New Poll: 78% of Virginians Struggling to Afford Groceries
Families across the state forced into difficult tradeoffs to make ends meet
[Contact: Hannah Robinson at 520-222-2808 or hrobinson@hodgespart.com]
RICHMOND, Va. (September 16, 2024) – A new poll from No Kid Hungry Virginia finds that affording groceries has become increasingly difficult, leading to widespread food insecurity across the state. Parents of school-aged children and families in rural communities have been hit particularly hard, the survey shows.
Over three-quarters of Virginians (78%) say groceries have become harder to afford in the last year, with nearly half of Virginians (42%) reporting at least one sign of food insecurity, like not having enough to eat, eating low-quality food or eating a limited variety of food due to cost.
The number of people saying grocery prices are harder to afford was even higher (82%) in rural communities, where 47% of families reported at least one sign of food insecurity.
Rising costs, low wages and limited resources are forcing many Virginians to make difficult choices at the grocery store, leading to noticeable changes in shopping patterns across the state. Nearly half (46%) buy less or no fresh produce while half (50%) purchase less or no protein. Parents and guardians of K-12 students are more likely to sacrifice healthy foods in response to costs, with 55% buying less or no produce or 54% buying less or no protein.
A majority of families with schoolchildren are making difficult tradeoffs, with 62% having to decide between purchasing food and paying for another essential, such as rent, utilities, gas, a home or car repair, or medical bills.
“We can’t afford to ignore these numbers, which show alarming rates of hunger and poverty among families and children in Virginia,” said Sarah Steely, Director of No Kid Hungry Virginia. “This is impacting every corner of our state. We all have a neighbor, a coworker, friend struggling to make ends meet.”
When asked how an unlimited grocery budget would impact their lives, respondents expressed a desire to provide their families with healthy, balanced meals while also paying off debt accumulated from purchasing groceries on credit. “We would eat much healthier and wouldn’t have to skip meals anymore. We also wouldn’t have to sink into more credit card debt to afford food,” shared a mother from Richmond. Another respondent from Bedford County highlighted the positive effects an increased grocery budget would have on mental health, family dynamics and their future: “I could spend more time with my children and my wife, work on repairing our new home, and save for the future.”
Nearly all of Virginians say ending childhood hunger should be a shared, bipartisan priority.
“When budgets are stretched thin, healthy meals are often the first sacrifice,” said Sarah Steely. “No family should have to choose between nourishing their children and meeting basic needs. It’s essential we continue working together to support strong nutrition policies to ensure every student and family has access to healthy food.”
Other topline findings from the report include:
- Affording food is impacting Virginians’ mental health: More than half (58%) of respondents say they are more stressed by figuring out how to afford enough nutritious food than they were 12 months ago.
- Virginians are one emergency away from hunger: Two-thirds (68%) of Virginians would worry about their ability to afford food if faced with an unexpected $1,500 expense.
- Meal programs help to extend budgets: One in three Virginians use at least one program – such as SNAP, WIC, free school meals – to support their household food budget.
No Kid Hungry Virginia commissioned the survey from Change Research, which surveyed 1,278 Virginia adults including many parents of school-aged children. The poll was fielded between August 15 and 21, 2024 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.0%.
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. 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.