More than 100,000 people across Brazoria and Galveston counties are facing food insecurity, according to a May report from Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, food pantries and local meal programs.

By the numbers

Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study provides estimates of local food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district, according to the report.

In 2023—the latest year for which data are available—the food insecurity rate in Brazoria County stood at 14.2%, with more than 54,000 individuals struggling to find adequate access to food.

The percentage represents a slight increase from the previous year’s rate of 12.9%, according to the data.
In Galveston County, approximately 16.4% of the population struggled with food insecurity in 2023, up from 15.1% the previous year. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of food-insecure individuals in the county increased by more than 13,000, according to the study.
Children were especially likely to struggle with access to food. In Brazoria and Galveston counties, food insecurity rates for individuals under the age of 18 reached 18.1% and 21.3%, respectively.


“This year’s study shows we still have work to do in creating a future where every child has access to the meals they need to learn, grow, play and thrive,” Melanie Hall, chief research and innovation officer for Feeding America, said in the report.

The big picture

As previously reported by Community Impact, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Senate-amended version of President Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation bill on Thursday. Within the bill is a plan to cut approximately $186 billion by 2034 from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

SNAP is a program that provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget to afford essential foods. Currently, SNAP requires most people ages 16 to 59 to follow work rules, meaning a person must be working or participating in a work program at least 20 hours per week, according to Texas Health and Human Services.


Many individuals struggling with access to food may not qualify for SNAP benefits. The study estimated that more than half of food-insecure people in Galveston and Brazoria counties in 2023 were not eligible for the program because their incomes exceeded the required threshold.

Learn more

View Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study here.

Kevin Vu and Jessica Shorten contributed to this article.