PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Food insecurity is an issue tens of thousands of Portland residents face every day, according to new data compiled by the city’s Office of Community & Civic Life and Portland State University’s Population Research Center. 

The two groups joined together to take a closer look at Portland’s 94 neighborhoods as the city prepares to transition to a new form of government that many hope will help better respond to the needs of residents. 

Together, they produced 94 data-rich neighborhood profiles and one citywide profile that were released in early February. The profiles reveal things such as each neighborhood’s population, poverty rate, racial or ethnic diversity, and food security. 

Food insecurity means not having enough food for an active, healthy life. 

Portland’s food insecurity zones

Researchers used data from the 2020 Census and other sources and carefully sorted it by neighborhood to build the profiles. 

The numbers show that in Portland 11.8% (nearly 77,000 people) experience food insecurity. 

Within the city, the neighborhood with the highest number of people experiencing food insecurity is the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood in Southeast Portland. Most of the neighborhood sits east of Interstate 205. 

The Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood is also the city’s most populated neighborhood with 32,852 people. Of those, 17.5%, or 5,749 people, have reported experiencing food insecurity. 

Food insecurity can increase the risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure. It can also cause mental health issues like anxiety and aggression. 

Below is a list of the Portland neighborhoods with the highest number of people experiencing food insecurity. 

• Powellhurst-Gilbert – 5,749
• Centennial – 3,986
• Hazelwood – 3,956
• Lents – 3,136 
• Montavilla – 2,250 

These are the Portland neighborhoods where the fewest people are experiencing food insecurity. 

• Arlington Heights – 32 
• Sylvan-Highland – 30 
• Woodland Park – 22 
• University Park – 21 
• Healy Heights – 19 

All of the neighborhoods with the most people experiencing food insecurity are on Portland’s east side. 

Food insecurity could become a greater issue for Portland residents as some COVID-19 emergency benefits come to an end. Wednesday is when the federal government will end its additional payments to the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 

This will be the first time since April 2020 that families in Oregon and across the country will no longer be able to rely on extra food benefits. 

How data was compiled

Demographic data has traditionally been organized into census blocks. To create the profiles for all of Portland’s 94 neighborhoods, the Office of Community & Civic Life and PSU carefully sorted data into neighborhood boundaries. 

The data they used came from the 2020 census, the American Community Survey, the Feeding America food insecurity data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index, Portlandness: A Cultural Atlas, and the National Center for Health Statistics Life Expectancy Estimate. 

The data could be used to inform elected leaders about ratepayer investments, public resources, social service programs and future commissioners districts.