Free Maps Available to Help County Residents Support Their Neighbors
The nation is facing economic challenges that affect everyday families in many different ways. In Monroe County, New York, home to Rochester and nearby lakefront suburbs, food insecurity is an often invisible but very real problem.
To support local efforts, we are sharing free Monroe County, NY food access maps and data from the Meal Deficit Metric (MDM) model to help pinpoint areas with the highest need, even in some of the most well-resourced blocks
How Giving Back Sparks Joy & Impact
Perhaps you are like my long-time friend Samana, who takes time out of her busy work and family life to volunteer at a food pantry, in addition to other service work.
Volunteering is not only a powerful way to make a positive difference for others. It can also bring deeper meaning and joy to your own life.
As Helen Keller once said: “Your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.”
When we serve others with love and intention, that energy ripples outward into stronger communities.
Surprising Gaps in Affluent Areas
Samana lives just outside the City of Rochester, in Monroe County, New York. A region known for its beautiful lakefront, artistic spirit, and innovation. Her home is situated in a quaint neighborhood along the southern shore of Lake Ontario.
She’s incredibly thoughtful about her community and the world around her. Still, even she was surprised to learn that within her own neighborhood, families miss an estimated 479 meals every week, nearly 25,000 missed meals annually.
Across Monroe County as a whole, our model estimates that over 34 million meals are missed yearly because households simply cannot afford them. These missed meals are happening quietly in urban centers, suburbs, and even the most well-resourced blocks.
Download Free Monroe County Maps Using the MDM
If you are curious about where missed meals happen in your area, you can now download our free
Monroe County food access maps, developed using our Meal Deficit Metric (MDM) model.
We have partitioned Monroe County into 597 hyperlocal areas, generating reliable scores for each based on how many net meals are “missing”. After accounting for all sources of food, from grocery stores to food pantries to free meal programs. This is not a guess. It’s a data-driven, evidence-based model that
takes the guesswork out of eliminating food insecurity and shows exactly where your neighbors may be struggling.
Download the free Monroe County maps here!
Note: Maps in the download folder are high-resolution and best viewed on a desktop using current PDF software. Zoom in to see detailed local areas.
Volunteer, Share, or Advocate – Every Action Helps
If you are based in Monroe County or simply care about this issue, we invite you to use this data as a starting point for action. You might:
- Use the maps to reach out and share food and meals with families near you
- Volunteer with a local food pantry or community kitchen
- Share the maps with a local elected official, school, or nonprofit
- Spark a community conversation about overlooked hunger gaps
- Fund a deeper analysis or partner on custom data projects
Even small actions, like sharing information, can lead to big changes.
Join the Movement to Close the True Meal Gap
Ours is the only existing food insecurity model that is highly accurate, hyper localized, and relevant to eliminating hunger.
Whether you are a lifelong resident of Monroe County or someone who simply believes in equity, there is always a way to help. These maps offer a clear, localized view of where support is most needed, sometimes in places you would never expect.
Download the Monroe County maps or contact us to learn more about how our data tools can support your organization, community, or advocacy work.
Thank you for being part of the movement to create healthier, more connected communities
Who is Mari Gallagher?
Mari Gallagher, founder and principal of Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group, is a nationally recognized expert in food access, grocery market analysis, hyperlocal data modeling, and community health impacts. She popularized the term “food desert,” helped motivate billions in federal investment into underserved areas, and continues to shape public policy and on-the-ground programs nationwide.
