In the United States, one out of six children in small towns and big cities lives in a food insecure household, which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 12 million children in the United States live in this condition – unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life.

That’s enough children to fill every seat in all of the professional league football, baseball, basketball and hockey stadiums and every Division One NCAA basketball stadium across the country at the same time.

The extent of child hunger has been examined by state in a new study by America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network. In 12 states – nearly one quarter of the country – more than 20% of the children live in households without consistent access to food.

“Next time you’re in a classroom, look around and think about what this means in these states with particularly high numbers,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest. “In some states this means four or five students in a classroom of 20 kids do not consistently get the nourishment they need to grow and thrive.”

Researcher John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, a nationally-recognized expert on child hunger, conducted the analysis.

The states with the highest rates of child food insecurity are Texas and New Mexico, where more than 24% of all children are at risk of hunger. The other states with child hunger rates above 20% are: California, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah. Washington, D.C. also has a child food insecurity rate above 20%.

America's Second Harvest is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, the organization annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Each year, America's Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.

To learn more about the organization's critical work and find out how you can help go to: America's Second Harvest — The Nation's Food Bank Network