Access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at the State and Substate Levels: Meaning and Measurement

Kegan O’Connor, Mark Prell, Linden McBride, Thomas B. Foster, Renuka Bhaskar, Maria Perez-Patron, Erik Vickstrom, Brian Knop and Michaela Dillon

Working Papers from U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies

Abstract: This study estimates eligibility and access rates for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) administrative data linked with American Community Survey (ACS) data. This study is one result of a long-term research collaboration among USDA’s Economic Research Service; the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census; USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS); and participating state WIC agencies. By analyzing WIC participation at the state and substate levels, the report provides insights into program reach and demographic differences. The findings confirm that the Census Bureau estimates meet high statistical reliability standards, providing valuable data for program officials and managers, and other stakeholders, to enhance program outreach and effectiveness. A key focus of the report is the comparison between Census Bureau and USDA, FNS estimates, which differ in methodology and measurement scope.

Keywords: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children; WIC; WIC participation; WIC participation rate; WIC coverage rate; WIC access rate; eligibility; food assistance programs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-07
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https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2026/adrm/ces/CES-WP-26-44.pdf First version, 2026 (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cen:wpaper:26-44

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