A newly released national study is putting renewed attention on food insecurity in Northwest Georgia, including Chattooga County, where poverty, access to grocery stores and the number of households relying on food assistance all point to continuing challenges for local families. Feeding America released its 2026 Map the Meal Gap report on July 28, providing its newest county-level look at hunger across the United States. Unlike last year’s report, which was based on 2023 conditions, the new report uses 2024 data. That distinction is important when looking at Chattooga County. Previous Map the Meal Gap data estimated Chattooga’s food insecurity rate at 19.3 percent in 2023, the highest rate among the Northwest Georgia counties in that dataset. The new Feeding America report shows that hunger continued to be a significant problem throughout the region in 2024, but the newest county figures should be used when making current comparisons. Chattooga County is part of the 20-county Chattanooga Area Food Bank service area, which includes nine Georgia counties — Chattooga, Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Walker and Whitfield — along with 11 counties in Tennessee. The newest Feeding America data show that 17.4 percent of people in the Chattanooga Area Food Bank’s service area experienced food insecurity in 2024. That’s the highest rate the organization has seen in at least five years. The regional rate had dropped to 12 percent in 2021 but has increased each year…
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