Interactive: Food insecurity in Maine and New England

Feeding America, a national nonprofit organization, has analyzed food prices, poverty rates and other variables for each U.S. county to estimate rates of food insecurity – a federally-defined measure of whether households and individuals have adequate access to enough nutrition for a healthy and active life.

As seen in the map below, Maine's rates of food insecurity are generally higher than in other parts of New England, and a higher percentage of its residents are eligible for SNAP, the federal food stamp program.

Food insecure households ineligible for SNAP food stamp benefits
According to Feeding America, many households experiencing food insecurity earn too much income to be eligible for SNAP and other nutritional programs. Such households generally make up a greater proportion of food-insecure households in wealthier urban areas, where the overall food insecurity rate is lower.

Read: Persistent hunger fuels sprawling food supply system for needy Mainers

Learn more about Feeding America's methodology here.