Denver Department of Health 2025 Food Insecurity Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of a survey of 3,046 adults living in Denver, Colorado. The interviews were conducted from November 12th to 21st, 2025.

Denver residents reported substantial levels of food insecurity and concern about hunger across the city. Hunger was at least a mild concern for 45% of respondents, including 25% who said it was one of their top concerns or their most important concern. More than one-third of adults (37%) said that in the past 12 months they or other adults in their household had cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food, and among those affected, nearly half said this happened every month. These findings indicated that food insecurity was not episodic for many households, but a recurring condition.

Food insecurity also affected families with children. Nearly one-quarter of respondents reported having children under 18 in their household, and among those households, 19% said they had cut the size of children’s meals or skipped meals due to lack of money. More than half of these households said this occurred every month, and 14% reported that a child had gone an entire day without eating at least once in the past year. These results showed that child hunger was present for a meaningful share of Denver families and was often persistent rather than occasional.

Residents overwhelmingly identified affordability as the primary driver of food insecurity. More than two-thirds (68%) said food being too expensive was a big or somewhat big problem for their household. Many also cited lack of space or resources to grow food, limited access to healthy or fresh food nearby, and insufficient food pantries or free food options. Financial tradeoffs were common: 27% said they had cut back on utilities or healthcare to afford food, 24% cut transportation costs, and 20% cut back on rent or mortgage payments. Nearly two-thirds said they delayed paying bills at least sometimes to ensure they had enough money for food.

Most residents purchased food primarily at supermarkets, with proximity and affordability being the most important reasons for where they shopped. However, access challenges persisted for many, including transportation barriers, safety concerns when traveling to food outlets, and difficulty finding culturally appropriate or diet-specific foods. Although most respondents described their housing situation as stable, open-ended responses highlighted how rising housing costs, medical expenses, fixed incomes, disabilities, and dietary restrictions compounded food access challenges and forced households to make difficult choices about nutrition.

Food and nutrition assistance programs played a critical role for many households but were often insufficient. Among respondents who said hunger was at least a mild concern, 37% reported receiving food from pantries or food banks in the past three months, and 32% said someone in their household received SNAP or EBT benefits. However, only 11% said these benefits covered all of their household food needs, while most said they covered only some or very little. Satisfaction with food pantries was mixed: only 19% said they received enough food, and just 14% said they received the kinds of food their household needed, with many unsure or dissatisfied.

Despite these challenges, residents expressed overwhelming support for public action to address food insecurity. A large majority agreed that ensuring access to healthy food should be a major priority for civic leaders, and 85% said they would support a local ballot measure to create a flexible fund dedicated to improving food access and food security in Denver. Support was broad and intense, with more than seven in ten strongly supporting such a measure. Overall, the results depicted a city facing widespread food affordability challenges, heavy reliance on assistance that often fell short, and strong public consensus in favor of local investment to ensure reliable access to healthy food for all residents.

School meals and community food sites provided an important but incomplete safety net for children in food-insecure households. Among respondents whose children participated in school-provided meals or community food sites, 55% said their children received enough food for breakfast and lunch, while 21% said they did not. Children also received free food at community sites such as libraries, recreation centers, and parks, though this benefit reached only 7% of households with food concerns. These findings suggested that while institutional food programs served a meaningful role in supporting child nutrition, gaps remained in both reach and adequacy, leaving a notable share of children without consistent access to sufficient meals through these channels.