Food Security Dashboard
“Food insecurity” is defined as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Food insecurity does not necessarily cause hunger, but hunger is a possible outcome of food insecurity.
“Food security” is defined as a household having adequate access to food.
Food security affects an individual’s overall health and wellbeing. Those who experience food insecurity have a higher likelihood of developing a chronic disease.
Food security is a Boone County community health priority, identified in the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), also called the Illinois Project for Local Area Needs (IPLAN). The food security health priority is championed by the Boone County Hunger Coalition.
The Boone County Hunger Coalition was formed in 2015 and is a collaborative network of interdisciplinary stakeholders that are committed to ensuring continuity of services, providing a forum for addressing food insecurity, and increasing awareness and providing education on the issue of hunger and food insecurity in our community.
Mission: To educate the community about hunger and food insecurity and increase access to food resources for our most vulnerable populations: children, families, and seniors.
Community
Community data is collected through primary and secondary data sources. The primary data source is the Walkability and Food Access Survey. Secondary data sources include County Health Rankings and United Stated Drug Adminstration (USDA).
Diabetes Prevalence
Boone County has a 11% diabetes prevalence rate, which is the same as the state. The national average is 10%, which is below the county and state’s prevalence.
Source: County Health Rankings 2025
Note: Based on 2022 data
Percent of Adults with BMI and Overweight
This graph depicts the percentage of Boone County residents who are considered obese. Boone County’s rate of 40% is larger than the state at 33%, and the country at 34%. This table looks at the overall obesity rates, not specifically those who experience food insecurity.
Source: County Health Rankings 2025
Note: Based on 2022 data
Changes in Consumer Price Indexes, 2022 through 2025
This graph depicts the price changes for consumer price index food-at-home categories from 2022 to 2025. Between 2023 and 2024, the annual food-at-home prices increased by 1.2% . The 20-year historical level of retail food price inflation is 2.6% per year. In 2024, the largest percent change was in eggs with an 8.5% increase compared to 1.4% in the previous year.
Source: USDA, 2025
Limited Access to Healthy Foods
This graph depicts limited access to healthy foods. Limited access to healthy foods is defined as having low income and not living close to a grocery store. In Boone County, 7% of people have limited access to healthy foods. This is higher than both Illinois and the country.
Source: County Health Rankings 2022
Note: Based on 2019 data
Map the Meal Gap is a study founded by Feeding America. This tool has provided estimates of local food security and food costs on an annual basis to better understand individuals and places facing hunger. An interactive map is available to learn more about food insecurity at a local and national level.
Check out the interactive map here to learn about Boone County
The following six graphs are from the Walkability and Food Access Community Survey Results. These insights reflect the community’s experiences and challenges in accessing food. Understanding these factors helps us identify areas for improvement and inform future planning efforts. The results are highlighted in the graphs below, starting with “How do you access food?”
How Do You Access Food?
This chart shows results of the Walkability and Food Access survey. 15% of respondents reported walking to access food and 4% reported using Boone County Council on Aging transportation.
According to the results of the Walkability and Food Access survey, the top locations to access food among respondents were Walmart, Aldi, Fiesta Market, Empower Boone Food Pantry, and B1 Food Pantry.
Source: Walkability and Food Access Community Survey 2020
How often are you worried that you won't have enough food for the week?
This graph shows results from the Walkability and Food Access Community Survey in 2020. 28.2 percent of respondents stated that they worry about having enough food for the week occasionally, 11.67% monthly, and 12.22% weekly. Less than 50% of Boone County residents reported never worrying that they won’t have enough food for the week.
Source: Walkability and Food Access Community Survey 2020
Below are some reasons why people don't always have enough variety of food they want. Select all that apply.
This graph shows some of the reasons why people don’t always have enough variety of food, according to the Walkability and Food Access Community survey. 42.73% of respondents reported that they do not have enough money to purchase a variety of foods, 11.82% responded that the foods they would like are not available, and 3.09% responded that they do not have the variety of food they would like because of transportation issues.
Source: Walkability and Food Access Community Survey 2020
Which of the following food programs have you participated in within the past year? Select all that apply.
This graph depicts the different food programs that Walkability and Food Access respondents used in 2020. 27.88% responded that they attend food pantry distributions, 19.91% have SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and 9.29% responded that they participate in the WIC (Women Infants and Children) program.
Source: Walkability and Food Access Community Survey 2020
How often do you use food pantries, soup kitchens, or other meal programs?
This graph depicts how often Walkability and Food Access respondents reported using food pantries, soup kitchens, or other meal programs. 30.11% of respondents use these supports monthly, 25.57% weekly, and 4.55% rely on these programs more than once a week.
Source: Walkability and Food Access Community Survey 2020
Has it been recommended that someone in your household follows a diet? Select all that apply.
This graph shows the percentage of respondents who have someone in their household who has been recommended to follow a specific diet. 25.10% of Walkability and Food Access survey respondents reported having someone in their household with the recommendation to follow a diabetic diet, 20.99% a heart healthy diet, and 16.05% a low sodium diet.
Source: Walkability and Food Access Community Survey 2020
Neighbors Served Each Month
This graph depicts the average number of neighbors in Boone served monthly by Northern IL Food Bank. There is a decline in the number of neighbors being served since 2023.
Agency Network Food Distribution Sites
This graph depicts the number of network members and partnerships over the years for providing meals to the community. Backpack programs have been declining since 2018.
| Sites | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Pantries | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Soup Kitchens | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| BackPack Programs | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Youth Program Sites | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Senior Site | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Daycares | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Meals Distributed Throughout Community
This graph depicts the numbers of meals distributed throughout the community through different initiatives including Mobile Pantries, Child Nutrition Programs, and Senior Grocery Programs.
Map the Meal Gap Meals Distributed
This graph depicts the number of meals served year by year to Boone County and its residents. In 2021, an estimated 2.5 million meals were provided through Map the Meal Gap.
Programmatic
Programmatic data is collected through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. WIC is a special supplemental food program for Women, Infants and Children, created in 1974. The goal of the program is to improve pregnancy outcomes and early childhood development through nutrition interventions. Ultimately the goal is to decrease the families’ dependency on government services. Services provided through the WIC program include:
- Child growth and development assessments and referral for services as needed
- Specified nutritious foods according to eligibility category
- Nutrition education
- Breastfeeding information and support
- Nutritional/Health Risk assessment which includes: height and weight measurements, hemoglobin and health history
Percentage of Boone County Children under 5 Served by WIC
The Boone County Health Department (BCHD) tracks the percentage of children under the age of 5 in Boone County who are served by the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program each year.
Percentage of Assigned Caseload vs. Target 2021 - 2024
The Boone County Health Department (BCHD) tracks the percentage of its assigned caseload for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program each year and compares it to its target. The target of the WIC program is to have 90% of the caseload assigned to BCHD.