Missouri Food
Pantry Deserts

Policy Briefing

Where are food-insecure residents likely underserved by nearby food pantries?

This tract-level planning map highlights places where likely food insecurity and limited pantry access overlap across Missouri.

Scope: Missouri census tracts Focus: Pantry coverage gaps Use case: Community planning

Project: Missouri Food Pantry Deserts

Institutional support: Weidenbaum Center, Washington University in St. Louis

Data snapshot: February 2026

Press → to begin the briefing.

How the Rating Is Constructed

  • The rating combines:
    • Tract-level estimates of adult food insecurity
    • Adult population counts
    • Estimated proximity to food pantry locations
    • Limits and uncertainty in available data
  • These inputs are combined into a four-level rating: Very High, High, Medium, or Low.

Data Origins

Need Inputs

  • Food insecurity estimates are drawn from CDC PLACES, which provides small-area modeled estimates of adults reporting cost-related barriers to food access.
  • For this project, those tract-level rates are applied to adult population counts to estimate the number of food-insecure adults in each tract.
  • Population estimates come from the American Community Survey (ACS), using tract-level adult population counts.

Coverage Inputs

  • Pantry access estimates are derived from a statewide merged directory of pantry locations compiled from public and partner source systems.
  • We assume a catchment of 1 mile radius around each food pantry.
  • These inputs are combined into a four-level rating: Very High, High, Medium, or Low.

Pantry Source Systems

Multiple public pantry lists are standardized and transformed into a tract-level planning map.

Primary source lists used in this build

211
Operation Food Search
St. Louis Area Foodbank
MO.gov Food Pantry List
MO Farmers Care Pantry List
SEMO Foodbank
Ozarks Food Harvest
Share Food Bring Hope
St. Joseph Second Harvest
Harvesters Food Network

How public directories become a tract-level planning tool.

Food Insecurity Patterns Across Missouri

Food insecurity is unevenly distributed across Missouri tracts.

Where High Need Meets Thin Coverage

These tracts are candidates for targeted outreach and referral.

What This Does Not Prove

  • Does not measure real-time inventory or staffing.
  • Does not indicate whether a pantry is open today.
  • Does not capture eligibility rules or documentation barriers.

How People Use This

  • Outreach planning: identify areas for mobile pantry placement.
  • Grant writing: provide tract-level evidence of likely unmet need.
  • Coordination: align organizations around a shared geographic assessment.
  • Briefings: communicate likely access gaps clearly.

Questions for Local Stakeholders

  • Are the highest-rated tracts already served through informal networks?
  • Where does local knowledge differ from the map?
  • Are services duplicated in some areas while others remain underserved?
  • Which high-need areas require immediate attention given limited capacity?
  • What additional local data should be incorporated?

Start in 60 Seconds

  • Open the map.
  • Locate a region.
  • Click a tract to view its rating.
  • Confirm conditions with local providers before operational decisions.

Contact and Corrections

If you see incorrect information or missing providers, please share updates with the project team.