FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2026
Contact:
Laura Millard Ross
lauramr@mlpp.org
517-281-1084
Northern, rural Michigan counties show some of the highest rates of child food insecurity, according to new county fact sheets
Recent passage of the U.S. House’s proposed 2026 Farm Bill and last year’s federal megabill will exacerbate food insecurity for Michiganders
LANSING—In the wake of the recent passage of the U.S. House of Representatives’ proposed 2026 Farm Bill and last year’s unconscionable federal megabill, the Michigan League for Public Policy has published new county fact sheets that shine a light on the precarious state of food access in Michigan as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) continues to face cuts and restrictions.
“While the House’s 2026 Farm Bill proposal has been touted by its supporters as legislation that will lower food costs and improve affordability, quite the opposite is true. It is expected to worsen food insecurity for children and families as it fails to address the devastating cuts made to SNAP as a part of last year’s federal megabill and the significant cost shifts to states,” said Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton. “In addition to failing to fight hunger, the House bill falls short when it comes to supporting farmers under the most economic strain and weakens food supply chains and local agriculture.”
Both of these bills have come at a time when it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for families to afford basic needs, including food. Food prices have risen by more than 20% since January 2022, and for many families, even full-time work doesn’t pay enough to cover skyrocketing costs of gas and childcare. Fourteen of the 20 most common occupations in Michigan pay less than $20 per hour. As a result, hunger in Michigan increased by 32% from 2021 to 2023, with even larger increases for children (46%), adults ages 50-59 (74%) and adults ages 60 and older (40%).
The League’s new county fact sheets explore how the SNAP program is serving families in each of Michigan’s 83 counties, including county-specific indicators such as:
- the percentage of residents using SNAP
- the percentage of children facing food insecurity and
- the share of a modestly priced meal that is currently not covered by SNAP.
The fact sheets show that food insecurity affects families all over the state, with high rates of child food insecurity seen in Michigan’s northern, more rural counties as well as downstate urban counties. Of the 20 counties with the highest rates of child food insecurity, 17 are in northern Michigan. The counties with the highest rates of child food insecurity include: Mackinac, Wayne, Roscommon, Lake, Clare, Saginaw, Ogemaw, Montmorency, Genesee, Oscoda, Crawford, Alcona, Iron, Chippewa, Iosco, Cheboygan, Alpena, Mason, Mecosta, Berrien, Baraga, Schoolcraft, Gogebic, Ontanagon, Calhoun, Sanilac, Hillsdale, Gladwin, Isabella, Manistee, Presque Isle, Osceola, Muskegon and Bay.
“At a time when food prices are among the leading drivers of rising costs for basic needs, federal cuts to SNAP are only going to make things worse for the more than 1.4 million Michiganders who participate in this effective and vital program, nearly 40% of which are children,” said Stanton. “It’s important to understand that food insecurity is already on the rise in Michigan and that families in every county in our state will be harmed by the policy choices made by some of our federal lawmakers.”
SNAP is not only the country’s largest anti-hunger program, it’s also critical to health and economic stability for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders. It lifts 232,000 Michiganders, including 101,000 children, out of poverty every year and provides people of all ages with the nutrition they need to stay healthy and thrive.
For these reasons, it’s vital that families in all parts of the state continue to receive the food that they do through SNAP. Cuts to the program will be especially detrimental to Michiganders in northern and rural communities, where SNAP participation rates are higher. Of the 30 counties with the highest SNAP participation rates, 26 are rural. The counties with the highest SNAP participation rates include: Wayne, Lake, Clare, Genesee, Saginaw, Muskegon, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Calhoun, Roscommon, Gogebic, Iosco, Wexford, Crawford, Osceola, Iron, Gladwin, Oceana, Arenac, Newaygo and Ingham.
“As the 2026 Farm Bill passed by the U.S. House moves on to the U.S. Senate, it’s important that our federal lawmakers understand that not addressing the harm of last year’s federal megabill will hurt the people they were elected to serve. At about $6 per person, per day, SNAP is already insufficient in covering all of a family’s nutritional needs. But instead of working to improve the program’s benefits and access, the federal megabill made the largest cuts to SNAP in its long history in our country,” said Stanton.
The county fact sheets on SNAP can be viewed here.
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to advance economic security, racial equity, health and well-being for all people in Michigan through policy change. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
Betsy Zobl-Tar 
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
