Food insecurity is rising in Texas, Bexar County

The big picture: The state's food insecurity rate rose to 16.4% in 2022, up from 13.7% in 2021. That means one in six Texans face hunger.

• About 1.7 million children — or 22.8% of kids — face hunger in Texas.

State of play: There are stark gaps depending on race and ethnicity.

• The food insecurity rate is 28% for Black people in Bexar County and 24% for Latinos.
• It's 11% for white, non-Hispanic people.

More than 23% of children in Bexar County are food insecure.

Zoom in: Bexar County's overall rate of food insecurity is 17.4% — that's 351,000 people.

• In neighboring Comal County, the rate is 13.8%, or nearly 23,000 people experiencing food insecurity.

Stunning stat: Nationally, food insecure individuals reported spending $3.99 per meal or $363.09 per month in 2022.

• Even adjusting for inflation, that's a 3% increase from the previous year.

The bottom line: Rising food prices and increasing cost of living have made it harder for people to afford food.

Go deeper: See how other Texas counties fare