WIC Program Statistics â Participation Data and Program Facts
WIC is one of the largest federal nutrition programs in the United States, serving low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under five across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. The figures below are compiled from each state's WIC agency. For federal-level program data â including national totals, budget appropriations, and historical trends â refer to the official USDA FNS WIC Program Data publications.
National WIC Participation
Approximately 6,764,770 WIC participants are served monthly across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
This figure is the sum of state-level participation data published by USDA FNS for fiscal year 2025 (preliminary). The full official nationwide total â which also includes U.S. territories not represented in the state-level table â is published by USDA FNS WIC Program Data.
WIC participation varies widely by state, driven by differences in eligible-population size, outreach, and enrollment infrastructure. The tables below show participation across states.
Top 10 States by WIC Participation
The states serving the largest number of WIC participants each month, based on the most recent published data from each state agency.
| Rank | State | Monthly Participants |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,003,810 |
| 2 | Texas | 801,707 |
| 3 | New York | 455,684 |
| 4 | Florida | 425,321 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 259,420 |
| 6 | Georgia | 245,210 |
| 7 | Michigan | 186,543 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 183,845 |
| 9 | Ohio | 180,722 |
| 10 | Illinois | 175,003 |
WIC Participation by State
Search for a specific state or scroll through the alphabetical list. Figures are 12-month average participation for fiscal year 2025 (preliminary), sourced from USDA FNS.
| State | Monthly Participants | View State Page |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 112,482 | Alabama WIC → |
| Alaska | 14,037 | Alaska WIC → |
| Arizona | 157,292 | Arizona WIC → |
| Arkansas | 65,131 | Arkansas WIC → |
| California | 1,003,810 | California WIC → |
| Colorado | 96,251 | Colorado WIC → |
| Connecticut | 52,553 | Connecticut WIC → |
| Delaware | 23,433 | Delaware WIC → |
| District of Columbia | 12,509 | District of Columbia WIC → |
| Florida | 425,321 | Florida WIC → |
| Georgia | 245,210 | Georgia WIC → |
| Hawaii | 25,111 | Hawaii WIC → |
| Idaho | 32,403 | Idaho WIC → |
| Illinois | 175,003 | Illinois WIC → |
| Indiana | 155,926 | Indiana WIC → |
| Iowa | 62,675 | Iowa WIC → |
| Kansas | 49,366 | Kansas WIC → |
| Kentucky | 107,971 | Kentucky WIC → |
| Louisiana | 102,533 | Louisiana WIC → |
| Maine | 18,898 | Maine WIC → |
| Maryland | 122,574 | Maryland WIC → |
| Massachusetts | 122,152 | Massachusetts WIC → |
| Michigan | 186,543 | Michigan WIC → |
| Minnesota | 102,436 | Minnesota WIC → |
| Mississippi | 61,651 | Mississippi WIC → |
| Missouri | 96,408 | Missouri WIC → |
| Montana | 13,414 | Montana WIC → |
| Nebraska | 37,336 | Nebraska WIC → |
| Nevada | 55,859 | Nevada WIC → |
| New Hampshire | 12,204 | New Hampshire WIC → |
| New Jersey | 164,368 | New Jersey WIC → |
| New Mexico | 45,705 | New Mexico WIC → |
| New York | 455,684 | New York WIC → |
| North Carolina | 259,420 | North Carolina WIC → |
| North Dakota | 10,480 | North Dakota WIC → |
| Ohio | 180,722 | Ohio WIC → |
| Oklahoma | 100,419 | Oklahoma WIC → |
| Oregon | 81,398 | Oregon WIC → |
| Pennsylvania | 183,845 | Pennsylvania WIC → |
| Rhode Island | 18,222 | Rhode Island WIC → |
| South Carolina | 98,390 | South Carolina WIC → |
| South Dakota | 15,080 | South Dakota WIC → |
| Tennessee | 156,963 | Tennessee WIC → |
| Texas | 801,707 | Texas WIC → |
| Utah | 48,953 | Utah WIC → |
| Vermont | 10,380 | Vermont WIC → |
| Virginia | 104,762 | Virginia WIC → |
| Washington | 141,378 | Washington WIC → |
| West Virginia | 35,460 | West Virginia WIC → |
| Wisconsin | 94,734 | Wisconsin WIC → |
| Wyoming | 8,208 | Wyoming WIC → |
Participation figures are 12-month averages for fiscal year 2025, sourced from USDA FNS WIC Total Participation data (preliminary, subject to revision). State-by-state figures are updated annually as USDA publishes new data.
Federal WIC Funding
WIC is funded through annual Congressional appropriations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unlike SNAP, which is an entitlement program, WIC is a discretionary grant program â meaning Congress sets a fixed annual funding level and USDA administers within that allocation. State agencies receive federal grants based on participation, food costs, and a nutrition services and administration (NSA) formula.
One distinctive feature of WIC's funding structure is the infant formula rebate program. Each state contracts with a single infant formula manufacturer through competitive bidding, in exchange for substantial rebates on every can of formula purchased through WIC. These rebates are returned to USDA and significantly extend the program's reach â in many years, rebates have allowed WIC to serve roughly 25% more participants than the appropriated budget would otherwise support.
For current appropriation figures and detailed budget breakdowns, see the USDA FNS WIC program page and the agency's annual budget summary publications.
WIC and Public Health Research
WIC is one of the most extensively studied federal nutrition programs. USDA-funded research and peer-reviewed studies have examined WIC's impact on a range of maternal and child health outcomes, including:
Birth outcomes
Research has examined WIC's relationship with birth weight, gestational age, and infant mortality. Effects are most often studied among participants who enroll early in pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
WIC's breastfeeding promotion and peer-counseling components have been studied in relation to breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity rates among participants.
Dietary quality
Studies have examined the dietary intake of WIC participants relative to income-eligible non-participants, particularly following the 2009 and later food package revisions that increased fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Healthcare access
WIC clinic visits include screening for nutritional risk and referrals to pediatric care, immunization services, and other health resources. Research has examined WIC's role as a connection point to broader healthcare for low-income families.
For specific findings, methodologies, and citations, see the USDA FNS Research and Analysis publications, which include peer-reviewed studies and government-commissioned reports on WIC's outcomes.
Historical Context
WIC began as a pilot program in 1972 and was made permanent in 1974. It has operated continuously for more than 50 years, expanding from a few pilot sites to coverage in every state, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and federally recognized Indian tribal organizations.
Participation peaked in the early 2000s â at approximately 9 million participants per month â and has declined since, driven by changes in the eligible-population size, shifts in birth rates, and variation in state-level outreach and enrollment infrastructure. The 2009 food package revisions, the 2014 farm bill reforms, and ongoing modernization efforts (online applications, eWIC cards, telehealth) have shaped how the program operates and who participates.
For year-by-year participation data and program history, see the USDA FNS WIC Program Data archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on USDA FNS preliminary data for fiscal year 2025, WIC serves approximately 6,764,770 participants per month across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The full nationwide total â including U.S. territories â is published by USDA FNS at fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program. Participation figures are 12-month averages and are subject to revision.
Based on published state-level data, California currently has the highest monthly WIC participation among reporting states, with approximately 1,003,810 participants. See the Top 10 table above for the full ranking.
WIC is funded through annual Congressional appropriations to USDA. Unlike SNAP, which is an entitlement, WIC is a discretionary grant program â Congress sets the annual funding level. Infant formula rebates from competitive state contracts substantially extend the program's reach beyond what the base appropriation alone would support. For current appropriation figures, see USDA FNS budget summaries.
WIC has historically served roughly half of all U.S. infants â a higher reach than any other federal nutrition program for that age group. Exact percentages vary year to year and shift with birth rates and outreach. For current published rates, refer to USDA FNS data publications.
USDA FNS publishes WIC participation data, food cost reports, and commissioned research at fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program and research at fns.usda.gov/research. Peer-reviewed studies on WIC are also indexed in PubMed and major public health journals.
