Food Insecurity and Inflation: Why Higher-Income Americans Are Turning to Food Banks?

Food insecurity is no longer confined to low-income households.

Driven by inflation, shrinking savings, and rising living costs, more higher-income Americans are turning to food banks for help. Recent news reports a dramatic shift: more than 36 million people visited charitable food assistance programs in 2022, including a growing number of individuals earning over $75,000.

This shift marks a deepening cost-of-living crisis and exposes how widespread economic hardship has become.

Heritage Foundation USA is scaling its support in response to this growing demand.

Why Are Higher-Income Households Facing Food Insecurity?

Inflation is increasing prices across essential categories:

• Grocery prices are up over 20% since 2020

• Utility bills and housing costs are higher than pre-pandemic levels

• Credit card debt has reached new records, squeezing middle-class families

• Medical costs, insurance premiums, and education-related expenses are rising

Many higher-income hard working Americans are asset-poor and debt-heavy.

Dual-income households with car loans, student debt, and childcare costs are running out of flexibility.

The result: they’re visiting food banks for the first time.

What Do the Latest Food Insecurity Statistics Reveal?

According to recent food insecurity statistics:

• 1 in 6 adults earning over $100,000 used charitable food assistance in 2022

• Middle- and upper-middle-class visitors to food pantries increased during 2023

• More people report skipping meals or reducing portions to stretch their food budget

This data shows how economic hardship is no longer exclusive to traditionally vulnerable groups.

The erosion of purchasing power due to inflation is leaving more Americans behind.

How Heritage Foundation USA Is Responding to the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Heritage Foundation USA, a nonprofit fighting hunger, is taking action in communities affected by rising food insecurity.

We are:

• Expanding supply to food banks serving new populations

• Providing relief to families excluded from federal food programs

• Delivering assistance to zip codes with growing middle-income demand

• Partnering with local leaders to expand capacity and outreach

We focus on real-time response informed by on-the-ground data.

Your donation helps fund:

• Emergency food box deliveries

• Nutritional staples for families facing job loss or reduced hours

• Operational support for overstretched community food assistance programs

Food insecurity, driven by inflation, now affects people across every income level, and we need your support to keep up.

Donate to end hunger and support families caught in the current cost-of-living crisis!