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Maine
Statistics on children, youth and families in Maine from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Maine Children's Alliance
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Why This Indicator Matters
Children who are food insecure have trouble doing their best in school. Food insecurity can have lifelong impacts on children's physical health, mental health and earning potential.
Chronic food insecurity causes stress among children that alters their normal brain development.
Food insecurity affects well-being
In 2024, the national rate of childhood food insecurity was 19.5%. This is lower Maine's 2024 state rate of 20.7%, up from 20.6% in 2023, and 15.9% in 2020. Maine continues to have the highest rate of childhood food insecurity in New England. In 2024, there were 50,590 children who were food insecure compared 39,990 children in 2020.
According to Feeding America, there was a $151 million annual statewide food budget shortfall in 2024. Among the food insecure children in Maine, 56% were income eligible for federal nutrition programs, and 44% were likely ineligible.
In 2024, three Maine counties had rates of child food insecurity above 24%. These were the counties of Androscoggin (26.3%), Washington (26.1%), Somerset (24.8%), Aroostook (24.2%), and Piscataquis (24.1%). The counties with the lowest rates of childhood food insecurity in 2024 were: Cumberland (16.6%), Knox (18.5%), and York (18.8%).
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Chronic food insecurity causes stress among children that alters their normal brain development.
Food insecurity affects well-being
In 2024, the national rate of childhood food insecurity was 19.5%. This is lower Maine's 2024 state rate of 20.7%, up from 20.6% in 2023, and 15.9% in 2020. Maine continues to have the highest rate of childhood food insecurity in New England. In 2024, there were 50,590 children who were food insecure compared 39,990 children in 2020.
According to Feeding America, there was a $151 million annual statewide food budget shortfall in 2024. Among the food insecure children in Maine, 56% were income eligible for federal nutrition programs, and 44% were likely ineligible.
In 2024, three Maine counties had rates of child food insecurity above 24%. These were the counties of Androscoggin (26.3%), Washington (26.1%), Somerset (24.8%), Aroostook (24.2%), and Piscataquis (24.1%). The counties with the lowest rates of childhood food insecurity in 2024 were: Cumberland (16.6%), Knox (18.5%), and York (18.8%).
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
Children under age 18 living in households, where in the previous 12 months, there was an uncertainty of having, or an inability to acquire, enough food for all household members because of insufficient money or other resources.
Food insecurity refers to USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.
Data for 2020 and for 2021 are NOT directly comparable to data from any previous year due to methodological changes made in 2020. Adjustments were made to make reductions in rates where a high number of college students were present and to increase rates where high number of persons with disabilities (often older adults) live.
Food insecurity refers to USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.
Data for 2020 and for 2021 are NOT directly comparable to data from any previous year due to methodological changes made in 2020. Adjustments were made to make reductions in rates where a high number of college students were present and to increase rates where high number of persons with disabilities (often older adults) live.
Data Source
Feeding America: Map the Meal Gap produced by Feeding America.
2024 Data Uploaded 8/26/2026
In the fall of 2025, the federal government discontinued the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS) and the annual USDA Household Food Insecurity Report, the nation's primary and trusted direct measure of both the prevalence and severity of food insecurity. Feeding America uses these data to creat their Map the Meal Gap. As a result this will be the final update of this indicator as previously reported.
2024 Data Uploaded 8/26/2026
In the fall of 2025, the federal government discontinued the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS) and the annual USDA Household Food Insecurity Report, the nation's primary and trusted direct measure of both the prevalence and severity of food insecurity. Feeding America uses these data to creat their Map the Meal Gap. As a result this will be the final update of this indicator as previously reported.
In 2026, recognizing the importance of tracking food insecurity rates the Maine Legislature passed and the Governor signed LD2040 directing the state to evaluate options for measuring food insecurity going forward. Findings and recommendations will be shared with the Legislature in early 2027 on how to create a sustainable approach to measuring food insecurity.
Notes
Map the Meal Gap's child food insecurity rates are determined using data from the Current Population Survey on children under 18 years old in food insecure households; data from the American Community Survey on median family incomes for households with children, child poverty rates, home ownership, and race and ethnic demographics among children; and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on unemployment rates.
Data in the state totals row do not reflect the sum of all counties in that state. The state totals are aggregated from the congressional districts data in that state.
Due to methodological changes, data for 2020 are NOT directly comparable to data from any previous year's data due to methodological changes made in 2020. According to Feeding America, "Research shows that areas with high proportions of college students, poverty rates are overstated." A second change in methodology had to do with factoring in disability status into the model so areas with high levels of persons with disabilities show higher rates of food insecurity.
Data in the state totals row do not reflect the sum of all counties in that state. The state totals are aggregated from the congressional districts data in that state.
Due to methodological changes, data for 2020 are NOT directly comparable to data from any previous year's data due to methodological changes made in 2020. According to Feeding America, "Research shows that areas with high proportions of college students, poverty rates are overstated." A second change in methodology had to do with factoring in disability status into the model so areas with high levels of persons with disabilities show higher rates of food insecurity.
Last Updated
August 2026