122 Grocery Stores That Accept WIC (+ the Stores That Don't)

Proper nutrition is vital, particularly for expectant moms, infants, and children. Thankfully, the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) exists to provide the assistance needed to stay healthy.

This federal program is offered in every state, and most regional and national grocery stores participate in the program by accepting WIC benefits.

Below, we list the stores that accept WIC and explain more about the program.

What Is WIC?

WIC is a federal assistance program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The WIC program provides supplemental food for pregnant women, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five, as well as nutrition education, counseling, and service referrals for mothers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds the WIC program, dispensing funds at the state level and allowing each state to operate its own WIC program. All states participate in the WIC program.

Like most government assistance programs, eligibility for WIC benefits depends on your income. You can use the USDA’s WIC pre-screening tool to find out if you’re eligible.

Unlike Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which can be used to buy nearly any type of food, WIC benefits only allow for the purchase of certain foods in specific amounts each month.

Staple foods provided by the WIC program include infant formula (although WIC encourages mothers to breastfeed for as long as possible), juice, milk, cheese, eggs, breakfast cereal, bread and whole-grain items, peanut butter, dry or canned legumes, and select fruits and vegetables.

In addition, WIC provides some medically necessary foods such as tofu and soy milk for women and children with food allergies and certain medical conditions.

The list of WIC-approved foods can vary by state. You can find out which foods your state allows on WIC by visiting the USDA website.

WIC benefits are issued by either paper food checks or an EBT card. (The USDA plans to phase out paper checks and move the system entirely to EBT cards.) You can use your WIC benefits only at stores that have been approved by your state WIC agency.

Note: In order to become WIC-approved, stores must apply and be approved at the state level. This means that while a popular chain store, such as Safeway, may be approved to accept WIC in one state, it may not be approved in another.

The List

The majority of major grocery stores and chain stores in the United States accept WIC as a form of payment.

Here’s the list of the most popular grocery stores that accept WIC, along with the states you can find these stores in.

Acme Markets

Locations: CT, NJ, DE, MD, NY, PA
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Albertsons

Locations: AR, AZ, CA, CO, ID, LA, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY
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Bashas’

Locations: AZ, NM
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Big M Supermarkets

Locations: NY, PA
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Big Y Foods

Locations: CT, MA
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Brookshires

Locations: AR, LA, TX
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Carrs-Safeway

Locations: AK
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Coborn’s

Locations: MN, ND, SD
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Compare Foods Supermarket

Locations: CT, MA, NY, NC, RI
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CVS

Locations: Nationwide; see our research on the CVS WIC policy.
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Food Depot

Locations: GA, NC
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Food Lion

Locations: DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
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Foodland/Foodland Farms/Sack ’N Save

Locations: HI
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Foodland Supermarkets

Locations: KY, OH, PA, VA, WV
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Market Basket

Locations: ME, MA, NH
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Fareway

Locations: IA, MN, NE, ND, SD
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Festival Foods

Locations: MN, WI
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Food Bazaar Supermarkets

Locations: CT, NJ, NY
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Foodtown

Locations: NJ, NY, PA
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Fred Meyer

Locations: AL, ID, OR, WA
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Giant Eagle

Locations: MD, OH, PA, WV
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Giant Food Stores (including Giant-Carlisle and Giant-Landover)

Locations: DE, MD, PA, VA, WV
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Great Valu Markets

Locations: DE, MD, NC, NJ, PA, VA, WV
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Haggen Food & Pharmacy

Locations: OR, WA
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Harps Foods

Locations: AK, KS, MO, OK
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Harvest Foods

Locations: ID, MT, OR, WA
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Homeland

Locations: OK, TX
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Houchens Markets (including Buehler’s Buy-Low, Food Giant, and Hank’s Market)

Locations: IL, IN, KY, OH, TN
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Hugo’s

Locations: MN, ND
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Hy-Vee

Locations: IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, WI
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Kroger

Note: Kroger brands include Baker’s Supermarkets, City Market, Dillons Supermarkets, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fry’s Food & Drug, Gerbes Super Markets, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, Owen’s Pay Less Super Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Roundy’s, Ruler Foods, Scott’s, and Smith’s.

Locations: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NC, OH, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
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Ingles Markets, Sav-Mor Foods

Locations: AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
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Jewel-Osco

Locations: IL, IN, IA
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K-VA-T Food Stores (including Food City and Super Dollar Discount Foods)

Locations: GA, KY, TN, VA
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Key Food

Locations: CT, NJ, NY
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Lidl

Locations: DE, GA, NJ, NC, SC, VA
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Lowes Foods

Locations: NC, SC, VA
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Lowe’s Markets

Locations: NM, TX
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Mac’s Fresh Market

Locations: AR, LA, MS
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Magruder’s

Locations: District of Columbia
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Market Basket

Locations: LA, TX
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Martin’s Foods

Locations: MD, PA, VA, WV
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Martin’s Super Markets

Locations: IN, MI
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Meijer

Locations: IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WI; see our research on Meijer’s WIC policy.
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Met Foodmarkets

Locations: MA, NJ, NY
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Natural Grocers

Locations: AZ, CO, ID, KS, MT, MO, NE, NM, OK, OR, TX, UT, WY
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Piggly Wiggly

Locations: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA, WV
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Price Chopper

Locations: CT, MA, NH, NY, PA, VT
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PriceRite Marketplace

Locations: CT, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA
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Publix

Locations: AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA; see our research on Publix’s WIC policy.
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Quality Foods

Locations: GA, SC
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Raley’s

Locations: CA, NV
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Ramey’s Marketplace

Locations: AL, LA, MS
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Ray’s Food Place

Locations: CA, OR
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Red Apple Markets

Locations: OR, WA
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Redner’s Markets

Locations: DE, MD, PA
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Ridley’s Family Markets

Locations: CO, ID, NV, UT, WY
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Rite Aid

Locations: AL, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV
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