The Map the Meal Gap methodology changed in 2020. Per Adam Dewey (researcher) by email on 7/03/20: 

Feeding America made two improvements to the model used to estimate local food insecurity this year. Our estimates now account for disability status and reflect a refined definition of poverty. These changes both improve the accuracy of our estimates and align the model with the most up-to-date research on the key determinants of food insecurity.

In addition to accounting for disability status, the model now includes a refined poverty variable to more accurately reflect the socioeconomic status of community residents. Research shows that in areas with high proportions of college students, poverty rates are overstated. One indicator of this is that the parental income of students attending universities is substantially higher than the national average. As a result, the official poverty measure does not accurately reflect the resources available to college students. We use 5-year estimates from Table B14006 of the ACS to calculate the numerator of the nonstudent poverty rate by subtracting the number of undergraduate students reporting income below the poverty level from all persons reporting income below the poverty level. We then divide that number by the total population minus all students irrespective of their incomes.

Given Story County’s sizeable student population, the revised poverty rate and thus the estimated food insecurity rate is now lower relative to results from previous studies.

Please note that another estimate - from the 2021 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps - puts Story County at 8% food insecure, representing 7,980 individuals.

** It must be noted as well that both estimates pre-date the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic is known to have exacerbated food insecurity in Story County and beyond, but our data sources do not yet have finalized figures for how much. **