Economics

By Mia Gaddy and Liz Morrell

Food insecurity is not always obvious.  

It occurs when someone is experiencing limited or inadequate access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food due to social or economic constraints. 18 million people in the United States are experiencing food insecurity, and of that 18 million, 6.8 million face both food insecurity and hunger.

Food insecurity impacts thousands of residents in Mecklenburg County. While the region continues to grow, gaps in access persist […]

By Srajan Rastogi
As a high school student and as associate director of the National 4-H Geospatial Leadership Team, I’ve always been fascinated with how data is used to explore new avenues of growth and challenge for our communities. Living in Mecklenburg County, I’ve grown up surrounded by signs of economic progress. After all, it is home to more than 1.2 million people and, at its center, the city of Charlotte stands as a major financial hub, housing Fortune 500 companies and a booming business sector.

But behind this growth and prosperity, I began to notice challenges lurking in the shadows – especially for communities that do not receive the same spotlight on resources that their wealthier neighbors do. I looked beyond our progress and asked myself a simple question: in a region known for its growing banking sector, how many residents actually have access to financial services through these institutions […]

[Read the full report here] It was a cold January day in 2018 when eight researchers from UNC Charlotte’s Urban Institute stepped out into the brisk air in Hamlet, a small town in Richmond County, N.C. A dusting of snow from a surprise storm the previous day still covered the railroad tracks adjacent to the […]