Food insecurity continues to affect a significant share of Los Angeles County residents, with one in four households (24%) reporting difficulty affording enough food in 2025, according to a study from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. This rate is essentially unchanged from 2024, underscoring the persistent challenges many Angelenos face amid high living costs, ongoing recovery from January's wildfires, and shifting federal food assistance policies.
Despite the overall stability, the study - spearheaded by USC Dornsife Public Exchange - reveals a more complex picture below the surface. Low-income households saw notable improvements, while others continued to struggle as affordability pressures mounted.
"These findings show both encouraging progress and emerging pressures," said Kayla de la Haye, the study's lead author and director of the Food Systems Institute at USC Dornsife's Center for Economic and Social Research. "Even as food insecurity decreases among low-income households, the burden is shifting. Many Angelenos outside the safety net are struggling to keep up with rising costs."
Progress for low-income households reflects recent investments
The decline in food insecurity among low-income residents marks the second consecutive year of improvement. Researchers note that recent countywide investments - including more than $20 million in Food Equity Fund grants to more than 80 organizations and the establishment of the L.A. County Office of Food Systems - may be contributing to greater access to affordable, nutritious food.
Nutrition insecurity - the lack of consistent access to healthy, safe and culturally appropriate foods - also improved substantially. Rates fell from 29% in 2024 to 21% in 2025, suggesting notable gains in residents' access to healthy foods, even as prices remain high.
"These positive shifts likely reflect the collective impact of local initiatives," de la Haye said. "But they also show the importance of sustained investment, especially as federal food assistance cuts begin rolling out next year."
A shift in who struggles to afford food
As food insecurity among low-income residents declined, higher-income households now make up a larger percentage of Angelenos experiencing food insecurity - a change researchers attribute to the region's steep cost of living. Low-income residents remain the most affected overall, but higher-income Angelenos now represent a larger share than in previous years.
"These are families who often don't qualify for safety net programs like CalFresh," de la Haye said. "They're earning above eligibility thresholds but still struggling to meet the cost of living in L.A."
CalFresh remains essential - but insufficient for many households
CalFresh, California's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the state's largest tool for reducing food insecurity, providing grocery benefits to more than 1 million L.A. County residents each month. But many recipients still struggle to afford enough food.
In October 2025, 44% of CalFresh participants in L.A. County were food insecure, indicating that current benefit levels are not always adequate to meet rising food and living costs. Researchers note that this is especially concerning as federal cuts to this program take effect in 2026.
"These data highlight how essential CalFresh is - and how many households rely on it - but also where gaps remain," de la Haye said. "Even with assistance, many families in L.A. County are unable to consistently purchase enough nutritious food."
Recommendations to strengthen food access in 2026
Based on their findings, the research team identifies several strategies that could help improve food and nutrition security across L.A. County as costs continue to rise and federal benefit reductions take effect. These include:
- Improving coordination across local, state and federal agencies to respond to evolving policy changes and community needs.
- Investing in local data collection and program coordination to help agencies adapt to emerging challenges.
- Expanding outreach and enrollment efforts for CalFresh, along with policies that help families maintain benefits.
- Strengthening local food system infrastructure to increase access to healthy, affordable and culturally relevant foods.
- Advancing policies to enhance household financial stability, particularly for residents who earn too much to qualify for safety net programs but still struggle with the region's high cost of living.
- Bolstering food banks and emergency food providers to meet both ongoing need and disaster-related disruptions.
These recommendations, researchers emphasize, reflect areas where coordinated action could mitigate the pressures many households are expected to face in the year ahead.
About the study
The findings are based on data from the Understanding America Study, a nationally recognized internet panel administered by the Center for Economic and Social Research. For this report, researchers surveyed a representative sample of 1,248 to 1,357 L.A. County residents between January and October 2025 to assess food and nutrition security, food program participation, and access to healthy foods.
This study was supported by Public Exchange and the Food Systems Institute, based at USC Dornsife, and a grant from the National Science Foundation. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank was a collaborator.
