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NORC at the University Chicago

Capital Area Food Bank Hunger Report Survey

Side view of a volunteer organising food donations into storage at a food bank in the North East of England.
Tracking the scale and severity of food insecurity in the Washington, DC, metropolitan region
  • Client
    Capital Area Food Bank
  • Dates
    2022 – 2026

Problem

Civic leadership in the nation’s capital needs yearly measures of food insecurity and its impact across the region.

The Capital Area Food Bank serves Washington, DC, and neighboring areas in Maryland and Virginia. The food bank, policymakers, and funders need to understand the scope of food insecurity, where need is concentrated, and whether conditions are improving or getting worse. Without consistent, current data on the scale of the problem, it’s difficult to design policies, fund programs, and target resources. 

Beginning in 2022, the Capital Area Food Bank launched a landmark annual survey of the general population to measure food insecurity across the region and track trends over time.

Solution

NORC conducts an annual survey to measure the prevalence and attitudes on food insecurity.

We partnered with the Capital Area Food Bank to conduct the fifth annual general population survey on food insecurity in the region, reaching more than 3,800 residents. We drew on a probability-based sample collected using a multi-mode address-based approach. Interviews were conducted online and by phone with residents from the following areas: Montgomery County, Maryland; Prince George’s County, Maryland; Fairfax County, Virginia; Prince William County, Virginia; Arlington County, Virginia; Alexandria, Virginia; and Washington, DC. 

In 2026, we added a nationally representative pulse survey so regional results could be compared to the country as a whole. 

Result

The survey’s insights can improve the understanding of food insecurity and inform solutions.

The 2026 Hunger Report found that food insecurity in the greater Washington, DC, region reached a five-year high surpassing levels seen near the height of the pandemic. Overall, food security conditions have worsened: Fewer households reported high food security and more experienced severe barriers to accessing food. As in previous years, low-income households and people of color were among the most affected.

The food bank publishes the findings in its annual Hunger Report, with recommendations for governments, charitable organizations, employers, and health care providers. Previous rounds of the Hunger Report are available for 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022.

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