Proper nutrition is vital, particularly for expectant moms, infants, and children. 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 available 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
- Find a store
Albertsons
- Locations: AR, AZ, CA, CO, ID, LA, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY
- Find a store
Bashas’
- Locations: AZ, NM
- Find a store
Big M Supermarkets
- Locations: NY, PA
- Find a store
Big Y Foods
- Locations: CT, MA
- Find a store
Brookshires
- Locations: AR, LA, TX
- Find a store
Carrs-Safeway
- Locations: AK
- Find a store
Coborn’s
- Locations: MN, ND, SD
- Find a store
Compare Foods Supermarket
- Locations: CT, MA, NY, NC, RI
- Find a store
CVS
- Locations: Nationwide; see our research on the CVS WIC policy.
- Find a store
Food Depot
- Locations: GA, NC
- Find a store
Food Lion
- Locations: DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
- Find a store
Foodland/Foodland Farms/Sack ’N Save
- Locations: HI
- Find a store
Foodland Supermarkets
- Locations: KY, OH, PA, VA, WV
- Find a store
Market Basket
- Locations: ME, MA, NH
- Find a store
Fareway
- Locations: IA, MN, NE, ND, SD
- Find a store
Festival Foods
- Locations: MN, WI
- Find a store
Food Bazaar Supermarkets
- Locations: CT, NJ, NY
- Find a store
Foodtown
- Locations: NJ, NY, PA
- Find a store
Fred Meyer
- Locations: AL, ID, OR, WA
- Find a store
Giant Eagle
- Locations: MD, OH, PA, WV
- Find a store
Giant Food Stores (including Giant-Carlisle and Giant-Landover)
- Locations: DE, MD, PA, VA, WV
- Find a store
Great Valu Markets
- Locations: DE, MD, NC, NJ, PA, VA, WV
- Find a store
Haggen Food & Pharmacy
- Locations: OR, WA
- Find a store
Harps Foods
- Locations: AK, KS, MO, OK
- Find a store
Harvest Foods
- Locations: ID, MT, OR, WA
- Find a store
Homeland
- Locations: OK, TX
- Find a store
Houchens Markets (including Buehler’s Buy-Low, Food Giant, and Hank’s Market)
- Locations: IL, IN, KY, OH, TN
- Find a store
Hugo’s
- Locations: MN, ND
- Find a store
Hy-Vee
- Locations: IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, WI
- Find a store
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
- Find a store
Ingles Markets, Sav-Mor Foods
- Locations: AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
- Find a store
Jewel-Osco
- Locations: IL, IN, IA
- Find a store
K-VA-T Food Stores (including Food City and Super Dollar Discount Foods)
- Locations: GA, KY, TN, VA
- Find a store
Key Food
- Locations: CT, NJ, NY
- Find a store
Lidl
- Locations: DE, GA, NJ, NC, SC, VA
- Find a store
Lowes Foods
- Locations: NC, SC, VA
- Find a store
Lowe’s Markets
- Locations: NM, TX
- Find a store
Mac’s Fresh Market
- Locations: AR, LA, MS
- Find a store
Magruder’s
- Locations: District of Columbia
- Find a store
Market Basket
- Locations: LA, TX
- Find a store
Martin’s Foods
- Locations: MD, PA, VA, WV
- Find a store
Martin’s Super Markets
- Locations: IN, MI
- Find a store
Meijer
- Locations: IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WI; see our research on Meijer’s WIC policy.
- Find a store
Met Foodmarkets
- Locations: MA, NJ, NY
- Find a store
Natural Grocers
- Locations: AZ, CO, ID, KS, MT, MO, NE, NM, OK, OR, TX, UT, WY
- Find a store
Piggly Wiggly
- Locations: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA, WV
- Find a store
Price Chopper
- Locations: CT, MA, NH, NY, PA, VT
- Find a store
PriceRite Marketplace
- Locations: CT, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA
- Find a store
Publix
- Locations: AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA; see our research on Publix’s WIC policy.
- Find a store
Quality Foods
- Locations: GA, SC
- Find a store
Raley’s
- Locations: CA, NV
- Find a store
Ramey’s Marketplace
- Locations: AL, LA, MS
- Find a store
Ray’s Food Place
- Locations: CA, OR
- Find a store
Red Apple Markets
- Locations: OR, WA
- Find a store
Redner’s Markets
- Locations: DE, MD, PA
- Find a store
Ridley’s Family Markets
- Locations: CO, ID, NV, UT, WY
- Find a store
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
- Find a store
Rosauers Supermarkets
- Locations: ID, MT, OR, WA
- Find a store
Rouses Supermarket
- Locations: AL, LA, MS
- Find a store
Safeway
- Locations: AR, CA, CO, HI, ID, LA, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY
- Find a store
Save Mart Supermarkets (including Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky, and FoodMaxx)
- Locations: CA, NV
- Find a store
Schnucks
- Locations: IL, IN, IA, MO, WI
- Find a store
Shaw’s Supermarket
- Locations: ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
- Find a store
Sheetz
- Locations: OH, NC, PA, MD, VA, WV
- Find a store
ShopRite
- Locations: CT, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA
- Find a store
Southeastern Grocers (including BI-LO, Harveys, Winn-Dixie, and Fresco y Más)
- Locations: AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC
- Find a store
SpartanNash (including Family Fare Supermarkets, VG’s Food and Pharmacy, D&W Fresh Market, SunMart, and Family Fresh Market)
- Locations: IA, NE, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI
- Find a store
Stop & Shop
- Locations: CT, NJ, MA, NY, RI
- Find a store
Sun Fresh Market
- Locations: KS, MO
- Find a store
Super 1 Foods
- Locations: AR, LA, TX
- Find a store
SUPERVALU (including Save-A-Lot, Cub, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher’s, and Shoppers)
- Locations: Nationwide
- Find a store
See our related research on where Save-A-Lot food comes from.
Target
- Locations: Nationwide, except Vermont; available at SuperTarget and select Target stores
- Find a store
The Fresh Grocer
- Locations: DE, PA
- Find a store
Thriftway
- Locations: DE, KS, MO, NJ, PA
- Find a store
Tops Friendly Markets
- Locations: NY, PA, VT
- Find a store
United Grocery Outlet
- Locations: AL, GA, KY, NC, TN
- Find a store
Vons
- Locations: CA, NV; see our research on the Vons WIC policy.
- Find a store
Walgreens
- Locations: Nationwide at select store locations
- Find a store
Walmart
- Locations: Nationwide; find out more in our research on Walmart’s WIC policy.
- Find a store
Wegmans
- Locations: MD, MS, NJ, NY, PA, VA; find out more in our research on Wegmans’ WIC policy.
- Find a store
Weis Markets
- Locations: PA, MD, NJ, NY, WV
- Find a store
Wesselman’s Supermarkets
- Locations: IN, KY
- Find a store
Whole Foods
- Locations: Nationwide except for AK, DE, MT, ND, SD, VT, WV, WY; find out more in our research on Whole Foods’ WIC policy.
- Find a store
WinCo Foods
- Locations: AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA
- Find a store
Woodman’s Market
- Locations: IL, WI
- Find a store
For information on WIC-only grocery stores, see our related article.
Grocery Stores That Don’t Accept WIC
While most retail grocery stores in the United States accept WIC, a few regional and national chains don’t accept it.
These include:
- ALDI
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Costco
- Sam’s Club
- Trader Joe’s