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. Want to know if your favorite grocery store accepts WIC? Continue on to find out.
Table of Contents
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, thereby allowing each state to operate their own WIC programs. 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. You can also find out more about WIC eligibility requirements.
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 by 2020.) 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 of Grocery Stores That Accept WIC
The majority of major grocery stores and chain stores in the United States accept WIC as a form of payment. Here is 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 an Acme Markets
Albertsons
- Locations: AR, AZ, CA, CO, ID, LA, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY
- Find an Albertsons
Bashas’
- Locations: AZ, NM
- Find a Bashas’
Big M Supermarkets
- Locations: NY, PA
- Find a Big M
Big Y Foods
- Locations: CT, MA
- Find a Big Y Foods
Brookshires, Super 1 Foods
- Locations: AR, LA, TX
- Find a Brookshires; find a Super 1 Foods
Carrs-Safeway
- Locations: AK
- Find a Carrs-Safeway
Coborn’s
- Locations: MN, ND, SD
- Find a Coborn’s
Compare Foods Supermarket
- Locations: CT, MA, NY, NC, RI
- Find a Compare Foods Supermarket
CVS
- Locations: Nationwide
- See our dedicated article for more details.
- Find a CVS
Food Depot
- Locations: GA, NC
- Find a Food Depot
Food Lion
- Locations: DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
- Find a Food Lion
Foodland, Foodland Farms, Sack ’N Save
- Locations: HI
- Find a Foodland
Foodland Supermarkets
- Locations: KY, OH, PA, VA, WV
- Find a Foodland
Market Basket
- Locations: ME, MA, NH
- Find a Market BasketÂ
Fareway
- Locations: IA, MN, NE, ND, SD
- Find a Fareway
Festival Foods
- Locations: MN, WI
- Find a Festival Foods
Food Bazaar Supermarkets
- Locations: CT, NJ, NY
- Find a Food Bazaar
Foodtown
- Locations: NJ, NY, PA
- Find a Foodtown
Fred Meyer
- Locations: AL, ID, OR, WA
- Find a Fred Meyer
Giant Eagle
- Locations: MD, OH, PA, WV
- Find a Giant Eagle
Giant Food Stores (including Giant-Carlisle and Giant-Landover)
- Locations: DE, MD, PA, VA, WV
- Find a Giant Foods store
Great Valu Markets
- Locations: DE, MD, NC, NJ, PA, VA, WV
- Find a Great Valu
Haggen Food & Pharmacy
- Locations: OR, WA
- Find a HaggenÂ
Harps Foods
- Locations: AK, KS, MO, OK
- Find a Harps
Harvest Foods
- Locations: ID, MT, OR, WA
- Find a Harvest Foods
Homeland
- Locations: OK, TX
- Find a HomelandÂ
Houchens Markets (including Buehler’s Buy-Low, Food Giant, and Hank’s Market)
- Locations: IL, IN, KY, OH, TN
- Find a Buehler’s
Hugo’s
- Locations: MN, ND
- Find a Hugo’s
Hy-Vee
- Locations: IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, WI
- Find a Hy-Vee
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 Kroger
Ingles Markets, Sav-Mor Foods
- Locations: AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
- Find an Ingles
Jewel-Osco
- Locations: IL, IN, IA
- Find a Jewel-Osco
K-VA-T Food Stores (including Food City and Super Dollar Discount Foods)
- Locations: GA, KY, TN, VA
- Find a Food City
Key Food
- Locations: CT, NJ, NY
- Find a Key Food
Lidl
- Locations:Â DE, GA, NJ, NC, SC, VA
- Find a Lidl
Lowes Foods
- Locations: NC, SC, VA
- Find a Lowes
Lowe’s Markets
- Locations: NM, TX
- Find a Lowe’s
Mac’s Fresh Market
- Locations: AR, LA, MS
- Find a Mac’s Fresh Market
Magruder’s
- Locations: District of Columbia
- Find a Magruder’s
Market Basket
- Locations: LA, TX
- Find a Market BasketÂ
Martin’s Foods
- Locations: MD, PA, VA, WV
- Find a Martin’s
Martin’s Super Markets
- Locations: IN, MI
- Find a Martin’s Super Market
Meijer
- Locations: IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WI
- Find a Meijer
Learn more in our dedicated article.
Met Foodmarkets
- Locations: MA, NJ, NY
- Find a Met Foodmarkets
Natural Grocers
- Locations: AZ, CO, ID, KS, MT, MO, NE, NM, OK, OR, TX, UT, WY
- Find a Natural Grocers
Piggly Wiggly
- Locations: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA, WV
- Find a Piggly Wiggly
Price Chopper
- Locations: CT, MA, NH, NY, PA, VT
- Find a Price Chopper
PriceRite Marketplace
- Locations: CT, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA
- Find a PriceRite
Publix
- Locations: AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
- See our dedicated article for more details.
- Find a Publix
Quality Foods
- Locations: GA, SC
- Find a Quality Foods
Raley’s
- Locations: CA, NV
- Find a Raley’s
Ramey’s Marketplace
- Locations: AL, LA, MS
- Find a Ramey’s Marketplace
Ray’s Food Place
- Locations: CA, OR
- Find a Ray’s Food Place
Red Apple Markets
- Locations: OR, WA
- Find a Red Apple
Redner’s Markets
- Locations: DE, MD, PA
- Find a Redner’sÂ
Ridley’s Family Markets
- Locations: CO, ID, NV, UT, WY
- Find a Ridley’s
Rite Aid
- Locations:Â 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 Rite Aid
Rosauers Supermarkets
- Locations: ID, MT, OR, WA
- Find a Rosauers
Rouses Supermarket
- Locations: AL, LA, MS
- Find a Rouses
Safeway
- Locations: AR, CA, CO, HI, ID, LA, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY
- Find a Safeway
Save Mart Supermarkets (including Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky, and FoodMaxx)
- Locations: CA, NV
- Find a Save Mart
Schnucks
- Locations: IL, IN, IA, MO, WI
- Find a Schnucks
Shaw’s Supermarket
- Locations: ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
- Find a Shaw’s
Sheetz
- Locations: OH, NC, PA, MD, VA, WV
- Find a Sheetz
ShopRite
- Locations: CT, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA
- Find a ShopRite
Southeastern Grocers (including BI-LO, Harveys, Winn-Dixie, and Fresco y Más)
- Locations: AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC
- Find a BI-LO
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 Family Fare
Stop & Shop
- Locations: CT, NJ, MA, NY, RI
- Find a Stop & Shop
Sun Fresh Market
- Locations: KS, MO
- Find a Sun Fresh Market
SUPERVALUÂ (including Save-A-Lot, Cub, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher’s, and Shoppers)
- Locations: Nationwide
- Find a Save-A-Lot
- Find out where Save-A-Lot food comes from in our article.
Target
Note: WIC accepted at SuperTarget and select Target stores
- Locations: Nationwide, except Vermont
- Find a Target
The Fresh Grocer
- Locations: DE, PA
- Find The Fresh Grocer
Thriftway
- Locations: DE, KS, MO, NJ, PA
- Find a Thirftway
Tops Friendly Markets
- Locations: NY, PA, VT
- Find a Tops
United Grocery Outlet
- Locations: AL, GA, KY, NC, TN
- Find a United Grocery Outlet
Vons
- Locations: CA, NV
- See our dedicated article for more details.
- Find a Vons
Walgreens
Note: WIC accepted at select stores only; contact your local store for details
- Locations: Nationwide
- Find a Walgreens
Walmart
Note: Walmart does not currently accept WIC for online grocery pickup. However, you can get $10 off your first Walmart grocery pickup of $50 or more by using our referral link.
- Locations: Nationwide
- See more details in our dedicated article.
- Find a Walmart
Wegmans
- Locations: MD, MS, NJ, NY, PA, VA
- See more details in our dedicated article.
- Find a Wegmans
Weis Markets
- Locations: PA, MD, NJ, NY, WV
- Find a WeisÂ
Wesselman’s Supermarkets
- Locations: IN, KY
- Find a Wesselman’s
Whole Foods
- Locations: Nationwide except for AK, DE, MT, ND, SD, VT, WV, WY
- See more details in our dedicated article.
- Find a Whole Foods
WinCo Foods
- Locations: AZ, CA, ID, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA
- Find a WinCo Foods
Woodman’s Market
- Locations: IL, WI
- Find a Woodman’s
Grocery Stores That Don’t Accept WIC
While most retail grocery stores in the United States accept WIC, a few regional and national chains do not accept it. These include:
- ALDI
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Costco
- Sam’s Club
- Trader Joe’s
 In Summary
The WIC program provides excellent benefits and nutritional incentives for pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. No matter what state you live in, you’re likely to find a grocery store near you that accepts WIC payments.
(Note: We assembled the following information using the lists of approved vendors found on state WIC websites. Find your state’s page on the WIC website.)
For information on WIC-only grocery stores, see our article.