2012 Community Food Security in Connecticut: An Evaluation and Ranking of 169 Towns

Most residents in Connecticut have consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living. Yet each year there are households that experience limited access to food due to a lack of money or other resources. Between 2008 and 2010, 12.7 percent of residents in Connecticut were living in food insecure households (38% of which were living in ‘households with very low food insecurity’). Approximately one in seven CT households reported there had been times in the past year when they did not have enough money to buy food that they needed. Although it is extremely difficult to pinpoint where these food insecure households are located, one can look at certain town-level variables of food insecurity and draw comparisons on a town by town basis. For example, what towns have a population mix that are generally considered more likely to be food insecure? Are there some towns where proximity and thus geographic access to retail food is a particular challenge? Are food assistance eligible households accessing public programs to improve their food budgets? This report provides a picture of how towns in Connecticut compare to each other under three separate conditions: • What is the likelihood that a resident in a particular town is food insecure? • What is the geographic proximity from town population centers to food retailers? • How well are town residents being served through public food assistance services and public bus transportation?