Fact-Checking Myths About Suburban Hunger
It’s easy to think that poverty doesn’t exist in suburbs because often, it’s invisible. But food insecurity affects families across suburban neighborhoods including your neighbors, seniors on fixed incomes, and children who don’t have enough to eat.
Let’s dispel five myths about food insecurity in the suburbs – particularly in Douglas, Arapahoe, and Elbert counties – and tell you how SECOR Cares helps our neighbors.
MYTH #1: People who live in the suburbs are financially stable and can afford groceries.
The cost of living in the southeastern suburbs of Denver is high compared to other parts of Colorado and the country. So even if residents have a good job, they may be spending a large portion of their income on housing, preventing them from saving for emergencies or leaving them short at the end of the month.
For example, the median home listing price in Douglas County was $757,810 early this year, which reinforces its status as one of the most expensive markets in the metro Denver area, according to the Colorado Gazette.
That can mean families are “house poor,” a term commonly used to describe homeowners who are financially overextended and can’t maintain a balanced budget or handle unexpected expenses, according to Chase Bank.
The bank says that being house poor can lead to:
Financial stress: When you consistently spend a large percentage of your income on housing expenses like mortgage payments and property taxes, stress can affect your quality of life.
Increased debt: If you’re house poor, you may feel a need to turn to credit cards or other high-interest loans to cover day-to-day expenses, leading to a cycle of debt that can be difficult to get ahead of.
Limited retirement savings: High housing costs can prevent you from saving enough for retirement, impacting your future financial security.
Risk of foreclosure: In cases of economic downturn or a personal financial crisis, house-poor homeowners may face the risk of foreclosure due to an inability to meet monthly mortgage payment obligations.
HOW SECOR HELPS: Our free food market puts food on the tables of 3,000 families each month in Douglas, Arapahoe, and Elbert counties.
“Even when you do everything right, life can still turn upside down.That’s the harsh reality of suburban poverty — it often strikes without warning, affecting families who never imagined they’d need help,” says Brie Dilley, our executive director.
Unlike some food pantries that hand out pre-made bags of food, our guests use shopping carts in a market set up like a small grocery store to choose the food that best suits the needs of their families. Our guests make appointments to shop so they don’t have to stand in line, because dignity is at the core of what we do.
Most of our guests come to our free food market for about six months when, for instance, they are hit with an unexpected medical bill or car repair. They can shop twice a month and use the money they would have spent on groceries to get back on their feet.
MYTH #2: Food stamps keep families fed.
In Colorado, a family of four qualifies for food stamps only if they make less than $64,320.
That’s a gross monthly income of about $5,360, which works out to an estimated take-home pay after taxes of around $4,300 to $4,600 a month depending on insurance, deductions and filing status.
Families earning above that monthly threshold do not qualify for help. And remember that SNAP benefits do not cover purchases such as diapers or basic necessities such as toilet paper or cleaning supplies.
And the need is growing. Since 2017, the number of Arapahoe County households receiving food stamps increased from 14,300 to 21,200.
HOW SECOR HELPS: We don’t ask for proof of income and serve those who do, and do not, qualify for federal or state assistance.
We pick up food from 19 grocery stores each week, which means we can offer a wide variety of meats, dairy, produce, and canned staples as well as toiletries such as feminine hygiene products and other household supplies.
MYTH #3: Food insecurity only affects people living below the federal poverty line.
The federal poverty line for a family of four is $33,000, and government programs typically cap benefits at twice that amount.
To be considered self-sufficient in Douglas County, a family of four must bring in at least $103,396 – that’s three times above the federal poverty line.
“The best way to define suburban poverty is every person who sits in that gap,” Brie says.
And people with good jobs are not immune to economic pressures. The price of groceries is straining household budgets in our communities and around the country.
On an annualized basis, fresh vegetable prices are more than 44% higher today than they were three months ago, according to a May 2026 report by NBC News.
Other basic necessities like bread and milk have risen by 8% and 5% over that same time period, according to the story, and over the past three months, the price of coffee at grocery stores has been rising at a pace that works out to more than 22% annually.
HOW SECOR HELPS: Our free food market served more than 22,000 households last year and our mobile food market, a mini grocery store on wheels, travels to locations such as college campuses, schools, low-income and senior housing, and other communities who struggle to get to our free market in Parker.
Mobile market guests are able to shop as they do at our brick-and-mortar location. Stocked with meat, fresh produce, bread, canned goods, and more, we can serve up to 200 families in a two-to-three hour period and provide them with enough food to roughly last up to two weeks.
In 2025, we held 39 mobile markets in 11 locations!
MYTH #4: Suburban schools don’t deal with hunger.
Many believe that suburban kids have everything they need and that Colorado’s free school lunch program adequately feeds children.
Before the free lunch program, it was estimated that nearly 70,000 Colorado kids could not afford school meals, but did not qualify for free or reduced-price school meals either.
So when the weekends come, or schools are closed, these children may go to bed hungry.
Despite budgeting and saving, the high cost of housing can make it difficult for families with children to afford food and rent, according to Feeding America.
According to the USDA , one in every five children is unsure where they will get their next meal. That includes children who don’t attend school. The highest poverty rate in 2024 in Arapahoe County was experienced by female-headed families with children under 5 years old, according to county data.
HOW SECOR HELPS: Last year, our Food for Thought program put 66,104 bags of groceries in schoolchildren’s backpacks in 35 schools around our region. These bags contain nonperishable food such as rice, canned vegetables and pasta to help ensure they don’t go hungry on weekends when they can’t rely on school lunches.
We make weekly deliveries to each partner school.
“These bags are going to schools you would, and would not, expect,” Brie says.
Myth #5: You can always tell when someone can’t afford groceries.
Many middle-income suburban families are one emergency, such as a job loss or rent increase, away from needing help.
That’s what happened to Frank, a married father and skilled IT professional.
He had a solid job as a programmer when he was unexpectedly let go. He found part-time work as a contracted delivery driver, but his wages didn’t cover his family’s bills.
With three kids at home, he and his wife quickly burned through their savings. Asking for help wasn’t easy — but with humility, Frank and his family came to SECOR.
Secor helped them get by for a full year, until Frank got a new job. Now, he’s a monthly donor.
“I was completely blown away and humbled by the organization — the kindness of the volunteers, the quality of the food, especially the produce,” Frank said. “Not once did I feel judged — only showered with love and joy. We were truly blessed.”
You Can Help Fight Suburban Poverty!
This year, SECOR is proud to celebrate 20 years of restoring hope and dignity to our guests struggling with food insecurity. Thanks to supporters like you, SECOR’s mission has touched countless lives and filled the gap for those who need it most when they need it most.
Your partnership means we can say yes when others say no. Would you consider a gift today to help your neighbors in need?