New Report Finds Food Insecurity Widespread Across Central Indiana Counties

Indy Hunger Network expands bi-annual survey beyond Marion County in partnership with Central Indiana Community Foundation

Indy Hunger Network (IHN), in partnership with Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and the City of Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS), today released the 2025 Survey of Food Assistance Need in Central Indiana. For the first time, the survey broadened its scope beyond Marion County to include all nine Central Indiana counties, providing the most comprehensive snapshot yet of how households are accessing and experiencing the region’s food system.

The major takeaway from this year’s survey: hunger is a region-wide struggle. Rates of USDA-defined “very low” food security are statistically the same in Marion County and the surrounding counties—both at 37%. The survey also found that just over half of Central Indiana households experienced some level of food insecurity during the 2024 – 2025 study period. Together, these findings point to both the breadth and persistence of the challenge prior to federal cuts in food benefits passed in July as part of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act (P.L. 119-21).

“Hunger doesn’t look like you think it would,” said Kate Howe, executive director of Indy Hunger Network. “It’s your employees, your neighbors, the people you pass by every day. This study shows it’s more prevalent and pervasive than many realize.”

This year’s more robust sample size included 1,300 respondents from across all nine Central Indiana counties. About half are Marion County residents and half are residents of one of eight surrounding counties. About 60% of all respondents were employed for wages, 86% live in a household with at least one wage earner, and 6% reported being unemployed.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Marion County and surrounding counties have such similar rates of food insecurity,” said Jennifer Bartenbach, CEO of CICF. “We are the most interconnected region in the state. But luckily that also means when we empower more of our neighbors to afford and access healthy food, the entire region prospers. With major funding cuts underway, now is the time for philanthropy to help expand some of that access.”

This summer’s reconciliation bill was set to reduce funding for USDA food programs beginning October 1st. Last month during the federal government shutdown, controversy over contingency funding of SNAP imperiled access to the relief program for tens of millions of Americans, including more than 600,000 Hoosiers.

These cuts and funding freezes stand to worsen the trends captured in the survey, placing added strain on low-wage households, the food assistance system, and communities.

While food providers work to meet growing demand, the new regional data will help align resources, strengthen provider networks, and guide investments so that responses are both timely and enduring.

What’s Next

This report is designed to put real, local data in the hands of people working on both immediate relief and long-term solutions. IHN, CICF, and OPHS are engaging community foundations across the region to:

• share insights with local partners and front-line providers

• facilitate conversations with civic leaders and employers about policy and systems solutions

• brief donors on targeted opportunities to stabilize families now and invest in durable fixes over time

For Those Seeking Support

Hoosiers across the state facing food insecurity can use the Community Compass app and website, a food assistance locator in Indiana. Find it online at www.communitycompass.app.

For Those Who Can Help

The ability of Central Indiana households to access healthy food ties directly into the health of our overall region. Donate to or volunteer with the following organizations:

• Indy Hunger Network: Indy Hunger Network is a coalition of organizations in Greater Indianapolis that promotes access for all to nutritious food through a sustainable hunger relief system. Their mission is to address systemic hunger issues and eliminate disparities in the Greater Indianapolis hunger relief system through collaborative programs, advocacy, and research. Your support helps Indy Hunger Network offer programs such as Community Compass, Cooking Matters, Food Drop, Food Pantry Network, Food Resources Services Hub, and this hunger study. 

• United Way of Central Indiana Food Relief Fund: 100% of the contributions to the Central Indiana Food Relief Fund, managed by United Way of Central Indiana, will be distributed to Gleaners, Midwest Food Bank, and Second Helpings. The fund was launched with a $500,000 donation from an anonymous donor, intended to encourage the community to match, or exceed, that amount. The Indianapolis Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (Lilly Foundation) contributed, quickly meeting that match.  With your help, this fund will make an even greater impact.

About the Survey of Food Assistance Need in Central Indiana

Since 2014, IHN has led the survey focused on Marion County with funding support from City of Indianapolis OPHS. In 2025, CICF funded an expansion to the eight surrounding counties, reflecting a shared commitment to better address food insecurity at the regional level. The partnership pairs IHN’s network of on-the-ground providers with CICF’s regional perspective and data-informed approach, enabling public, private, and philanthropic partners to target resources where they are needed most.

The 2025 survey gathered responses from more than 1,300 households across Central Indiana; it combined near-equal sample sizes from both Marion County and the surrounding eight-county region.

Access the Report

The full 2025 Survey of Food Assistance Need in Central Indiana and a summary of findings are available here.

Media Contact

Media are invited to interview IHN and CICF team members for further analysis. Contact Kelsey Singh at KelseyS@cicf.org