Hunger in the Desert: 1 in 6 Coachella Valley Residents Food Insecure, Study Shows

Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the expansive desert of the Coachella Valley, as revealed by a recent study. FIND Food Bank is one of the 200 regional food banks in Feeding America’s nationwide food bank network and serves as one of the key experts in food security for the Southeastern desert region of California.

Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study finds that in the Coachella Valley desert region, which FIND serves, the food insecurity rate is more than 15%.  This translates into approximately 1 in 6 people in our region being at risk of wondering where their next meal is coming from (compared to 1 in 7 nationally).

Map the Meal Gap, now in its 15th year, is the only study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district. The study builds upon USDA’s most recent report of national and state data, which showed 47 million people, including 14 million children, experienced food insecurity in 2023, the highest rate in more than a decade. Map the Meal Gap emphasizes the need for the public to join the movement to end hunger.

“Hunger remains a critical issue in the Coachella Valley,” said Debbie Espinosa, President & CEO of FIND Food Bank, past chair of the National Council of Feeding America food banks, and former Feeding America national board member. “This recent study underscores the local need and confirms what we hear from people facing hunger every day. People continue struggling to make ends meet and put food on their tables. They continue to choose between medical expenses or fuel to get to work and to eat. FIND is dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by our community, and we believe in the power of our community to make a difference. Our goal is to end hunger for Today, Tomorrow, and for a Lifetime.”

Major key findings of Map the Meal Gap 2025 (2023 data) include:

• Food insecurity impacts communities in every county, parish, and congressional district in the U.S. Food insecurity is experienced by people from all backgrounds and demographics, but disparities exist.
• Estimated food insecurity levels vary across the country, influenced by income-related factors, like unemployment, poverty, high cost of living; community- and health-related factors; and systemic barriers to opportunity that have created disparities in food insecurity.
• Nationwide, nearly 9 out of 10 high food insecurity counties are rural, indicating regional disparities. This is true in California, which sees high levels of food insecurity across our rural counties, including right here in the Coachella Valley desert region.
• While the national unemployment rate is 3.6%, in the areas served by FIND and their 100+ nonprofit, religious and community partners, the unemployment rate is 7.3%, more than double.

The Map the Meal Gap study is supported by Conagra Brands Foundation, Enterprise Mobility Foundation, and NielsenIQ/NIQ. Additional key takeaways from the report can be found on the Map the Meal Gap website along with an interactive map that details food insecurity by geography, income, race and ethnicity.

Methodology:

Map the Meal Gap uses publicly available data from USDA Economic Research Service, U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate local food insecurity at the county, congressional district and state levels. The study also estimates local meal costs and food budget shortfalls using food price data from NIQ, based on USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan, and grocery sales tax data for every county and state in the country.

To learn how food insecurity impacts your community, visit FeedingAmerica.org/MaptheMealGap.