Food Hardship and Nutrition Insecurity in Rural Areas with Access to Non-Congregate Summer Meals

In 2025, as part of a national caregiver survey, No Kid Hungry and Mathematica surveyed caregivers living near rural non-congregate summer meals sites to measure how widespread food hardship and nutrition insecurity are in these communities. About half of households experienced food hardship, nearly a third reported child food hardship, and close to 40 percent were nutrition insecure. The cost of healthy food was the most common barrier. Notably, food hardship wasn't limited to the lowest-income families: more than a quarter of households earning above 250 percent of the federal poverty level experienced it too. These findings show why open-access summer meals sites matter, where any child can receive a free meal regardless of family income.