Hunger in Western North Carolina

Have you ever wondered where your next meal will come from? Unfortunately, hundreds of our neighbors right here in Jackson County struggle with hunger. Too often they face impossible choices between food or heat, food or rent, food or medications. For some food insecurity is temporary, for others it is a lifelong burden.

Here in Jackson County:

  • In 2024, 35% of Jackson County residents ran out of food at least once and/or worried about running out of food in the past year. This is an increase since 2021 of (25%) and 2018 (19%) and Jackson County’s rate is the highest of all WNC counties.
  • In 2025 The Community Table served 18402 meals and distributed 7722 boxes of groceries to 16781 Jackson County residents, 4975 of which were children 14 and under.
  • Last year we served an average of 96 meals each day, and we distributed over a half of a million pounds of food.
  • 1 in 6 adults and 1 in 4 children in WNC are food insecure.
  • 37% of children in WNC are food insecure.
  • 17% of people in Jackson County have limited access to healthy food and $14% are consider chronically food insecure.
  • 26.1% of children in our county are food insecure. 59% receive free or reduced lunches at school.
  • Jackson County Community Health Assessment 2024

The Community Table Annual Report for 2025

Want to know more about the goals and accomplishments of the Table last Year?
Check out the 2025 Annual Report.

Hunger and Health Information for Jackson County and Western North Carolina

Sources:

Aging In Place

Aging In Place connects seniors, families, and caretakers with the information and professional support they need to make the best decisions for their physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing.

Systematic World-Wide Hunger Facts

Freedom Farmers: Black Agricultural Resistance
and Creating Sustainable Communities