Even as recognition of the problem is growing and
progress is being made, between 6 and 9 percent
of all U.S. households are still without access to
healthy food. Nearly 30 million people live in lowincome
areas with limited access to supermarkets
(defined as the closest store being more than a mile
away).4
The problem is particularly acute in lowincome
communities of color. People living in these
neighborhoods must either make do with the foods
available in smaller local stores, which are very often
less healthy and more expensive, or spend nearly 20
minutes traveling to the nearest large retailer or even
more time in rural communities where a full-service
grocery store may be more than 20 miles away