Far fewer Baltimore-area residents experienced food insecurity in 2024 than in 2023, although food insecurity continues to disproportionately impact Black people, according to a new survey by Johns Hopkins University.The annual survey by Hopkins’ 21st Century Cities Initiative found that 28% of residents were food insecure in 2024, down 7.5% from the year prior.“The rate of people experiencing food insecurity might have declined as inflation slowed over the past year, especially in food prices,” said Michael Bader, faculty director of the 21st Century Cities Initiative, in a statement. “Being able to observe these trends in the Baltimore area is one of the advantages of conducting the survey annually.”The percentage of Black residents experiencing food insecurity saw the largest decrease, declining from 54% in 2023 to 37% in 2024.However, Black residents continued to face food insecurity at a rate more than double that of their white counterparts; about 17% of white residents were food insecure in 2024.The region’s rate of food security was also nearly twice as high as the national average.The survey also found a racial disparity in residents’ access to grocery stores in the Baltimore area. While about 6 out of 7 white residents said they had convenient access to grocery stores, only 65% of Black residents did.Issues with transportation and internet access were reported by lower income residents.Among residents who made less than $30,000 annually, more than two-thirds experienced at least one transportation issue and less than three-fifths had home high-speed internet.The proposed Red Line could help alleviate some residents’ transportation challenges, like traveling to medical appointments.Among residents who live along the proposed transit project’s corridor, 42% experienced at least one transportation issue, 10 percentage points higher than residents living outside of Red Line corridor.More Baltimore County residents reported being satisfied with their neighborhoods than Baltimore City residents. But residents in Baltimore County were more likely to say things were worsening in their neighborhoods, whereas Baltimore City residents were more likely to say things were improving.Fewer residents expressed distrust in their local governments in 2024 compared to 2023. However, trust remained low; nearly one-fourth of Baltimore City residents and one-third of Baltimore County residents said they trusted their local government to do the right thing most of the time.The number of Black residents in Baltimore City who rated their local public schools as “high quality” doubled from 12% in 2023 to 24% in 2024. Baltimore County saw similar increases, with one-third of Black residents rating their school quality highly in 2024, up from one-quarter in 2023.Among white residents, 13% of those in Baltimore City and 30% in Baltimore County reported their schools as being either very good or excellent.The survey comprised 163 questions and involved nearly 1,500 respondents in Baltimore city and county.