Staggering Statistic: The Food Desert Epidemic
Publish Date: April 17, 2015
Last Update: January 26, 2026
More than 23.5 million Americans live in “food deserts,” low-income neighborhoods where the nearest supermarket is more than one mile away.
This number includes 6.5 million children.
In these neighborhoods, cheap and easy fast-food options dominate the streets. Not sure if your area is an official food desert? You can search the USDA’s map of food deserts and areas with low access to healthy foods online.
Photo credit: beaumontpete via Flickr
