Food insecurity rates vary dramatically for different racial and ethnic populations as a result of historic and structural racism that has caused social and economic disadvantage for communities of color, increasing the risk of food insecurity (Feeding America, 2024). This data, however, can be difficult to find at the state level, especially for Maine due to its small population and the small sample size of the Census Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS ) data. The USDA’s annual Household Food Security in the United States report does not disaggregate rates by race and ethnicity at the state level. Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study provides food insecurity estimates for Black, Latino, and White individuals, but does not do so for Maine due to insufficient sample size.  

In 2024, the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future commissioned the Maine Office of the State Economist (OSE) to assess food insecurity rates in Maine by race and ethnicity in addition to other relevant characteristics, including disability status and household composition, using the CPS-FSS microdata used for the USDA’s annual report. The analysis found rates of food insecurity two to three times as high as the state average among single-parent households, households where the reference person reported having a disability, and among Black and Hispanic/Latine households.  

This analysis was done by weighting and pooling data from the 10-year period between 2013 and 2022 to improve the accuracy of estimates and address the small sample size in Maine. The race and ethnicity statistics are reported in broad categories (White, non-Hispanic; Black, non-Hispanic; Hispanic; and other, non-Hispanic), because even after pooling data over a 10-year period, there were insufficient observations for additional groups.  

These broad race and ethnicity groupings align with those used in the USDA’s annual Household Food Security report. Recognizing the insufficiency of these categories, in 2024, the USDA released a report that pooled six years of data (2016-2021) from the Current Population Survey to provide national household-level food insecurity estimates for a wider array of racial and ethnic identities, such as American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, multiracial, and others.  While this data is not specific to Maine, it provides important information about significant variances among specific populations otherwise obscured by broader categories.  

Food Insecurity is Twice as High for Households with a Disability in Maine 

The OSE analysis of Maine’s household food insecurity data also found very high rates of food insecurity – 26.1%, twice as high as the state average – among households where the survey respondent reported having a disability. This reflects national data, which finds that disabled adults experience higher rates of food insecurity, likely due to limited employment opportunities or disability that prevents work, along with higher healthcare-related expenses that reduce the money available for food. For those with a disability that affects their ability to work, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), provides critical cash assistance. However, the maximum benefit for SSI is below the poverty level (75% FPL), leaving many participants without enough resources to meet basic needs. 

Disability is more prevalent in Maine (16%) than the national average (13%), with far higher rates in four Maine counties: Piscataquis (26%), Washington (23%), Aroostook (22%), and Somerset (20%). These are also the counties with the highest rates of household food insecurity in Maine.  As outlined in a 2023 report by Disability Rights Maine, health disparities for people with disabilities are widespread, along with social inequalities linked to disparities in both health and food security, including higher rates of poverty, more transportation barriers, and higher rates of housing insecurity.