Washington households are grappling with the sustained pressure of rising prices, strained food budgets and growing uncertainty about federal food assistance programs, according to the sixth wave of the Washington State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD6). The survey, a partnership between Washington State University, the University of Washington, and Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), gathered responses from 5,717 Washington households between March and April 2026. WAFOOD has tracked food security, food assistance use and economic well-being among Washington households since 2020. “As economic pressures continue to affect households across Washington, research like this provides the evidence needed to guide effective solutions. Almost half of all WAFOOD6 households (48 percent) used some form of food assistance in the past month.