WIC Income Limits 2026-2027
What is the income limit for WIC?
For the year running July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, WIC's federal income ceiling is 185 percent of the poverty guidelines: $61,050 a year for a family of four in most states, $29,526 for a household of one. WIC counts gross income, before taxes. If anyone in the household receives SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF, the income test is met automatically. Your state may set its own limit lower than the federal ceiling, so treat these numbers as the highest line a state can use.
WIC is the program I wish someone had explained to me with a number attached instead of a shrug. It covers specific healthy foods, breastfeeding support, and nutrition check-ins for pregnancy, the first year after birth, and children up to their fifth birthday. The income line is more generous than most people expect, and plenty of working families sit comfortably under it without knowing the program exists for them.
WIC income limits by household size, 48 states and DC
| Household size | Per year | Per month | Per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $29,526 | $2,461 | $568 |
| 2 | $40,034 | $3,337 | $770 |
| 3 | $50,542 | $4,212 | $972 |
| 4 | $61,050 | $5,088 | $1,174 |
| 5 | $71,558 | $5,964 | $1,376 |
| 6 | $82,066 | $6,839 | $1,578 |
| 7 | $92,574 | $7,715 | $1,780 |
| 8 | $103,082 | $8,591 | $1,982 |
| Each additional person | + $10,508 | + $876 | + $203 |
Federal maximums published by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Weekly is the annual figure divided by 52, rounded. Check your own numbers against every program at once in the benefits eligibility screener.
Alaska and Hawaii WIC limits
| Household size | Alaska, per year | Hawaii, per year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $36,908 | $33,966 |
| 2 | $50,043 | $46,047 |
| 3 | $63,178 | $58,127 |
| 4 | $76,313 | $70,208 |
| 5 | $89,448 | $82,288 |
| 6 | $102,583 | $94,369 |
| 7 | $115,718 | $106,449 |
| 8 | $128,853 | $118,530 |
| Each additional person | + $13,135 | + $12,081 |
Food costs more in both states, so their poverty guidelines, and every limit built on them, sit higher.
Who WIC is for, beyond the income line
Income is only one of four doors. You also need to be in a covered group: pregnant, within six months of giving birth, breastfeeding a baby under one, an infant, or a child under five. You need to live in the state where you apply. And a health professional at the WIC clinic needs to find a nutritional risk, which sounds stricter than it is in practice: anemia, a difficult pregnancy history, a child growing slowly, or a diet that needs work can all qualify. That last check happens at your first appointment, not on the application.
The shortcut most families miss
If you, your baby, or your child already takes part in SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF, you do not have to prove income to WIC at all. The rule is called adjunctive eligibility, and it can help a family whose pay stub looks slightly too high but whose Medicaid enrollment already passed a stricter state's test. This is also why the order you apply in matters: health coverage first, then WIC, then let WIC's food package stretch the grocery budget you plan in our grocery budget calculator.
Three households, checked against the table
A family of three in Ohio earning $46,000 sits $4,542 under the $50,542 limit for three, with room to spare even before the clinic counts a pregnancy. A family of four in Alaska earning $70,000 clears that state's higher line of $76,313 by $6,313. A family of five earning $80,000 in the contiguous states lands $8,442 over the $71,558 limit for five, which is exactly the situation where adjunctive eligibility is worth asking about: if the kids are on Medicaid, the income worksheet never happens.
What WIC actually provides
WIC is not cash and it is not a general grocery card. It is a monthly food package built for the person enrolled: milk, eggs, whole grains, fruits and vegetables with a cash value benefit, baby food and formula for infants, and similar tailored lists for each age. Around it sit breastfeeding help, referrals to health care, and short nutrition sessions. The food package will not cover a whole grocery run, which is why it pairs naturally with the thrifty end of our USDA grocery cost tables and, for many families, with SNAP on top.
How to apply
You apply in person at a local WIC clinic, usually run by a county health department or a community health center. Bring proof of income (or your SNAP or Medicaid card for the shortcut), proof of address, and ID for each person enrolling. The appointment includes the health screening, and benefits usually start right away if you qualify. There is no fee, ever. If anyone asks you to pay to sign up for WIC, walk away and find the clinic's real number through your state health department.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WIC income limit for a family of four in 2026-2027?
In the 48 contiguous states and DC, a family of four can earn up to $61,050 a year, or $5,088 a month, and meet the WIC income test. Alaska's limit for four is $76,313 and Hawaii's is $70,208. These figures run from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
Does WIC use gross or net income?
Gross. WIC compares your household's total income before taxes and deductions with the limit. That is different from SNAP, which also runs a second test on net income after deductions.
I am pregnant. How do I count my household size?
Count everyone who lives with you and shares food costs, and know that many WIC clinics count your unborn baby as a household member too, which raises your limit. Ask your local clinic how they count; it can make the difference for a family close to the line.
We are already on SNAP. Do we still have to prove income for WIC?
No. Taking part in SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF makes you automatically income eligible for WIC. That shortcut is called adjunctive eligibility, and it exists because those programs already checked your income once.
Can my state set a lower WIC limit than the one on this page?
Yes. The 185 percent figures are the federal maximum a state may use. States may set their standard anywhere from 100 to 185 percent of the poverty guidelines, so your state's published table is the one that decides your case. Most states use the full 185 percent.
Does WIC count a parent who does not live with us?
WIC counts the income of your household, meaning the people who live together and share income and food. A parent who lives elsewhere is generally not part of the WIC household, though child support you receive does count as income.
Keep exploring
Programs: Benefits eligibility screener · WIC income limits · LIHEAP income limits · Medicaid and CHIP income limits · State earned income tax credits · Unemployment maximums by state
Already on Mami's Budget: SNAP maximum benefits by household size · USDA grocery costs by state · Childcare costs by state · Family budget planner
Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, WIC Policy Memorandum #2026-5 (April 29, 2026), transmitting the 2026-2027 WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines published at 91 FR 23050, built on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2026 Poverty Guidelines (91 FR 1797). Effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Retrieved October 31, 2026. These are the federal maximum guidelines; your state agency may use a lower standard and makes the final eligibility decision.