Glossary

Food insecurity

Households that had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all members due to a lack of resources.

Very low food security

Households where food intake was reduced and eating patterns disrupted because the household lacked money and other resources for food.

ALICE

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level but cannot afford basic costs of living in their county.

SNAP

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — provides monthly benefits to eligible low-income households to purchase food.

WIC

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — nutrition support for pregnant/postpartum women, infants, and children under 5.

Hardship Index

Composite score (0–100) combining food insecurity, ALICE/poverty burden, and SNAP need relative to national averages.

Participation index

Estimated relative SNAP participation intensity for a state compared with national patterns.

Household Pulse Survey

Census Bureau rapid survey measuring near-real-time social and economic impacts, including food insufficiency.

Read our methodology →