty-two percent of New Yorkers oppose cuts to federal food assistance and 52 percent of New Yorkers strongly oppose these cuts.
- New Yorkers agree that addressing child hunger should be a bipartisan goal: Nearly all respondents (93 percent) agree that child hunger should not exist in New York. Eighty-five percent want elected officials to do more to end childhood hunger and 90 percent believe ending child hunger should be a shared, bipartisan goal.
The poll was conducted by Aspect Strategic from February 3-10, 2026 and surveyed 1,512 New Yorkers across the state and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5%. Read the poll summary here.
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 (54 percent), mental health (60 percent), social connections (53 percent), and financial health (78 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food
- 77 percent of New York City residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT.
A Brooklyn resident with no children reported that they have to juggle credit cards just to manage the cost of groceries: “As of six months ago I’ve started using more credit to pay for my food and meal purchases and have been alternating between two cards in order to have more time to pay them off. Credit card debt is not ideal but at least I am able to feed myself to continue working full time as I earn my Bachelor’s degree.”
Capital Region Takeaways:
- 51 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 mental health (55 percent) and financial health (73 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food.
- 55 percent of Capitol Region residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT.
An Albany County parent reported having to pick up another job to afford the cost of groceries, but still can’t reliably afford healthy food: “In the past 12 months I have felt like I’m pushing my physical and mental limits to keep up with the cost of living. I have three young children […] I had to pick up two more jobs […] Everything is more expensive with little to no options [for] cheaper products, including food. At this point I’m not even looking for the ‘healthier’ option when grocery shopping, I’m just looking for the options we can afford so the kids have enough to eat. No parent should feel like they have to push themselves to the limits just to provide food and heat.”
Hudson Valley Takeaways:
- 59 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), mental health (65 percent), and financial health (79 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food.
- 59 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 (82 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 (74 percent).
A Westchester County parent reported that the rising cost of food has required that they sometimes must reduce the amount of meals per day down to just one: “Most of the time we are skipping breakfast and having our first meal of the day at 2 PM or 3 PM; after that nothing else. It has boiled down to one meal a day, or sometimes no meals for [the day], just a fruit or maybe tuna, fish, or sardines. But it has boiled down to one meal a day, no more breakfast.”
Long Island Takeaways:
- 59 percent of Long Island residents have had to choose between purchasing food and at least one other necessity, such as utility bills, rent or mortgage, gas or vehicle maintenance, health care, education, or childcare.
- Most Long Island residents said their financial health (62 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food, while half said their mental health (50 percent) and social connections (50 percent) had suffered.
- 52 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 (72 percent), that free meals provided to kids during the summer are a key way to fight hunger when school is not in session (83 percent), and that food assistance benefits should increase at the same rate as food prices (66 percent).
A Suffolk County man reported that he is uncertain about his ability to retire: “With each passing trip to the grocer, I feel as though the prospect of retirement is increasingly out of reach.”
Western New York Takeaways:
- 52 percent of Western New York residents have taken on additional debt in the past 12 months due to the rising cost of food.
- A majority of Western New York residents said their financial health (71 percent) had suffered due to the rising cost of food, while half reported that their mental health (51 percent) had suffered.
- 44 percent of Western New York residents oppose federal cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT, while 15 percent were unsure.
An Erie County retiree reported: “I go backwards [but] never get a break to move forward. The costs of my household keep going up more than my social security increases.”
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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 Aspect Strategic
Aspect Strategic is a public opinion research firm that combines polling, qualitative research, and advanced data analytics to help clients drive meaningful change. With experience spanning more than 30 states and five countries, we develop data-informed messaging and strategy for values-aligned campaigns, coalitions, and advocacy organizations. From shaping conversations in the halls of power to influencing the broader court of public opinion, we deliver the insights and strategic guidance clients need to connect authentically with their audiences and turn research into results.
