Food Insecurity

• In a majority of counties in the St. Croix River Valley (Chisago, Washington, Pierce, and St. Croix), the proportion of their residents classified as “food insecure” was lower than the state average.
• The exceptions were Polk (which slightly exceeded the Wisconsin average) and Burnett (which substantially exceeded the state average).
• 10.4% of all people in the U.S. were classified as food insecure in 2021.

• From the mid-2010s until 2018, the Wisconsin counties in the St. Croix River Valley generally experienced declines in the proportion of their populations who were food insecure.
• From 2018 to 2019, all these Counties and the state of Wisconsin saw relatively sharp increases in the proportion of their populations classified as food insecure, but such proportions have decreased since 2020.
• Relative to the state as a whole, St. Croix and Pierce County are consistently below average in terms of their populations seen as food insecure, Polk is usually at or below average, and Burnett is consistently above average.

• The proportions of food insecure people in Chisago County, and Washington County have fallen consistently over the 2009 to 2021 time period. The proportion of food insecure people in Minnesota increased in 2021 after a consistent decline between 2010 and 2020.
• Chisago County has generally been below the state average with respect to the percentage of the population seen as food insecure and Washington County is consistently below Chisago County with respect to this indicator.

* Food insecure individuals do not have access, at all times, to enough food for an active, healthy life.

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