To truly understand hunger, we asked Oklahomans to speak for themselves.
Our recent voter poll captures more than opinions. It reflects lived experiences of hunger, rising food costs, and barriers to accessing affordable, reliable meals.
The findings are a human-centered picture of food insecurity in Oklahoma, challenging us to respond with seriousness and compassion to the growing need.
Poll Finding #1:
Food insecurity is not a marginal issue. It is a common experience in Oklahoma.
In Oklahoma, hunger isn’t hidden. It shows up at kitchen tables, in grocery carts, and in the quiet calculations families make at the end of the month.
For more than half of Oklahomans, food security is uncertain. An unexpected bill or rising grocery costs can force impossible choices between food and other basic needs.
Programs like SNAP provide critical support, but many families still struggle to afford enough groceries to last the month.
Food insecurity in Oklahoma isn’t rare. It’s part of daily life for far too many families.
Action Step #1:
Join the conversation.
@HungerFreeOK
Poll Finding #2:
Addressing hunger is broadly supported.
The results of our poll tell a powerful story, and in Oklahoma, they point in one direction toward action on hunger. Across parties, geographics, demographics, a clear majority is drawing a line in the sand, signaling a shared understanding that food access isn’t optional; it’s foundational. And programs that combat hunger are not expendable.
In Oklahoma, food security is a priority that people are ready to stand behind, fund, and vote for.
Action Step #2:
Click here to receive our policy updates.
Poll Finding #3:
Food insecurity is a bipartisan issue.
The voices behind this belief reflect a broad cross-section of Oklahoma voters. Addressing hunger isn’t a narrow slice of opinion. It’s registered voters, age 18 and up, representing a true cross-section of Oklahomans, spanning income levels, education, geography, and lived experiences.
The political breakdown of our poll tells its own story. Different backgrounds. Different beliefs. Different daily realities. Yet on the issue of food security, those differences begin to blur.
When it comes to making sure families can put food on the table, Oklahomans from every viewpoint are part of the same conversation, and increasingly, the same solution.
Action Step #3:
Get involved!
Attend Anti-Hunger Day at the Capitol in the spring and raise your voice for Oklahoma families.
Follow us to learn more:
@HungerFreeOK
Poll Finding #4:
Individuals and families experiencing food insecurity often face multiple challenges.
Food insecurity is rarely caused by one thing. It’s a web of pressures that tighten all at once. For many individuals and families, the challenge isn’t just getting food. It’s everything surrounding it.
Steady work doesn't always mean stability.
Limited income affects 76% of those experiencing food insecurity. Sixty-five percent say they lack a job that pays well, and 61% face ongoing job insecurity.
Essential costs continue to rise.
Fifty-seven percent reported that high housing costs stretch resources thin, while 56% said being hit by unexpected household or healthcare expenses unravels their carefully calculated budget. For families with children, 44% also face high childcare costs, adding another layer to already stretched resources.
Food insecurity doesn’t happen in isolation.
The trade-offs become clear. Utility bills top the list, with 57% saying they make it harder to afford food. Housing follows at 42%, then transportation at 34%, and medical bills at 23%. Each demand represents a choice someone has had to make. A bill paid instead of groceries purchased. Everyday costs stack up, turning routine expenses into barriers between families and the food they need.
Action Step #4:
Your experience can make a difference. Click here to share your experience with food insecurity or supporting someone in accessing nutrition programs.
Poll Finding #5:
Even when help exists, emotional and logistical barriers keep people from accessing available resources.
For many, it’s the quiet weight of shame, embarrassment, or fear that stops someone from accessing the benefits they need. These moments, paired with other challenges, turn access into a maze, where the hardest step is often the first one.
“SNAP support is not easy to get. It is not easy to renew. It can be very difficult to get enough work hours in, even as an ‘able-bodied adult,’ for multiple reasons. I would much rather have a better job and better income.”
Beth, SNAP participant
Action Step #5:
Click here to learn how Hunger Free Oklahoma is advocating for and creating solutions to eliminate barriers.
Poll Finding #6:
Oklahomans largely value nutrition but say current SNAP benefits don’t match food costs.
Nutritious food matters to Oklahomans, and they support solutions that make healthy food more accessible.
SNAP benefits are based on the Thrifty Food Plan, a lowest-cost food budget that assumes people have time to cook from scratch, a stocked kitchen, and access to affordable groceries. For many families, those assumptions don’t reflect reality.
Today, SNAP benefits average about $2.07 per meal, and 61% of Oklahomans say that’s not enough to keep up with rising grocery costs.
Experience the challenge yourself with the SNAP Café, where you can build a meal on a SNAP budget and see how quickly costs add up, even with careful planning.
Despite these challenges, there is broad bipartisan support for strengthening SNAP, including increasing benefit adequacy and expanding programs that make healthy food more affordable. Oklahomans want more than enough food. They want nutritious food that helps individuals, families, and communities thrive.
What Oklahomans Think About SNAP
Action Step #6:
Click here to find out how Double Up Oklahoma and other HFO programs are increasing access to healthy foods.
A Challenge We Can Solve Together
Hunger affects families across Oklahoma, regardless of background or political beliefs. For many, affording enough food is an ongoing challenge driven by low wages, rising costs, and economic uncertainty.
At the same time, Oklahomans widely agree that hunger is a problem worth addressing. Across communities and party lines, voters support efforts to reduce food insecurity and help families put food on the table. Hunger is not a partisan issue. It is a human issue.
You can be part of the solution.
- Share these findings with your friends, family, and community networks.
- Share your story to help policymakers and community leaders better understand the realities of hunger.
- Support local organizations, food pantries, schools, and community programs working to reduce hunger across the state.
Together, we can build an Oklahoma where everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.