JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New data shows the strain rising food costs are having on Floridians, particularly families.
“It’s hard out there with the prices going up,” said shopper Carol O’Neill after paying over $500 dollars for groceries Wednesday. “We’ve never paid that high,” said O’Neill. “It’s not good.”
O’Neill’s sentiment reflects how many Floridians are feeling about high food costs, recent data shows.
A new poll released by No Kid Hungry Florida in partnership with Aspect Strategic found that:
- 82% of Floridians say the cost of food is rising faster than their income.
- 47% of Florida families had to choose between buying nutritious food for the household and paying for gas, a car repair or transportation.
- 49% of Floridians with a child 18 or younger in their household report skipping meals or eating less.
- 70% of Floridians say their financial situation has suffered in the past 12 months due to the cost of food.
No Relief for Floridians as Food Costs Rise, Forcing Trade-Offs - Florida
“There are some things that we pass on when we go by because the price is just doubled or tripled,” said O’Neill.
President and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida food bank, Susan King says there are over 300,000 people facing food insecurity in Northeast Florida, and they’ve seen an increase of families needing food in the last year.
“Since January through April of 2025 compared to April 2026, we’ve seen more than a 17% increase in the number of households we’re serving. We’ve also seen a 16% increase in the number of pounds we’ve distributed just in those four months,” said King. “It’s hitting everybody.”
As for Carol O’Neill, she plans to continue shopping strategically.
“You have to look around, shop the sales, and see what kind of good deals you can get.”
King says they just conducted their own survey recently with their partners and found that 60% of them reported seeing new people in their food distribution lines.
King also notes that with school being out for the summer, they expect to see an increase in people needing food in the next few weeks.
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