United States Department of Agriculture
Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series
Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support
Special Nutrition Programs
Report No. WIC-15B-ELIG
Volume I
National and State-Level Estimates of
Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) Eligibles and Program
Reach, 2013
Final Report
December 2015
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
United States
Department of
Agriculture
December 2015
Special Nutrition Programs
Report No. WIC-15B-ELIG
Volume I
National and State-Level Estimates of Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) Eligibles and Program Reach, 2013
Final Report
Authors:
Paul Johnson
Erika Huber
Linda Giannarelli
David Betson
Submitted by:
The Urban Institute
2100 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Submitted to:
Office of Policy Support
Food and Nutrition Service
3101 Park Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302-1500
Project Director:
Linda Giannarelli
Project Officer:
Grant Lovellette
The opinions expressed reflect those of the authors and not necessarily those of the
Urban Institute. This study was conducted under Contract number AG-3198-B-10-0016
with the Food and Nutrition Service. This report is available on the Food and Nutrition
Service web site: http://www.fns.usda.gov/research-and-analysis.
Suggested Citation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. National and
State-Level Estimates of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC) Eligibles and Program Reach, 2013, by Paul Johnson, Erika Huber, Linda Giannarelli, and
David Betson. Project Officer: Grant Lovellette. Alexandria, VA: December 2015.
This page was left intentionally blank.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the guidance provided by FNS staff and other Urban
Institute staff. Grant Lovellette, the FNS project officer, provided guidance throughout
the project. Staff of the WIC Division of FNS have provided insights and review over the
course of the project. Sheila Zedlewski directed the first two years of the project and
guided the initial phases of work on the 2011 estimates. Michael Martinez-Schiferl was
the lead analyst on this work for the first two years of the project and developed the
technical framework used for these estimates.
This page was left intentionally blank.
Contents
VOLUME I
Executive Summary
i
Methods
i
Results
ii
How Many People Were Eligible for WIC in the Average Month of 2013, and What Portion
Received Benefits?
ii
Did WIC Eligibility Change from 2012 to 2013?
iii
Since 2000, How Has Eligibility Changed On Average?
iv
How does the Coverage Rate Vary over Time?
v
Has the Coverage Rate Changed Since 2012?
vii
How does the Coverage Rate Vary across Regions of the Country?
vii
Summary
viii
Introduction
Overview of Methods for Estimates for 2013
National Estimates
Infants and Children, Initial and Adjusted Counts
Infants and Children, Eligibility Estimates and Further Adjustments
Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Territories
States
1
2
2
2
5
8
10
11
National Eligibility Estimates: 2013
Characteristics of WIC Eligibles in the U.S.
13
17
Territories
19
Comparing 2013 to 2012
23
Regional and State Estimates of WIC Eligibility: 2013
Distribution of WIC Eligibles
WIC Eligibility Rates across States and Regions
27
27
29
WIC Coverage Rate
WIC Coverage Rates in 2013
WIC Coverage Rate Changes from 2012 to 2013
WIC Coverage Rates Since 2000
30
30
37
38
Measures of Precision of the Estimates of Eligibility
51
Validating the Results
56
Summary
56
References
58
VOLUME II
Appendix A: Detailed National and Territorial Tables 2013
Appendix B: State Estimates: 2013
Appendix C: Coverage Rate Maps
Appendix D: Eligibles and Coverage Rate Time Series by FNS Region: 2000-2013
Appendix E: Method for Calculating the Annual-to-Monthly Adjustment Factors Applied to
Children in the 2013 WIC Eligibility Estimates
Figures and Tables
Exhibit ES.1: WIC National-Level Eligibles and Coverage Rates by Participant Group in an Average
Month: CY 2013 ............................................................................................................................................................. iii
Exhibit ES.2: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by
Participant Group: A Comparison of the Change from Calendar Year 2012 to 2013 ........................... iv
Exhibit ES.3: Growth in WIC Eligible Population, 2000-2013 ........................................................................ v
Exhibit ES.4: Coverage Rate: Percent of Eligible Population Receiving WIC Benefits, CY 2000 to
CY 2013 ............................................................................................................................................................................. vi
Exhibit ES.5: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by FNS Region, CY 2013 ............................................. viii
Table 1: Steps and Sources for 2013 Estimates of WIC Eligibility of Infants and Young Children
(Ages 1-4), Using Data from the 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, and Census Bureau
International Data Base ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Table 2: Population Adjustment Factors ................................................................................................................ 5
Table 3: Steps and Sources for 2013 Estimates of WIC Eligibility of Pregnant and Postpartum
Women, Using Data from the 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, and Census Bureau
International Data Base ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Table 4: Estimates of the Total Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by
Participant Group, CY 2013 ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Table 5: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC
by Participant Group, CY 2013 ............................................................................................................................... 16
Table 6: Estimates of the Average Monthly Percent of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible for
WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics,
CY 2013 ........................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Table 7: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC
in Puerto Rico and the Other Island Territories by Participant Group, CY 2013 .................................. 21
Table 8: Estimates of the Total Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by
Participant Group: A Comparison of CY 2012 and 2013 ............................................................................... 25
Figure 1: Breastfeeding Rates over Time............................................................................................................. 26
Table 9: Distribution of WIC Eligibles by FNS Region for each Participant Group, CY 2013 ........... 27
Table 10: Distribution of WIC Eligibility by State and FNS Region, CY 2013 ......................................... 28
Table 11: WIC Eligibles by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2012 and CY 2013 ..................... 29
Table 12: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2013 ....... 31
Figure 2: WIC Coverage Rate for All Participants by FNS Region, CY 2013........................................... 32
Figure 3: WIC Coverage Rate for Infants by FNS Region, CY 2013 ........................................................... 33
Figure 4: WIC Coverage Rate for Children (Ages 1-4) by FNS Region, CY 2013................................... 34
Figure 5: WIC Coverage Rate for Pregnant Women by FNS Region, CY 2013 ...................................... 35
Figure 6: WIC Coverage Rate for All Postpartum Women by FNS Region, CY 2013 .......................... 36
Table 13: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, CY 2013 ................................ 39
Table 13a: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles and Participants: Children (age 1 to 4)........................................................................ 40
Table 13b: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles and Participants: Women and Infants ......................................................................... 41
Figure 7: WIC Coverage Rates for All Participants, by State, CY 2013 .................................................... 42
Figure 7a: WIC Coverage Rates for Children (age 1 to 4), by State ............................................................ 43
Figure 7b: WIC Coverage Rates for Women and Infants, by State............................................................. 44
Table 14: WIC Coverage Rates by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2013 and CY 2012 ...... 45
Figure 8: All Participants Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013 ..................................................... 46
Figure 9: Infants Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013 ...................................................................... 47
Figure 10: Children (Ages 1-4) Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013........................................... 48
Figure 11: Pregnant Women Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013 .............................................. 49
Figure 12: Postpartum Women Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013......................................... 50
Table 15: WIC Eligibles and Standard Errors by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2013 ....... 52
Table 16: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, CY 2013 ........................................ 53
Table 16a: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles: Children (age 1 to 4) ......................................................................................................... 54
Table 16b: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles: Women and Infants .......................................................................................................... 55
Executive Summary
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides
supplemental nutritious foods, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support),
and referrals to health care and other social services at no charge. WIC serves low-income pregnant,
postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.
WIC is a federally-funded program, but the funding is not open-ended. Instead, Congress authorizes a
certain amount of funds each year. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which administers WIC,
needs accurate estimates of how many people are eligible for WIC in each year to help gauge future
needs. FNS also has a strong interest in looking at the percentage of eligible people who are
participating (termed “coverage rates”)—in total, across states and regions, and for different
subgroups—to understand how the program is working and how it can improve.
This report provides estimates of the population that met WIC eligibility criteria in 2013. National
eligibility is shown for each participant subgroup: infants, children age 1 through 4 by single year of
age, pregnant women, postpartum women who are breastfeeding, and postpartum women who are not
breastfeeding. The eligibility figures are used to estimate the coverage rate for the program overall and
for all these subgroups. The report also shows trends in WIC eligibility and coverage rates from 2000
through 2013. Estimates of WIC eligibility and coverage rates in 2013 are provided for the seven FNS
regions overall and for subgroups. Eligibility and coverage rate estimates are also provided for each
State for 2013. For the first time in this series of reports, the State estimates are shown separately for
two subgroups: children ages 1 through 4, and all infants and women.
Methods
The estimation procedures used in this report build on the methodology recommended by the
Committee on National Statistics of the National Research Council (CNSTAT) in 2003.1 National
eligibility estimation requires nationally representative data and numerous assumptions that take into
account program certification periods, individuals’ enrollment in other programs, and mothers’
breastfeeding choices. The 2013 national estimates use the 2014 Current Population Survey, Annual
Social and Economic Supplement (the CPS-ASEC, formerly referred to as the March supplement), as
originally recommended by CNSTAT. The State estimates use the 2013 American Community Survey
(ACS) and are converted to shares of the national estimates to produce State-specific eligibility
estimates consistent with national totals. The number eligible in the territories is based on data from
the 2013 Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) and estimates of the population in other territories.
Standard errors of the estimates are calculated for national, regional, State, and Puerto Rico estimates.
The estimation requires numerous assumptions. Demographically eligible individuals are first
identified in the surveys. These weighted counts are adjusted based on recent Census population
estimates. Demographically eligible individuals are income eligible if their families’ annual cash
incomes are less than 185 percent of the federal poverty guideline, or they are adjunctively income
1
See Ver Ploeg and Betson (2003) for the CNSTAT report.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
i
eligible if they participate in another safety net program.2 Specifically, individuals in families that
participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) program, or the Medicaid program (either directly or as a member of a family in
which a pregnant woman or an infant is certified as eligible to receive Medicaid benefits) are
adjunctively eligible for WIC. Partial-year eligibility is estimated based on longitudinal data from the
2004 and 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation panels, which capture relationships
between monthly and annual income and program participation; the methods for this adjustment were
modified for the 2013 estimates to capture the fact that some States have adopted12-month
certification periods for children. An adjustment for nutritional risk takes into account that a small
share of otherwise-eligible individuals might not be found to be at nutritional risk. For postpartum
mothers, eligibility estimation requires data on the portion of mothers who begin breastfeeding, as well
as when they stop.
Results
How Many People Were Eligible for WIC in the Average Month of 2013, and What Portion
Received Benefits?
In calendar year (CY) 2013, the methods described above suggest that 14.2 million individuals were
eligible for WIC benefits in an average month (Exhibit ES.1). This is an estimate and could differ from
the true number of WIC eligibles because of methodological limitations (for example, the adjustment
for partial-year eligibility is an approximation) and because the estimate is based on a sample of the
population (different samples could lead to different estimates). Considering potential errors due to
the sample (sample variability), there is a 90 percent likelihood that the true number of WIC eligibles
falls in the range from 13.6 million to 14.7 million.
Infants accounted for 16.8 percent of the total WIC-eligible individuals; children ages 1 through 4
comprised 63.8 percent of all eligible individuals (with approximately equal shares across the single
years of age); pregnant women accounted for 8.7 percent; and the remaining 10.7 percent were
postpartum women.
Estimating the number of people who are eligible for WIC allows an estimation of WIC coverage
rates—the percent of WIC-eligible people who receive benefits from the program. During CY 2013, 8.5
million individuals participated in the program in an average month, producing a total coverage rate
(participants divided by eligibles) of 60.2 percent.3 Coverage rates vary across the subgroups. The
coverage rate for children was estimated at 49.8 percent, lower than the rates for other eligible groups.
Infants and postpartum non-breastfeeding women had the highest coverage rates at 84.4 and 84.9
percent, respectively.
2
Participation in one of these programs is taken as proof that a person is income eligible for WIC. State and local
agencies may also accept an applicant’s documented participation in certain other means-tested programs as evidence
of being income-eligible for WIC, if the other program routinely requires income documentation and has income
guidelines at or below those of WIC.
3
Participants include all people who receive a food package plus fully breastfeeding infants whose mothers receive a
food package.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
ii
Exhibit ES.1: WIC National-Level Eligibles and Coverage Rates by Participant Group in an Average
Month: CY 2013
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories
Number
Eligible
Percent of
Total
Eligible
Number
Participating
Coverage
Rate
2,387,223
16.8%
2,015,732
84.4%
9,053,165
63.8%
4,508,236
49.8%
Children Age 1
2,285,482
16.1%
1,571,481
68.8%
Children Age 2a
2,280,827
16.1%
1,141,082
50.0%
Children Age 3a
2,224,943
15.7%
1,051,357
47.3%
Children Age 4
2,261,914
15.9%
744,315
32.9%
Pregnant Women
1,228,252
8.7%
839,820
68.4%
Postpartum Women
Breastfeeding Women
Non-Breastfeeding Women
1,520,267
826,003
694,264
10.7%
5.8%
4.9%
1,183,228
593,611
589,617
77.8%
71.9%
84.9%
14,188,907
100.0%
8,547,016
60.2%
Participant Group
Infants
Total Children Ages 1-4
a
a
All Participant Groups
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC for U.S. estimate, PRCS and Census for territories, WIC Administrative Data
Notes:
a
WIC participant figures for children by single year of age are not available. The figures in this table are derived from
the total number of children participating using the ratio of child enrollees by single year of age to the total number of
children enrolled as reported in Johnson et al. (2013), Figure E.1.
Did WIC Eligibility Change from 2012 to 2013?
Our best estimate of total WIC eligibility in 2013 is 1.0 percent higher than our best estimate for 2012
(Exhibit ES.2). However, when specific participant groups are considered, the changes from 2012 vary
from the overall change in both magnitude and direction.
The largest change for any subgroup is a 2.6 percent increase in the WIC eligibility estimate for
children. Between 2012 and 2013 the estimated population of young children remained essentially
unchanged, but the portion estimated to meet eligibility requirements increased from 54.5 percent to
55.9 percent. Most of this increase is due to the increasing number of States using 12-month
certification periods for children, as allowed by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, PL 111296. If none of the States had adopted this option, the eligible population would have increased by only
0.6 percent from 2012 to 2013.
In contrast to the change for children, the 2013 eligibility estimates for the other subgroups are all
slightly lower than the 2012 estimates. The estimated number of WIC-eligible infants decreases by 1.4
percent. The decline is due primarily to a decrease in the estimated population of infants, which was
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
iii
1.1 percent lower than the infant population figure used for the 2012 estimates. The portion of infants
meeting eligibility requirements remained almost constant at about 61 percent.
Exhibit ES.2: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by
Participant Group: A Comparison of the Change from Calendar Year 2012 to 2013
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories.
Total Eligibles
Percent Change
2013
2012
Infants
2,387,223
2,420,597
-1.4%
Total Children Ages 1-4
9,052,810
8,823,888
2.6%
Pregnant Women
1,228,252
1,245,423
-1.4%
Postpartum Breastfeeding Women
826,003
839,736
-1.6%
Postpartum Non-Breastfeeding Women
694,264
723,718
-4.1%
14,188,552
14,053,362
1.0%
Participant Group
Total WIC Eligibles
Source: 2013 and 2014 CPS-ASEC; 2004 and 2008 SIPP panels; 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2005-2006 NHANES
Note: Changes in the number of eligibles between 2012 and 2013 are not statistically significant at the 90 percent
confidence level; all changes could be due solely to sampling variability in the survey.
Among women, the change in eligibility of pregnant women follows the change for infants (i.e., a 1.4
percent decrease), while postpartum women show somewhat larger declines – the number of
breastfeeding women eligible for WIC decreases by 1.6 percent and the number of non-breastfeeding
women eligible for WIC decreases by 4.1 percent. The changes for postpartum women differ from
those for infants and pregnant women due to changes in the two breastfeeding rates used for this
analysis. According to the Infant Feeding Survey, conducted annually by Abbott Laboratories, the inhospital breastfeeding rate for WIC mothers increased from 61 percent to almost 64 percent, while
the 6-month rate decreased from 31 percent to 29 percent. Thus, compared to 2012, there are fewer
non-breastfeeding women in the first 6 months postpartum (when even non-breastfeeding women are
eligible for WIC); and in the second 6 months post-partum, there are somewhat fewer breastfeeding
women due to the decrease in the 6-month breastfeeding rate.
As with any estimates derived in part from survey data, there is a degree of uncertainty. In fact,
from a statistical standpoint, we cannot rule out the possibility that all of the changes in the WIC
eligibility estimates are due solely to sampling variability in the CPS-ASEC survey data. When tested at
a 90 percent level of confidence, none of the changes described above are statistically significant. In
other words, we cannot be 90 percent certain that these changes in eligibility are true changes, rather
than being due to sampling variability in the surveys.
Since 2000, How Has Eligibility Changed On Average?
Since 2000 (the first year in the current series of estimates), growth in WIC eligibility has averaged 1.2
percent per year, resulting in a total 2013 eligibility estimate 13.7 percent higher than the 2000
estimate (Exhibit ES.3). Most of the increase in total WIC eligibility since 2000 is due to a 22.3 percent
increase in the estimated number of children eligible for the program. The number of eligible infants
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
iv
and eligible pregnant women has declined in recent years, and is estimated to be 1.2 percent lower in
2013 than in 2000, while the number of eligible postpartum women is estimated to have increased by
7.1 percent. During the same period, the number of annual births in the United States mainland and
territories declined by about 4 percent;4 the fact that estimated eligibility increased for children and
declined by only about 1 percent for infants suggests that the share of all infants and young children
who are eligible for WIC has increased over the decade. The number of postpartum women eligible for
WIC in the average month of the year has increased by an estimated 7.1 percent since 2000, due to
increases in breastfeeding that result in more postpartum women being eligible for a full year instead
of the six months of eligibility for a non-breastfeeding mother.
Exhibit ES.3: Growth in WIC Eligible Population, 2000-2013
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories
Cumulative
Growth
Average Annual
Growth
Infants
-1.2%
-0.1%
Total Children Ages 1-4
22.3%
1.8%
Pregnant Women
-1.2%
-0.1%
All Postpartum Women
7.1%
0.6%
All Participant Groups
13.7%
1.2%
Participant Group
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, ACS, PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
How does the Coverage Rate Vary over Time?
Estimated coverage rates by subgroup fluctuate over the 2000 to 2013 time frame (Exhibit ES.4). The
current estimated coverage rate of about 84 percent for infants is higher than the estimated rate for
2000 (just under 80 percent) but lower than the highest rate estimated for the period (88 percent in
2002). It is similar to the rates since 2007, which have ranged from about 82 percent to 85 percent.
Among pregnant women, the estimated coverage rate in 2013 is approximately the same as it was
in 2000, at 68 percent in both years. The coverage rate for non-breastfeeding postpartum women has
increased over the period, from 72 percent in 2000 to 85 percent in 2013. The estimated coverage rate
for breastfeeding postpartum women has also increased, from 57 percent in 2000 to 72 percent in
2013; the particularly high coverage rates for breastfeeding postpartum women from 2007 to 2010
were due to a combination of higher enrollment and lower estimated eligibility for this subgroup.
Except for the period 2006 to 2010, the coverage rate for non-breastfeeding postpartum women
exceeds the coverage rate for breastfeeding postpartum women.5
4
Data published by the Center for Disease Control, National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 50, Number 5,Table 10,
February 12, 2002 and Volume 64 Number 10, Table 10, January 15, 2015.
5
The survey that provides the breastfeeding estimates for this analysis showed a drop in breastfeeding rates in the
period 2006 to 2010 that contributed to the very high measured coverage rates for breastfeeding postpartum women in
this period. That temporary decline in breastfeeding does not appear in another breastfeeding survey.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
v
Exhibit ES.4: Coverage Rate: Percent of Eligible Population Receiving WIC Benefits, CY 2000 to CY 2013
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
vi
The estimated coverage rate for children has been considerably lower than for other groups across
the period. The estimated children’s coverage rate increased over the period from 48 percent in 2000
to 53 percent in 2012, but declined to 50 percent this year due in part to the increase in the children’s
eligibility estimate.
Note, however, that the WIC eligibility estimates that underlie the coverage rate estimates are not
precisely comparable across the period. There have been slight adjustments to the methods, such as a
modification to the procedures for applying population adjustments in the estimates for 2011 and later
years, and the incorporation of State variation in children’s certification periods in this year’s
estimates. Also, whenever new decennial census information is available, that information is
incorporated into the CPS-ASEC weighting and into the weight adjustment procedures used for the
WIC eligibility estimates, which can cause discontinuities in the series. For example, the 2010
decennial census showed a substantial decrease in the number of infants relative to the figures that
had been estimated prior to the availability of the new census, a change that affects the WIC eligibility
and coverage estimates for years 2010 and later;6 the increase in the estimated coverage rates for
infants and women in 2002 is also related to weighting changes.
Has the Coverage Rate Changed Since 2012?
The analysis suggests that the WIC coverage rate may have declined somewhat between 2012 and
2013. The administrative data show that the caseload fell by 3.6 percent, while there was no
statistically significant change in eligibility. Considering the subgroups, the estimated coverage rate
declined the most for children, but it also declined for infants and for pregnant women.
How does the Coverage Rate Vary across Regions of the Country?
WIC coverage rates for all participants vary somewhat across the regions (Exhibit ES.5). The highest
coverage rate is 70.4 percent in the Western region, and the lowest is 51.1 percent in the Mountain
Plains. These regions also had the highest and lowest estimated coverage rates, respectively, in our
analyses of WIC eligibility and program reach for the years 2009 to 2012.7 As mentioned above in the
context of the national estimates, all the WIC eligibility estimates are affected by sampling variability.
For example, while our best estimate of eligibility in the Northeast is 1.269 million people, we can say
with 90 percent confidence that the actual number of eligible people is in the range from 1.198 to
1.342 million. Thus, the actual coverage rates could be somewhat higher or lower than shown.
6
For details see Martinez-Schiferl et al. (2012) and Johnson et al. (2014).
For 2009 regional coverage rates see Betson et al. (2011). For 2010 regional coverage rates see Martinez-Schiferl et
al. (2012). For 2011 and 2012 regional coverage rates see Johnson et al. (2014, 2015).
7
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
vii
Exhibit ES.5: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by FNS Region, CY 2013
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories
Confidence Interval
for Eligibility Estimate a
FNS Region
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage Rate
1,269,800
1,612,309
2,998,599
2,080,883
2,226,042
1,051,038
2,949,881
14,188,552
758,576
989,709
1,656,761
1,183,628
1,344,443
537,510
2,076,389
8,547,016
59.7%
61.4%
55.3%
56.9%
60.4%
51.1%
70.4%
60.2%
Lower bound
Upper bound
1,197,977
1,515,248
2,858,913
1,976,767
2,116,255
988,233
2,812,972
13,634,932
1,341,622
1,709,371
3,138,285
2,184,998
2,335,829
1,113,844
3,086,790
14,742,172
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
a
We are 90 percent confident that the true number of eligibles falls within this range.
Summary
In the average month of 2013, an estimated 14.2 million people were eligible for WIC benefits. The
eligibility estimate is 1.0 percent higher than it was for 2012, due to an estimated increase in the
number of eligible children (in part because of longer certification periods in some States) combined
with estimated reductions in eligibility for women and infants. The program provided benefits to 60.2
percent of the WIC-eligible individuals—approximately 8.5 million people. Infants and nonbreastfeeding postpartum women had the highest coverage rates at 84.4 and 84.9 percent,
respectively. The coverage rate for children ages 1 through 4 was 49.8 percent. Coverage rates also
varied by region. The estimated regional coverage rates ranged from a high of 70.4 percent in the
Western region to a low of 51.1 percent for the Mountain Plains.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF WIC ELIGIBLES A ND PROGRAM REACH
viii
Introduction
This report provides estimates of WIC eligibility for calendar year (CY) 2013. The estimates are
intended to capture eligibility in the average month of the year and can be compared with monthly
participation data to derive coverage rate estimates. Eligibility estimates allow FNS to better predict
future funding needs for the WIC program, and comparing these estimates to the actual number of
participants helps gauge the program’s effectiveness in supporting the nutrition of eligible women,
infants, and children.
WIC eligibility estimates are presented for the nation, the fifty States, the District of Columbia, and
five U.S. territories (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto
Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands). State estimates are aggregated to produce estimates for the seven
FNS regions. The national and territory estimates are shown for each different WIC participant
subgroup—infants, children ages 1 through 4 (by single year of age), pregnant women, and
breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, while the State and regional estimates are
presented at more aggregate levels.
The estimates use multiple data sources. The national estimates use the Current Population
Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASEC) data and generally follow methods
originally developed by the Committee on National Statistics of the National Research Council
(CNSTAT).8 The territorial estimates use the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) to directly
estimate the number of eligibles in Puerto Rico and the Census Bureau International Data Base to
estimate WIC eligibility in other island territories. The State-level estimates are based on the American
Community Survey (ACS). WIC eligibility is estimated in each State, and that information is then used
to determine each State’s share of WIC-eligible individuals. These shares are applied to the CPS-ASEC
national estimates to produce a consistent set of national and State estimates.
The project uses the most recent updates and extensions to the CNSTAT methods.9 The updated
methods revised the original approach for producing estimates for the U.S. territories and developed
new methods to produce estimates at the State level and standard errors for all estimates. Additional
modifications were made to the methodology for adjusting population weights for the 2011 report,
and have been continued in this report.10 The 2013 procedures institute another change, to capture
whether States have adopted 12-month certification periods for children, and when they made that
change.
This report begins by reviewing the specific methods and assumptions used to develop the
estimates (including the new procedures related to State variation in children’s certification period).
Then estimates of the total WIC-eligible population in 2013 are presented. The results of each step in
the national estimation process are discussed, and the characteristics of the WIC-eligible population
are summarized. The presentation of the national estimation process is followed by a discussion of the
steps used to produce the territorial estimates. The 2013 WIC eligible population then is compared
with the 2012 results. The next section presents State and regional level eligibility results, and the
section following presents the coverage rates implied by comparing the estimated eligibility counts
8
See Ver Ploeg and Betson (2003) for the CNSTAT report.
These methods are described in Betson et al. (2011).
10
See Johnson et al. (2014).
9
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
1
with actual WIC caseload data. The last two sections discuss measures of precision and validation
methods.
Additional details are provided in appendices in Volume II of this report. Appendix A presents all of
the national tables for 2013, including more details on interim steps than are presented in the main
report. Similarly, Appendix B provides more detailed results for the State estimates. Appendix C
contains maps of 2013 WIC coverage rates—defined as the number of WIC participants divided by the
estimated number of individuals eligible for the program. Appendix D provides estimates of WIC
eligibility and coverage rates from 2000 through 2013.11 Appendix E provides details regarding the
new procedures related to State variation in children’s certification period.
Overview of Methods for Estimates for 2013
The national, territorial, and State estimates of WIC eligibility are developed through separate but
interrelated procedures, discussed below.
National Estimates
The national WIC eligibility estimates are based primarily on the recommendations of the CNSTAT
Panel members. They recommended using the annual CPS-ASEC data for an initial count of eligible
infants and children in the fifty States and the District of Columbia. Those figures are refined through a
series of adjustment factors designed to more closely mimic WIC program procedures. The estimates
of eligible infants are used to estimate WIC-eligible pregnant and postpartum women. For postpartum
women, separate estimates are produced for breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding mothers since
certification periods and benefits vary for these two groups. Various data sets must be used to impute
breastfeeding prevalence, as described later in this section.
Infants and Children, Initial and Adjusted Counts
The CPS-ASEC survey conducted each spring is used to count the number of infants (younger than 1
year old) and young children (age 1 through 4 years old).12 The CPS-ASEC, which asks respondents to
report their income and program participation in the prior calendar year, is the same survey used for
official poverty estimates.13 We use the CPS-ASEC data collected in spring 2014 to estimate WIC
eligibility during calendar year 2013.
The CPS-ASEC data we used for this year’s estimates includes information on fewer households
than the files for recent years. The reason is that the Census Bureau divided the usual CPS-ASEC
sample into two portions in order to test new income questions, with five-eighths being asked the
standard questions while three-eighths received the new questions. Although the Census Bureau has
released information from both portions, only the five-eighths portion was used for the Census
Bureau’s computation of the official poverty estimates for 2013; for consistency with that decision,
11
See USDA (2006) for national-level estimates of WIC eligibility for 1994 through 2003 that are also based on the
CNSTAT methodology.
12
The survey was formerly known as the March CPS supplement. Interviews are conducted from February through
April.
13
Technical documentation of the CPS-ASEC is available from the Census Bureau,
http://www.census.gov/cps/methodology/techdocs.html.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
2
and to avoid potential complications due to using income data based on two different sets of questions,
we use only the five-eighths file for the 2013 WIC eligibility estimates. The smaller sample size means
that the 2013 estimates have somewhat less statistical precision than would be the case with the full
sample. Specifically, the smaller sample means that the standard errors of the estimates are 26
percent larger than if the same estimate had been produced by the full sample.14
As indicated in Table 1, the preliminary counts of infants and children are adjusted to compensate
for differences between weighted counts of infants and children in the CPS-ASEC data and the Census
Bureau population estimates. The two sets of figures may differ because the Census Bureau’s
weighting procedures are not designed to meet population targets by exact year of age, and also
because the population estimates may change after the point that CPS-ASEC data are weighted. Thus,
the CPS-ASEC counts for a particular subgroup of infants or children may be inflated or deflated to
better reflect the Census Bureau estimate for that subgroup. The population adjustment factors are
recomputed each time the eligibility estimates are updated. The factors vary by three characteristics:
age (separate factors are computed for each exact age, 0 through 4), race (three groups: white, black,
and other), and gender (two groups: female and male).
The adjustment factors are computed by comparing four years of Census Bureau population
estimates and four years of CPS-ASEC weighted counts for each subgroup. A four-year period is used
in order to minimize large year-to-year swings in the factors. Specifically, for the CY 2013 WIC
eligibility estimates, the population adjustment factors are computed using Census Bureau population
data for 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and CPS-ASEC data collected in those same four years.15 The
Census population estimates used in the adjustment factors are vintage 2013 postcensal estimates for
all four years. Table 2 shows the resulting adjustment factors. No adjustment was performed for white
infants and children (i.e. the factor was computed to be “1”). However, among black and “other” infants
and children, some subgroups were adjusted upwards (the computed factor was greater than “1”) and
some downwards (the factor was less than “1”). The adjustments range from a 12.3 percent reduction
in weights (for black males age 1) to a 10.7 percent increase (for black male infants).16 Note that for
purposes of defining racial subgroups for the population adjustment factors, the “white” and “black”
groups include only infants and children for whom a single race was reported. Infants and children for
whom more than one race was reported and those who are reported to be a race other than white or
black are combined into the single group “other.” This follows current federal guidelines by not
tabulating individuals who report more than one race as being of only a single specific race.17
14
Note that the use of these new income questions in subsequent CPS files may present some challenges when
comparing future estimates of eligibility to our current estimates. For more information about the redesigned income
questions, see http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/incpovhlth/2013/Split-sample-note.doc.
15
See Johnson et al. (2014) for more details on the weight adjustment procedures, including a refinement that was
added as part of the 2011 update and retained for the 2012 and 2013 update.
16
See Ver Ploeg and Betson (2003) for a discussion of the CPS undercount of infants.
17
See OMB (1997).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
3
Table 1: Steps and Sources for 2013 Estimates of WIC Eligibility of Infants and Young Children (Ages 1-4), Using Data from the 2014 CPSASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, and Census Bureau International Data Base
Step
Demographic eligibility
Description
Identify infants and children (ages 1-4) in the survey.
Weight adjustment
Adjust sampling weights to account for under-count or over-count in
the CPS relative to Census estimates, by exact age, gender, and race.
Income eligibility
Count as eligible if prior year’s annual family income is <= 185 percent
of the applicable poverty guideline--"family" for income purposes is
defined as the broadly defined family, with related subfamilies included
in the primary.
2014
2013
2013
2010
Poverty guidelines are the blended poverty guidelines for the calendar
year for which estimates are produced.
Add in as eligible those infants/children whose household reports
SNAP, family reports TANF, or who are themselves reported as being
enrolled in Medicaid at any point during the prior calendar year.
Blended FY 2012 and FY 2013 poverty guidelines
Adjunctive eligibility
Sources for 2013 Updates to Estimates and Adjustment Factors
2014 CPS-ASEC - National Estimates
2013 ACS - State Estimates
2013 PRCS - Puerto Rico Estimates
Census Bureau International Data Base - Other Island Territories
National Estimates:
Postcensal population estimates from the Census Bureau and the
March CPS-ASEC for 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014
State and Puerto Rico Estimates:
Postcensal population estimates from the Census Bureau for 2013
CPS-ASEC - National Estimates
ACS - State Estimates
PRCS - Puerto Rico Estimates
Census - Other Island Territories Estimates
2014 CPS-ASEC
2013 ACS
2013 PRCS
For TANF receipt, "family" on the CPS is defined as the narrowly
defined family and also includes any related children whose parents
are not present in the household. On the ACS and PRCS the definition
is the narrowly defined family with subfamilies separate.
Adjust for fluctuations in monthly
income and certification periods
Adjust for nutritional risk
Territories
Multiply the estimates by a factor of 1.16 for infants and 1.02 for
children to account for the impact of monthly fluctuations in income
and program participation, and for the impact of 6 and 12 month
certification periods. The factor for children takes into account that
some states have a 6 month certification period while others have
adopted the optional 12 month period.
Multiply the infant estimates by 0.97 and the child estimates by 0.99
to account for the fact that some otherwise-eligible infants and children
might not be found to be at nutritional risk.
Average of factors for 2005, 2006, and 2010, as computed from the
SIPP panels from 2004 and 2008.
Eligibility in Puerto Rico is based on the PRCS and is estimated with
the same methods as those used for the State estimates.
Eligibility in the Other Island Territories is based on a proportion of the
estimated population of infants and children.
PRCS 2013 - Puerto Rico
No update.
Census Bureau International Data Base - Other Island Territories
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
4
Table 2: Population Adjustment Factors
White
Weight Adjustment Factors:
Females
Males
Black
Other
White
Black
Other
Infants
1.000
1.071
1.106
1.000
1.107
1.014
Children (age 1)
1.000
0.940
0.939
1.000
0.877
0.987
Children (age 2)
1.000
1.019
1.026
1.000
1.012
1.072
Children (age 3)
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
Children (age 4)
1.000
0.988
1.000
1.000
0.953
0.985
Notes:
Factors are set to 1 unless both four-year accumulations and 2013 population figures show the same
direction of difference between Census and CPS-ASEC data.
Infants and Children, Eligibility Estimates and Further Adjustments
After the adjustments to the CPS-ASEC weights, the next step is to tabulate the number of infants and
young children living in families with cash income in the prior calendar year (2013) that is less than 185
percent of the applicable federal poverty guideline (the threshold for income eligibility). As
recommended by the CNSTAT Panel, we define the family as all persons living in the household who
are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. (The WIC program specifies that the people living as one
economic unit are treated as the family for eligibility determination, but the program does not
explicitly operationalize the concept of the economic unit.) The poverty guidelines used in this step are
an average of the guidelines released in 2012 (which would have been used by WIC programs for the
first half of calendar year 2013), and the guidelines released in 2013 (which would have been used by
WIC programs in the second half of calendar year 2013).
Individuals also are considered eligible for WIC through adjunctive eligibility. An individual is
adjunctively income eligible for WIC if the person receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, or
Medicaid, if the person’s family receives benefits from TANF, or if the person’s family includes a
pregnant woman or infant who is enrolled in Medicaid.18,19,20 Thus, the next step is to count the infants
18
Participation in one of these programs is taken as proof that a person is income eligible for WIC. Under an additional
policy known as “automatic income eligibility”, State and local agencies may accept an applicant’s documented
participation in certain other means-tested programs as evidence of being income-eligible for WIC, if the other program
routinely requires income documentation and has income guidelines at or below those of WIC. We assume that any
individuals found eligible through automatic income eligibility in their State/locality would be identified as incomeeligible by the methods used for these estimates.
19 Enrollment in a State’s Medicaid-expansion program funded through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
also confers adjunctive eligibility, but enrollment in a separate State health program funded by CHIP does not. However,
if eligibility in a separate State health program is limited to individuals with incomes at or below the WIC income
threshold, and the program collects income information in the enrollment process, then participation in such a program
can serve as evidence of income eligibility for WIC. Because the CPS-ASEC data do not separately identify the two types
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
5
and children who appear adjunctively eligible according to the CPS-ASEC data, which asks about
enrollment in each of these programs during the prior year. On an annual basis, adjunctive eligibility is
likely underestimated due to the underreporting of benefit receipt in survey data.21
Two proportional adjustments are made to these initial eligibility estimates as summarized in Table
1. The first adjustment—the “annual-to-monthly” adjustment—accounts for three reasons why annual
data on income and program participation can misestimate average monthly eligibility. First, family
incomes may fluctuate during the year. Even if annual income appears above the income limit (so a
child is not counted as eligible based on the CPS-ASEC data), the child could be eligible if the family
applied in certain months of low income. Conversely, if family income falls substantially during the
year, annual income might suggest a child is eligible when in fact the child would not have been eligible
at the start of the year. A second reason that annual data misestimates average monthly eligibility is
that participation in Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF may vary during a year. The initial counts consider an
infant or child adjunctively eligible if program benefits are received at any point during the year;
however, if the family only started receiving benefits at some point during the year, the infant or child
would not have been adjunctively eligible at the start of the year. Third, annual income misestimates
average monthly eligibility due to the WIC program’s certification periods. Eligible infants are certified
for a year, while eligible children are certified for either 6 or 12 months as decided by each State.22 An
infant or child who appears ineligible based on annual income may in fact have been eligible at the start
of the year due to having been certified in the prior year; conversely, a child who appears eligible based
on annual income may have only been eligible for 6 months, if the family income had risen by the point
they returned for recertification.
The annual-to-monthly adjustment factor is computed using data from the Survey of Income
and Program Participation (SIPP);23 the SIPP, unlike the CPS-ASEC, allows month-by-month
observation of family circumstances. Since in some States children have shorter certification periods
than infants, the factor differs for infants and children. For infants, the 2013 estimates use the same
factor as was used for the 2011 and 2012 estimates. For children, the procedures were modified for
this year’s estimates to reflect the degree to which 12-month certification periods have been adopted
at the State level.
For infants, the factor was previously computed by comparing two types of SIPP-based
eligibility estimates for infants: one using the monthly data and including a 12 month certification
period, and another that mimics the type of estimate that can be computed with the CPS-ASEC data.24
In earlier work, eligibility estimates were computed following both approaches and using SIPP data for
of CHIP programs, enrollment in CHIP is not counted as conferring adjunctive eligibility; this may lead to a slight
underestimate of the count of adjunctively eligible infants and children.
20
Note that implementation of the adjunctive eligibility rules in the eligibility estimation is restricted by the available
data in the CPS-ASEC. These data do not indicate whether each person receives SNAP, only if the household receives
SNAP and the total number of SNAP recipients. However, in the absence of more information, we treat all infants and
children in SNAP-recipient households as if they are themselves in the SNAP assistance unit. See Table 1 for additional
information on how adjunctive eligibility is operationalized using the CPS-ASEC.
21
All surveys underestimate enrollment because some individuals fail to report participation (Wheaton 2007). The
CNSTAT-recommended methods do not attempt to correct for the impacts of program underreporting.
22
The option to extend the certification period to 12 months for children was enacted as part of the Healthy, HungerFree Kids Act of 2010, PL 111-296, passed in December 2010. Previously, children could be certified for only 6 months,
23
More information on the SIPP can be found at the Census Bureau website: http://www.census.gov/sipp/
24
The details of these procedures are summarized in Betson et al. (2011).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
6
2005, 2006, and 2010. For each year, the ratio of the second estimate was compared to the first;
across the three years, the average, factor is 1.16. In other words, the SIPP analysis suggests that the
average monthly number of WIC-eligible infants is 16 percent higher than it would appear based only
on annual income and program participation.
For children, the comparison of the pairs of SIPP-based estimates has previously suggested an
annual-to-monthly adjustment factor of 1.0 if all States are assumed to use 6-month certification
periods (i.e. the SIPP analysis suggests that average monthly eligibility of children when 6-month
certification is in effect in all States is the same as it would appear based on annual income and program
participation). This 1.0 factor was used for the WIC eligibility estimates for 2011 and 2012. Previous
analysis (reported in Appendix E of the 2011 report) also showed that if all States were assumed to use
12-month certification (and to have adopted it at an early enough date that it affects eligibility in all 12
months of 2013), the adjustment factor would be 1.04 (i.e. the SIPP analysis suggests that the average
monthly number of WIC-eligible children when 12-month certification is fully in effect in all States is 4
percent higher than it would appear based only on annual income and program participation).
The factor used for the national eligibility estimation now takes into account the fact that many
States have adopted 12-month certification periods.25 For this year’s WIC eligibility estimates for
children, the annual-to-monthly factor is a type of weighted average across the 1.0 and 1.04 estimates.
Each State is assigned a State-specific factor based on whether and when 12-month certification has
been adopted. The 27 States (and the District of Columbia) that have not adopted the policy (or that
adopted it too late for it to affect 2013 eligibility) are assigned a factor of 1.0, the 9 States that adopted
the policy early enough for it to fully affect the entire year are assigned 1.04, and the remaining 14
States are assigned an intermediate factor depending upon how many months in 2013 were affected
by the longer certification period. To generate a national-level factor, the factors of all States were
averaged, with each factor being weighted by the State’s share of eligible children (e.g., the factor of a
State that had twice as many eligible children as another State would be weighted twice as much). The
final result was a national-level factor of 1.02. Appendix E contains more details regarding the
computation of this factor.
The second of the two proportional adjustments—and the final step in estimating WIC eligibility
for infants and children in the fifty States and the District of Columbia—is to adjust for nutritional risk.
(WIC eligibility estimates for infants and children in the territories are discussed below.) Women,
infants, and children who are not determined to be at nutritional risk are not eligible for WIC,
regardless of their income. A constant nutritional risk adjustment factor, calculated in the original
CNSTAT panel report, has been used in all recent WIC eligibles estimates. Using data from the 19941998 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII), the CNSTAT Panel found that at least 97
percent of income-eligible pregnant women were at nutritional risk. Since an infant whose mother
would have qualified for WIC during pregnancy is automatically considered at-risk, the nutritional risk
adjustment factor for infants has been 0.97. The CSFII data also suggested that more than 99 percent
25
Although States have had the option to adopt 12-month certification since 2011, relatively few States adopted the
policy at a point that affected eligibility prior to 2013. Our analysis indicates that if States’ decisions to adopt 12-month
certification had been incorporated into the calculation of the annual-to-monthly adjustment factor for children used
for 2012, it would have changed from 1.0 to 1.006. In other words, if the procedures described here had been followed
for the 2012 estimates, our estimate of children’s eligibility in 2012 would have been higher by 0.6 percent.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
7
of young children failed to meet dietary guidelines, leading to a 0.99 nutritional risk adjustment for
children.
Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Estimates of the number of WIC-eligible women (pregnant, postpartum breastfeeding, and postpartum
non-breastfeeding) are based upon adjusted counts of WIC-eligible infants rather than separate
counts from the CPS-ASEC data. (The CPS-ASEC does not identify pregnancy or breastfeeding status.)
The proportional adjustments made to the infant estimates to arrive at the final estimates for women
are summarized in Table 3.
The first adjustment to the count of WIC-eligible infants reflects the fact that the number of
pregnant and postpartum women can differ from the number of infants, for two reasons. The number
of pregnant and postpartum women can be lower than the number of infants seen in the CPS-ASEC
survey data due to multiple births. However, the number of pregnant and postpartum women can be
greater than the number of infants in the CPS-ASEC due to fetal and infant deaths (the infants are
absent in the CPS-ASEC). The adjustment that accounts for both of these factors is small and was very
similar when estimated at two different points. A factor of 0.9966 was used from 2000 through 2003
and 0.9961 has been used from 2004 through 2013.
The eligibility estimates for pregnant women must also take into account that some mothers of
WIC-eligible infants were not themselves eligible during pregnancy. (It is also possible, but less likely,
that a woman could be WIC-eligible during pregnancy but not WIC-eligible after the birth.) Analysis of
the 1990 through 1996 panels of SIPP found that women whose infants were eligible for WIC were
themselves eligible in an average of 6.4 months of pregnancy, or 71 percent of the maximum nine
months of pregnancy eligibility (75 percent of the year).26 Thus, the gestation adjustment factor used
consistently starting with WIC eligibility estimates for 1994 has been 0.5330 (0.71 x 0.75). After this
adjustment for gestation, the number of pregnant women is reduced by an additional 3 percent (the
adjustment factor is equal to 0.97) to reflect that an otherwise-eligible pregnant woman may not be at
nutritional risk. (The estimates assume that all postpartum women are at nutritional risk.)
For a postpartum woman, the duration of WIC eligibility depends on the extent to which she
breastfeeds her infant as well as the other factors. A new mother can be certified to receive benefits
for 12 months if she is breastfeeding and her infant is not receiving the food package for infants who
are fully fed with formula. If the mother is not breastfeeding or her infant receives the fully formula fed
food package, then she can be eligible for benefits as a postpartum woman until her infant turns six
months old. Thus, adjustments are applied to the count of mothers whose infants are WIC-eligible to
separately estimate eligibility for postpartum women certified as breastfeeding vs. non-breastfeeding.
26
See Yelowitz (2002).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
8
Table 3: Steps and Sources for 2013 Estimates of WIC Eligibility of Pregnant and Postpartum Women, Using Data from the 2014 CPS-ASEC,
2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, and Census Bureau International Data Base
Step
Starting point
Description
Use as a starting point the final average monthly eligibility estimate for
infants.
Adjust for multiple births and infant Multiply by a factor of 0.9961 to account for the impact of multiple
deaths
births and infant deaths (so the number of pregnant women/mothers is
not exactly equal to the number of infants).
Sources for 2013 Updates to Estimates and Adjustment Factors
Infants as estimated using methods outlined in Table 1.
For pregnant women :
Multiply by 0.533 to account for 9 months of pregnancy (0.75 factor)
Adjust for length of pregnancy and and to account for lower likelihood of financial eligibility during
difference in income during
pregnancy vs. after birth (additional 0.71).
pregnancy vs. after birth
No update.
For postpartum mothers :
Multiply by one year-specific factor to estimate the average monthly
Separately estimate the average
women eligible for WIC as breastfeeding mothers (0<12 months
monthly number who are eligible
postpartum). Multiply the estimate by another factor to estimate the
as breastfeeding mothers and the average monthly women eligible for WIC as non-breastfeeding women
number eligible as postpartum non- <6 months postpartum.
breastfeeding mothers
2013 Abbott Laboratories Infant Feeding Survey (formerly the Mother
Survey); 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006 waves of National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); 1996, 2001, and
2004 SIPP panels.
Adjust for nutritional risk
No update.
Multiply the estimate for pregnant women by 0.97 to account for the
fact that some otherwise-eligible pregnant women might not be found
to be at nutritional risk. Assume all postpartum women are at
nutritional risk (factor of 1.0).
Multiple birth, infant and fetal death data from 2004 vital statistics
data. March 2004 Census estimates for count of infants.
Territorial estimates assume the national breastfeeding rates.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
9
The adjustments that identify women eligible for WIC as breastfeeding vs. non-breastfeeding
combine data from three sources: the Abbott Laboratories’ Infant Feeding Survey (IFS, formerly the
Ross Lab’s Mothers Survey), the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES),27 and
the SIPP. Abbott Laboratories annually releases their estimates of the percentage of WIC mothers who
breastfeed their infant in the hospital and the percentage who are breastfeeding at six months.28 For
2013, for example, the IFS data showed 63.5 percent of WIC mothers breastfeeding in the hospital,
and 29.1 percent breastfeeding at six months. Since estimates show that mothers who are eligible but
not participating in WIC have higher rates of breastfeeding than WIC participants, the rates reported
in the IFS for WIC participants will underestimate rates for all WIC-eligible mothers. The 2005-2006
NHANES data are used to adjust for this difference. The NHANES ratios of breastfeeding rates for
WIC-eligible to WIC-participating mothers in the hospital and at six months are applied to the IFS
annual estimates to approximate the current breastfeeding rates in the WIC-eligible population.
Analysis of the NHANES data showed that the breastfeeding rate of WIC-eligible mothers in the
hospital was 5.6 percent higher than for WIC participants. At six months, WIC-eligible mothers were
15 percent more likely to breastfeed than WIC participants.
The estimation of postpartum WIC eligibility is complicated by the decline in breastfeeding
throughout the first year. (A woman who is breastfeeding in the hospital may stop breastfeeding at any
point.) Although the CNSTAT Panel did not discuss an adjustment factor to address this issue,
subsequent estimates have used a factor computed from SIPP-based simulations to adjust for
breastfeeding cessation. The simulations assume that mothers inform WIC staff members as soon as
they stop breastfeeding so that they can qualify for infant formula. The simulations assign a
breastfeeding status and duration to each postpartum mother of a WIC-eligible infant, using
breastfeeding rates for WIC-eligible mothers from NHANES. Eligibility is then simulated month-bymonth, using each woman’s monthly income, program participation, breastfeeding status, and
appropriate certification periods. One simulation uses the in-hospital breastfeeding status for the first
six months and the status at six months for the remainder of the year, while a second simulation uses
the monthly status. In the second simulation, fewer eligible women are counted as breastfeeding, and
the total number of WIC-eligible postpartum women is lower also. The ratio of the second set of
estimates to the first provides an additional adjustment factor. The current values of these adjustment
factors are 0.620 (for in-hospital breastfeeding) and 0.832 (for breastfeeding at 6 months).
Territories
Estimates of infants and children eligible for WIC in Puerto Rico are calculated directly using the
Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) data collected during 2013 and applying the same methods
used for the U.S. population.29 Since Puerto Rico accounts for 88 percent of WIC-eligible persons in the
territories, the use of recent demographic and income data for Puerto Rico (from the PRCS) provides a
more accurate WIC eligibility estimate than the original CNSTAT territorial adjustment that simply
27
More information on the NHANES can be found at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/about_nhanes.htm.
28
Appendix Table A.4 provides the time series for the IFS and the NHANES data as well as the adjustment factors
calculated from these data.
29 Information about the PRCS is available on the Census Bureau website, at
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/about_the_survey/puerto_rico_community_survey/.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
10
increased the national estimates to account for WIC eligibles in all the territories based on decennial
Census data. However, it should be noted that the 2013 PRCS captures a combination of 2012 and
2013 income; households are surveyed in each month of the year, and each household is asked to
report income for the 12 months prior to the survey.
Estimates of infants and children eligible for WIC in the other territories (American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands), are based on two
adjustments to Census’s population estimates for those territories. The first adjustment uses a special
tabulation of the 2010 decennial Census to estimate the portion of the population that is income
eligible. The second adjustment uses the relationship between adjunctive eligibility and income
eligibility in Puerto Rico and the mainland in 2013 to estimate the number of additional infants and
children in the other island territories made eligible through adjunctive eligibility.
Estimates for pregnant and postpartum women in Puerto Rico and the other island territories are
determined using a method that parallels the method used to estimate the number of WIC-eligible
women in the fifty States and the District of Columbia. The estimates begin with the number of fully
eligible infants in the territories. The estimates for pregnant women are adjusted for length of
pregnancy, differences in income during pregnancy vs. after the birth, fetal and infant deaths, multiple
births, and nutritional risk. All adjustments are the same as those applied at the national level. The
estimates for postpartum women are adjusted for fetal and infant deaths, multiple births,
breastfeeding, and nutritional risk. Since the Infant Feeding Survey (IFS) does not provide
breastfeeding rates for Puerto Rico or the other island territories, the national breastfeeding rates
were assumed.
States
The State estimates begin with the ACS data collected during 2013.30 Like the 2013 PRCS, the 2013
ACS captures a combination of 2012 and 2013 income. This is not ideal for estimation of 2013 WIC
eligibility; but the ACS is nevertheless the best data source for determining State shares of WIC
eligibility due to its very large sample sizes in all States.
As explained earlier, the CNSTAT Panel recommended that all members of a household related by
blood, marriage, or adoption be considered as one family unit for the purposes of determining WIC
eligibility. However, the only information the ACS provides on family relationships is each individual’s
relationship to the reference person (householder); for people not related to the householder, their
relationships to each other are unknown. In complex households, WIC eligibility requires
understanding relationships across all members of the household. For example, an unmarried partner
of the householder with a child from a prior relationship is considered a separate family according to
the CNSTAT procedures. Since the Minnesota Population Center’s Integrated Public Use Microdata
Series (IPUMS-USA) provides researchers with educated conjectures about the relationships between
persons not related to the householder, we use the ACS with these imputations.31 For each State, the
30
ACS documentation is available on the Census Bureau website,
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/about_the_survey/american_community_survey/.
31
See Ruggles et al. (2010).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
11
numbers of infants and children who are income-eligible or adjunctively-eligible for WIC (enrolled in
SNAP, TANF, or public health insurance32) are estimated using the ACS data.
Like the process for estimating national-level WIC eligibility from the CPS-ASEC data, the process
for estimating State-level eligibility from the ACS data involves the use of adjustment factors. Three of
the adjustments—the population adjustments, the annual-to-monthly adjustment for children, and the
breastfeeding adjustments—use State-specific data. However, the same annual-to-monthly
adjustment for infants and the same nutritional risk adjustment are used for all the States. The ACS
population weights are adjusted by State and by exact age, 0 through 4. Specifically, the ACS person
weights for infants and children are proportionally adjusted so that the sums of the persons by age are
equal to the Census Bureau population estimates for each State. This method differs somewhat from
the method used for the CPS-ASEC in that the ACS method only considers the Census and ACS
population estimates for the current year, not for the prior three years as well. Also, the ACS weight
adjustments do not vary by racial group, since the Census Bureau does not release population
estimates for racial subgroups by single year of age at the State level.
The annual-to-monthly adjustment for children’s eligibility varies across the States as described
earlier in the discussion of the annual-to-monthly adjustment at the national level. In brief, the factor is
1.0 in States that have not adopted 12-month certification (or that adopted it too late for it to affect
2013 eligibility), 1.04 in States that adopted the change early enough to be fully in affect in all months
of 2013, and between 1.0 and 1.04 in other States, depending on the exact point of implementation.
Estimates for pregnant and postpartum women are derived from the infant estimates as with the
national estimates, with the exception that the breastfeeding adjustments incorporate State variation
in breastfeeding rates. As explained above, the breastfeeding adjustment includes three components—
the in-hospital and six-month breastfeeding rates for women participating in WIC, the adjustment for
differences between WIC participants and WIC-eligible women, and the adjustment for the fact that
breastfeeding declines from each month to the next. For the State-level WIC eligibility estimates, the
second and third components of the adjustment remain as in the national estimates, but the first
component—breastfeeding rates in the hospital and at six months—is modified to capture State-level
variation in breastfeeding rates. Using information gathered through its Infant Feeding Survey, Abbott
Laboratories publishes both in-hospital and at-six-month breastfeeding rates for women participating
in WIC by State. For example, in 2013 the in-hospital breastfeeding rate for all infants (not just infants
enrolled in WIC) ranged from 49 percent in Mississippi to 91 percent in Alaska according to the IFS
(see Table B7 in Appendix B).
These procedures produce ACS-based WIC eligibility estimates for each State and the District of
Columbia; however, the sum of these estimates is not the same as the national estimate produced from
the CPS-ASEC data. The CPS-ASEC has been judged as the better source for a national WIC eligibility
estimate, due to the fact that the CPS-ASEC has more complete income and program participation
data. Also, the CPS asks respondents for their income during the calendar year, while the ACS surveys
32
The ACS asks whether individuals are enrolled in “Medicaid, Medical Assistance, or any kind of government assistance
plan for those with low income or a disability”. There is no separate identification of enrollment in Medicaid vs. CHIP.
Thus, infants and children reported to be enrolled in government-assisted insurance according to this variable are
counted as adjunctively eligible for WIC.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
12
households throughout the year and asks about income in the twelve months prior to the interview.33
Consequently, the ACS is less likely to detect increases in eligibility as the economy falters or
decreases in eligibility when the economy improves.
To create a consistent set of national and State WIC eligibility estimates, a top-down approach is
used. Specifically, we compute each State’s share of the total ACS-based eligibility estimate, and then
allocate the national estimates computed from the CPS-ASEC according to those State shares. With
this approach, the accepted methodology for producing national estimates and a consistent time series
of estimates can be maintained.
We calculate State shares for each subgroup, which are applied to the CPS-ASEC national
estimates for each subgroup. This produces estimates by subgroup at the FNS regional level (by
summing the States within each FNS Region) and total WIC eligibility estimates at the State level.
While estimates for subgroups help to build total WIC eligibility variation across the States, they are
not sufficiently reliable to publish individually, as eligibility subgroups are relatively small in many
States. However, starting with this report, State-level estimates are shown for the two aggregate
subgroups “Children” and “Infants and Women”.34
National Eligibility Estimates: 2013
This section presents the 2013 national estimates, first describing the total estimates, including the
estimates for the territories. Then it addresses the results specific to the U.S. mainland, including the
results of the individual steps used to produce the estimates and the characteristics of the WIC-eligible
population. Subsequently, we present the results of the individual steps used to produce the estimates
for the territories. Total WIC eligibility results for 2013 are compared with 2012 eligibility estimates.
Table 4 shows that 14.189 million individuals are estimated to have been eligible for WIC in the
average month of CY 2013 across the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the four
other island territories.35 Of course, this is an estimate and could differ from the true number of
eligibles due to differences between the survey and the full population and due to various
methodological choices. However, we can be 90 percent confident that the true number of eligibles
falls in the range from 13.6 million to 14.7 million.36
33
Respondents provide their income over the 12 months preceding the month they are surveyed; households surveyed
in January 2013 thus provided their 2012 income, households surveyed in July 2013 provided their income from July
2012 through June 2013, and so on.
34
By aggregating subgroups and using 3-year averages, the reliability of the estimates was improved enough for
publication.
35 Table 4 provides unrounded eligibility estimates for consistency with Table 5, which shows the precise impact of each
adjustment.
36
See Table 16 for the statistical information that underlies the computation of this confidence interval.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
13
Table 4: Estimates of the Total Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by
Participant Group, CY 2013
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories
2013
NonEligibles
2,387,223
Eligiblesa
Totalb
1,509,466
3,896,689
Total Children Ages 1-4
Children Age 1
Children Age 2
Children Age 3
Children Age 4
9,052,810
2,285,392
2,280,738
2,224,854
2,261,826
7,133,308
1,780,681
1,720,260
1,845,285
1,787,082
16,186,118
4,066,073
4,000,997
4,070,139
4,048,908
Pregnant Women
1,228,252
Participant Group
Infants
Postpartum Breastfeeding Women
826,003
Postpartum Non-Breastfeeding Women
694,264
All Postpartum Women
Total WIC Eligibles
1,520,267
14,188,552
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC for U.S. estimate, 2013 PRCS and Census International Data Base
for territories
Notes:
a
The non-eligible infants and children represent the difference between the total estimates of
infants and children age 1 to 4 in the total United States and the WIC-eligible infants and
children.
b
The total numbers of infants and children represent the sum of the March 2014 total number of
infants and children adjusted for the under and over count of infants and children in the CPS
relative to Census estimates plus the number of infants and children in Puerto Rico and the
other island territories based on the 2013 PRCS and annual Census Bureau population
estimates.
The overall estimate includes 2.387 million infants (61 percent of all infants in the United States
and territories) and 9.053 million children age 1 through 4 (56 percent of all young children). The
number of children eligible for WIC varies somewhat across each year of age, as does the total number
of children. The estimated average monthly number of pregnant women eligible for WIC, 1.228 million,
is derived directly from the number of eligible infants (adjusted for multiple births and differences in
income and adjunctive eligibility between infants and mothers, and adjusted for a maximum of nine
months of benefits). The average monthly number of WIC-eligible postpartum women is also derived
from the number of eligible infants and the estimates of breastfeeding rates calculated as summarized
in Table 3 above. There were an estimated 0.826 million women eligible as breastfeeding mothers in
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
14
the average month of CY 2013, and an estimated 0.694 million eligible non-breastfeeding postpartum
women.
As described above, the national totals are derived from numerous factors. The results of each step
in the estimation process are presented in Table 5. The estimation process begins by adjusting the
counts of the number of infants and children from the 2014 CPS-ASEC (reflecting income in CY 2013)
to compensate for the difference between CPS-ASEC weighted population counts and Census Bureau
population counts. The total number of infants is adjusted upward from 3.784 to 3.852 million (1.8
percent) while the total number of children is adjusted downward from 16.081 million to 16.001
million (0.5 percent).37 Overall, the population of infants and children through age 4, as measured in the
CPS-ASEC data, is almost unchanged, decreasing by only 0.1 percent.
After the application of the population adjustment factors, the next step is to count the incomeeligible infants and children, by comparing their annual family incomes to 185 percent of a two-year
average of the federal poverty guidelines. For CY 2013, the CPS-ASEC data (with adjusted weights)
include 1.620 million infants and 6.826 million children with annual family income under that level.
Adjunctive eligibility due to enrollment in SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid increases both the infant and
young children eligibility estimate by 29 percent (2.083 million compared with 1.620 million, and 8.813
million compared with 6.826 million, respectively). Medicaid accounted for most of those adjunctively
eligible for WIC in 2013 (0.330 million infants and 1.548 million children age 1 to 4).
The roles of Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF in adjunctive eligibility reflect program eligibility policies
and caseload sizes. More children are enrolled in Medicaid than the other two programs,38 as many
States have expanded eligibility for Medicaid to income levels above 185 percent of poverty, with
some Medicaid income limits for infants and young children at 300 percent of poverty.39 The gross
income limit for SNAP is generally 130 percent of poverty, but it may be higher in States offering
broad-based categorical eligibility40 . Income limits for TANF are much lower, but a few States have
earned income disregard policies that temporarily allow higher incomes.41
37
Note that because the weight adjustments use four years of data, the adjusted weighted figures do not exactly match
Census Bureau population estimates for 2013.
38
In 2013, 28.0 million non-disabled children (age 18 and under) were enrolled in Medicaid in June, 20.9 million children
(under age 18) were enrolled in SNAP sometime during the fiscal year, and 3.0 million children (generally age 18 and
under) received TANF benefits in the average month. Medicaid caseload data are from Kaiser (2014), SNAP caseload
data are from Gray (2014), and TANF caseload data are from Administration for Children and Families (2013).
39 In 2013, for example, 25 States offered either regular Medicaid or CHIP-expansion coverage to infants in families with
incomes above 185 percent of poverty; 15 of these States offered this coverage to children through age 5. There were
eight States with a Medicaid income limit for infants at or above 250 percent of poverty, and six States with a limit at or
above 250 percent of poverty for young children. (See Table 1 in Heberlein, Brooks, Artiga, and Stephens, 2013).
40
See U.S. Department of Agriculture (2012).
41
See Table IV.A.6 in Huber, Kassabian, and Cohen (2014).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
15
Table 5: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by Participant Group, CY 2013
NOTE: Estimates for the territories are added at the bottom of this table. The top portion of this table does not include estimates from the territories.
Children
Age 2
Children
Age 3
Children
Age 4
Total
Children
Age 1 to 4
Infants
Total number of infants/children in the 2014 CPS-ASEC
3,783,867
4,111,128
3,922,860
4,022,959
4,024,346
16,081,293
19,865,160
Number (non-U.S. Territory) after adjustment for CPS
under/over count
3,852,294
4,021,009
3,955,813
4,022,959
4,001,332
16,001,114
19,853,408
Number with annual income <185% FPG
1,619,876
1,737,479
1,734,875
1,676,574
1,676,922
6,825,850
8,445,726
463,270
133,034
486
329,750
487,517
83,224
498
403,794
486,151
83,858
8,022
394,270
488,916
75,880
8,128
404,908
524,936
172,633
7,151
345,152
1,987,520
415,596
23,800
1,548,124
2,450,790
548,630
24,286
1,877,874
Total number income and adjunctively eligible
2,083,146
2,224,996
2,221,026
2,165,490
2,201,858
8,813,370
10,896,516
Number after monthly income adjustment
2,416,450
2,269,496
2,265,446
2,208,800
2,245,895
8,989,637
11,406,087
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for nutritional
risk (infants and children)
2,343,956
2,246,801
2,242,792
2,186,712
2,223,436
8,899,741
11,243,697
Number of additional people adjunctively eligible above 185%
FPGa
Through SNAP
Through TANF
Through Medicaid
Pregnant
Women
Postpartum
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Women
Women
Children
Age 1
Total
Starting point for estimates of women is fully eligible infants
2,343,956
2,343,956
2,343,956
7,031,868
Number after adjustment for length of pregnancy and income
of woman during pregnancy
Number after adjustment for multiple births and infant deaths
1,248,157
1,243,289
2,334,815
2,334,815
1,248,157
5,912,918
811,032
681,681
1,492,713
Number after adjustment for breastfeeding
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for nutritional
risk (pregnant and postpartum women)
CY 2013 - Eligibles in the U.S. Territories
Total Eligibles in the U.S. Territories
1,205,990
811,032
681,681
Postpartum
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Women
Women
2,698,703
Infants
Children
Age 1
Children
Age 2
Children
Age 3
Children
Age 4
Total
Children
Ages 1-4
43,267
38,591
37,946
38,142
38,390
153,069
22,262
14,971
12,583
Total
246,152
2,387,223
2,285,392
2,280,738
2,224,854
2,261,826
9,052,810
1,228,252
826,003
694,264
14,188,552
Pregnant
Women
Source: 2013 PRCS and Census International Data Base
Total Eligibles - States and Territories U.S. Total
See Tables 1 and 3 for adjustment factors applied.
a
Adjunctive eligibility is counted by the first program that qualifies the person for WIC, in this order: SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
16
The next adjustment accounts for intra-year fluctuation in income, intra-year fluctuations in
enrollment in the programs that confer adjunctive eligibility, and the fact that individuals are certified
eligible for six or 12 months. The number of infants who appear eligible based on annual income and
program participation is increased by 16 percent while the number of children increases by 2 percent.
The final adjustment to the number of infants and children reduces the estimates slightly to reflect the
fact that some may meet all other criteria but not be considered at nutritional risk. The estimate is
reduced by three percent for infants and one percent for children as shown in Table 1. Total WIC
eligibility in the U.S. (not including territories) in 2013 is estimated at 2.344 million for infants and
8.900 million for children; with the territories included, 2.387 million infants and 9.053 million children
are estimated to be eligible for WIC.
The estimates for pregnant women begin from the final estimate of 2.344 million WIC-eligible
infants in the U.S. in the average month of CY 2013. As explained above, this figure is adjusted for the
length of pregnancy and the fact that a woman may have higher income during pregnancy than after
birth (the factor is 0.533 as shown in Table 3). The next adjustment (0.9961) compensates for the fact
that the count of infants very slightly overstates the count of pregnant women, and the final
adjustment (0.97) reflects the assumption that 3 percent of otherwise-eligible pregnant women are not
at nutritional risk. The final estimate is 1.206 million women eligible for WIC during pregnancy in the
U.S. (excluding the territories) during the average month of CY 2013.
The estimates for postpartum women—breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding—also begin from the
estimate of 2.344 million WIC-eligible infants in the U.S. As in the estimation process for pregnant
women, this figure is adjusted by 0.9961 to adjust for fetal and infant deaths and multiple births. The
next three adjustments take into account that mothers who receive WIC may not receive it for as many
months as their infants, and that breastfeeding status affects eligibility. The average monthly estimate
of postpartum breastfeeding women eligible for WIC in the U.S. in 2013 is 0.811 million, and the
estimate of postpartum non-breastfeeding women is 0.682 million. (These figures exclude the
territories.)
Characteristics of WIC Eligibles in the U.S.
The CPS-ASEC data allow an examination of the characteristics of the infants and children identified as
eligible for WIC based on annual characteristics in 2013 (Table 6). Focusing first on basic
demographics, the WIC-eligible infants and children are evenly divided between boys and girls, and are
predominantly white (65 percent of infants and 66 percent of children), with most of the remainder
being black (20 percent of infants and 22 percent of children); other WIC-eligible children report
another race or multiple races. Small sample size prevents the “other” category from being subdivided.
Thirty-five percent of the WIC-eligible infants and children are Hispanic (36 percent of infants and 35
percent of children).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
17
Table 6: Estimates of the Average Monthly Percent of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible for
WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics, CY
2013
Table 6: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the
2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics, CY 2013
Fully adjusted weightsa
WIC-Eligible Infants
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1 to 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 0 to 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
eligible c
Total
FPGb
eligible c
Total
FPGb
1,822,685
521,272
2,343,957
6,892,743
2,006,998
8,899,741
8,715,427
Gender (% distribution)
Male
Female
51.0
49.0
38.0
62.0
48.1
51.9
50.6
49.4
52.9
47.1
51.1
48.9
50.7
49.3
49.8
50.2
50.5
49.5
Race (% distribution)
White
Black
Other
63.4
22.1
14.5
70.6
12.3
17.1
65.0
19.9
15.1
65.2
22.8
11.9
69.1
17.0
13.9
66.1
21.5
12.4
64.8
22.7
12.5
69.4
16.0
14.6
65.9
21.2
12.9
Ethnicity (% distribution)
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
37.4
62.6
31.3
68.7
36.0
64.0
36.7
63.3
30.6
69.4
35.3
64.7
36.8
63.2
30.7
69.3
35.4
64.6
Living arrangement (% distribution)
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
60.8
34.0
5.1
2.3
2.8
73.9
23.6
2.4
2.4
0.0
63.7
31.7
4.5
2.3
2.2
55.1
39.8
5.0
3.2
1.8
67.1
26.2
6.7
6.7
0.0
57.8
36.7
5.4
4.0
1.4
56.3
38.6
5.1
3.0
2.1
68.5
25.7
5.8
5.8
0.0
59.1
35.7
5.2
3.6
1.6
Number of people in household (% distribution)
2
3
4
5
6 or more
5.3
24.1
24.4
21.1
25.1
1.6
26.5
26.9
21.6
23.4
4.5
24.6
24.9
21.2
24.7
5.7
18.4
29.8
23.0
23.2
4.0
25.5
29.2
20.5
20.8
5.3
20.0
29.6
22.4
22.6
5.6
19.6
28.6
22.6
23.6
3.5
25.7
28.7
20.7
21.3
5.1
21.0
28.7
22.2
23.1
Number with working parent(s) (% distribution)
53.4
85.9
60.6
66.0
86.9
70.7
63.4
86.7
68.6
Annual family income relative to povertyb (% distribution)
Less than 50% FPL
30.8
50% to <100% FPL
27.3
100% to <130% FPL
17.2
130% to <185% FPL
23.9
185% to <200% FPL
0.8
200% to <250% FPL
0.0
250% FPL and above
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.4
14.7
21.6
62.3
23.9
21.3
13.3
18.9
3.9
4.8
13.9
26.9
26.7
17.2
28.5
0.5
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.2
9.0
27.8
61.0
20.8
20.7
13.3
22.6
2.4
6.4
13.7
27.7
26.9
17.2
27.6
0.6
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.1
10.2
26.5
61.2
21.5
20.8
13.3
21.8
2.7
6.0
13.8
Benefit receipt (% distribution)
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
0.0
2.1
0.0
20.1
0.1
6.5
0.0
71.2
15.1
6.4
0.0
36.1
0.3
6.0
0.0
36.1
23.4
6.8
0.0
38.2
0.4
4.6
0.0
26.5
0.0
1.4
0.0
15.8
1.2
3.8
0.0
77.9
18.1
5.6
0.0
33.1
0.6
4.4
0.0
38.1
22.6
7.0
0.0
38.7
0.4
4.9
0.0
26.4
0.0
1.5
0.0
16.7
1.0
4.3
0.0
76.5
17.5
5.8
0.0
33.8
0.5
4.8
0.0
37.7
Demographic Characteristics
Total
19.4
7.6
0.0
40.6
0.4
5.9
0.0
26.1
eligible c
Total
2,528,270 11,243,698
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
Notes:
FPG - Federal Poverty Guidelines
FPL - Federal Poverty Level
a
These estimates are tabulated from the fully adjusted person weights on the 2014 CPS-ASEC. They are adjusted to account for the under or over count of infants and children in
the CPS relative to Census estimates, monthly income, and nutritional risk. See Appendix TablesA.3a/b and A.6 for the adjustment factors.
b
This table uses both the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) and the Federal Poverty Thresholds or "Levels" (FPL). The thresholds are used to calculate the ratio of annual family
income to the poverty threshold for their family size. The guidelines are used in determining WIC eligibility.
c
Infants and children adjunctively eligible are those whose family income was not below 185% FPG but who reported receipt of SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF. Therefore, the two
categories are mutually exclusive.
d
This table does not include territories.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
18
Turning to the family characteristics of the eligible infants and children, most live in two-parent
families (64 percent of infants and 58 percent of children). Most of the remainder live in single-parent
families (32 percent of infants and 37 percent of children), and a small portion live with a non-parent
caretaker (5 percent overall). Large households are relatively common, with nearly one quarter of
WIC-eligible infants and children living in households with six or more persons. Most WIC-eligible
infants and children live with working parents (61 percent of infants and 71 percent of children).
Among infants and children who are estimated to be eligible based on annual income, 55 percent live in
families with annual incomes below the poverty threshold.42
The table also provides some insight into the characteristics of infants and children who become
eligible through adjunctive eligibility compared with those who are eligible based on income. The
infants and children who are eligible due only to adjunctive eligibility are more likely to have two
parents (69 percent of adjunctively-eligible infants and children compared with 56 percent of those
who are income-eligible) and more likely to have working parents (87 percent vs. 63 percent).
Among the infants and children who are only eligible through adjunctive eligibility rules, 12
percent are in families with income under 200 percent of the poverty threshold, 27 percent have
income from 200 to under 250 percent of the poverty threshold, and 61 percent live in families that
have annual income of 250 percent of the poverty threshold and higher. 43 There are various reasons
for the relatively-high annual income levels among adjunctively-eligible infants and children. One
reason is that the Medicaid income limit for infants and children is as high as 300 percent of poverty in
some States.44 Another reason is that many lower-income families experience changes in income
during a year, so a family could have enrolled in TANF, SNAP, or Medicaid at a point of lower income,
even if annual income is somewhat higher. Further, the programs that confer adjunctive eligibility all
use various types of income disregards, and they do not necessarily count the income of all members of
the family as defined by the WIC program. For example, when a child’s caretaker is his or her
grandparent, the grandparent’s income is typically not a factor in the child’s eligibility for Medicaid.
Territories
We computed the number of infants and children (age 1 to 4) residing in Puerto Rico from the 2013
PRCS and adjusted the number for the 2013 Census under/over count (Table 7). Using the adjusted
population counts, 83 percent of infants (31,935) as well as 82 percent of children (131,369) were
eligible for WIC based on having annual income under 185 percent of the poverty guideline—higher
than the percentages of infants and children in the fifty States and the District of Columbia who appear
eligible based on annual income. Factoring in adjunctive eligibility increased these eligibility estimates
by six percent for infants (1,853) and by four percent for children (5,304). Given the high proportions of
42
The table shows family income relative to the poverty threshold, the measure used for the Census Bureau’s
tabulations of poverty status for research purposes (as opposed to the poverty guidelines, used for program
administrative purposes).
43
Note that while 22.5 percent of all WIC-eligible infants and children have incomes above 185 percent of the poverty
threshold, among actual WIC participants this percentage is much lower (1.3 percent in 2012 according to USDA, 2012,
p 43).
44
See Heberlein et al. (2013).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
19
infants and children who are income-eligible, it is reasonable that adjunctive eligibility due to program
enrollment matters less in Puerto Rico than in the fifty States and the District of Columbia.
As with the national estimates, the annual-to-monthly adjustment factors are applied to the direct
estimates from the 2013 PRCS to take into account the impact of certification periods and changes
during a year in income and program participation. Since a high proportion of infants and children are
income-eligible in Puerto Rico, it is possible that the true factors should be lower. However, in the
absence of other data, the SIPP-based annual-to-monthly factors are applied to derive the Puerto Rico
eligibility estimates. The nutritional risk adjustment factors of 0.97 for infants and 0.99 for children
also are applied. The final average monthly eligibility estimates for Puerto Rico are 37,997 infants (99
percent of the total adjusted infant population) and 135,306 children age 1 to 4 (84 percent of the total
adjusted population). Note that these eligibility rates are considerably higher than those of the
mainland U.S. (61 percent for infants and 56 percent for children).
For infants and children residing in other island territories (American Samoa, Guam, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the only data available
are annual population estimates for single year of age (from the Census Bureau’s International
Database) and the percent of infants and children who are income eligible (from the 2010 decennial
Census data). Our methods therefore use the 2013 population estimates, but assume that the
percentage of the population that is income eligible for WIC is the same as in the 2010 decennial
Census (67.4 percent). While this percentage represents the most recently available evidence on
income eligibility in the other island territories, it does not account for adjunctive eligibility. To
estimate the additional number of infants and children who would gain eligibility through participation
in other safety net programs, we examined the relationship between adjunctive eligibility and income
eligibility in Puerto Rico and the mainland in 2013. That information implies roughly an increase of 14
percent in the number of WIC-eligible infants, and an increase of 11 percent in the number of WICeligible children, due to adjunctive eligibility. These procedures result in an estimate of 86 percent of
infants and 74 percent of children eligible for WIC in the other island territories due to annual income
or program participation.
As with the estimates for Puerto Rico, the final steps in the estimation of WIC-eligible infants and
children in the other island territories are to apply the annual-to-monthly adjustment factors and the
nutritional risk adjustment factors. The final eligibility estimates suggest that in the other island
territories combined, the average monthly number of eligible infants is 5,270 (86 percent of total
infants), and the average monthly number of eligible children is 17,763 (74 percent of total children).
As described earlier, estimates for pregnant and postpartum women in Puerto Rico and the other
island territories are determined using a method that parallels that used for the estimates for the fifty
States and the District of Columbia. The estimates begin with the number of fully eligible infants in the
territories (43,267, including Puerto Rico and the other island territories). After adjustments for length
of pregnancy, income during pregnancy, and multiple births, we estimate that in 2013 across the
territories there were 22,262 WIC-eligible pregnant women, 14,971 WIC-eligible postpartum
breastfeeding women, and 12,583 WIC-eligible non-breastfeeding women (Table 7).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
20
Table 7: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC in Puerto Rico and the Other Island
Territories by Participant Group, CY 2013
Children
Age 1
Children
Age 2
Children
Age 3
Children
Age 4
Total
Children
Ages 1-4
36,071
38,028
43,303
46,369
163,771
199,351
Pregnant
Women
Postpartum
Breastfeeding
Women
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Women
Total
Puerto Rico
Total number of infants/children in the 2013 PRCS
Infants
35,580
Number after adjustment for PRCS under/over count
38,288
38,994
39,180
41,225
41,658
161,057
199,345
Number with annual income <185% FPG
31,935
33,301
32,696
32,361
33,011
131,369
163,304
Number of additional people adjunctively eligible above
185% FPGa
Through SNAP
Through TANF
Through Medicaid
1,835
1,208
0
626
1,132
130
0
1,002
1,134
449
36
649
1,705
620
0
1,085
1,332
520
0
812
5,304
1,719
36
3,549
7,138
2,927
36
4,175
Total number income and adjunctively eligible
33,769
34,433
33,831
34,066
34,343
136,673
170,442
Number after monthly income adjustment
39,173
34,433
33,831
34,066
34,343
136,673
175,845
33,758
33,167
33,398
33,670
133,993
34,089
33,492
33,725
34,000
135,306
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (infants and children)
37,997
173,304
Starting point for estimates of women is fully eligible
infants
37,997
Number after adjustment for length of pregnancy and
income of woman during pregnancy
20,234
Number after adjustment for multiple births and infant
deaths
20,155
Number after adjustment for breastfeeding
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (pregnant and postpartum women)
19,550
37,997
37,997
113,992
20,234
37,849
37,849
95,853
13,147
11,051
24,198
13,147
11,051
43,748
Continued on next page
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
21
Table 7: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC in Puerto Rico and the Other Island
Territories by Participant Group, CY 2013 (continued)
Other Island Territories
Total number of infants/children in the Other Island
Territories Age 0-4
Infants
Children
Age 1
Children
Age 2
Children
Age 3
Children
Age 4
Total
Children
Ages 1-4
Pregnant
Women
Postpartum
Breastfeeding
Women
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Women
Total
6,107
6,070
6,004
5,955
5,918
23,947
30,054
Number after the other islands full-eligibility factor
4,684
4,548
4,499
4,462
4,434
17,942
22,626
Number after monthly income adjustment
5,433
4,548
4,499
4,462
4,434
17,942
23,376
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (infants and children)
5,270
4,503
4,454
4,417
4,390
17,763
23,033
Starting point for estimates of women is fully eligible
infants
5,270
Number after adjustment for length of pregnancy and
income of woman during pregnancy
2,806
Number after adjustment for multiple births and infant
deaths
2,795
Total Eligibles - U.S. Territories Total
43,267
38,591
37,946
38,142
38,390
153,069
5,270
15,810
2,806
5,250
5,250
13,294
1,824
1,533
3,356
2,712
1,824
1,533
6,068
22,262
14,971
12,583
246,152
Number after adjustment for breastfeeding
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (pregnant and postpartum women)
5,270
See Tables 1 and 3 for adjustment factors applied.
a
Adjunctive eligibility is counted by the first program that qualifies the person for WIC, in this order: SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid.
Notes:
FPG = Federal poverty guidelines
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
22
Comparing 2013 to 2012
Overall, the number of people estimated as eligible for WIC in 2013 is 1.0 percent higher than the
number estimated as eligible in 2012 (Table 8). Estimated eligibility increased for children and
decreased for the other subgroups. However, from a statistical standpoint, we cannot rule out the
possibility that these changes are all due solely to sampling variability in the CPS-ASEC survey data.45
Changes in the size of the eligible population occur as the net result of two other changes –
changes in total population size and change in the eligibility rate (i.e. the percentage of the total
population estimated to be eligible). Table 8 displays the percentage changes in population size,
estimated eligibility, and the eligibility rate (rather than percentage point changes) to aid in
decomposing the changes in the eligibility estimates. For each subgroup, the percentage change in
total eligibles is equal to the starting-point number of eligibles (in 2012), increased (or decreased) by
the percentage change in total population, and increased (or decreased) again by the percentage
change in the eligibility rate. Thus, for each change in eligibility, the relative contributions of the
population change and the eligibility rate change can be easily observed.
In the case of infants, from 2012 to 2013, the total population of infants as defined by these
procedures decreased by 1.1 percent and the eligibility rate declined by 0.2 percent, leading to a 1.4
percent drop in the estimate of WIC-eligible infants.46 The stability in the eligibility rate may be due to
a combination of factors working in different directions. In particular, the unemployment rate fell
slightly from 8.1 percent in 2012 to 7.4 percent in 2013,47 which would tend to decrease eligibility; but
there was increased enrollment in programs that led to somewhat more infants being adjunctively
eligible.48
For children, the results worked out differently. The total population was almost unchanged, but
the estimated eligibility rate increased by 2.6 percent, leading to a 2.6 percent increase in the eligibility
estimate. Most of the increase in the children’s eligibility rate came from a policy change: the fact that
many States have moved from 6-month to 12-month certification. As discussed earlier, we are
capturing the increased implementation of 12-month certification through an increase in the annualto-monthly adjustment factor for children (from 1.0 in the 2012 estimates to a national level of 1.02 for
the 2013 estimates). In the absence of that change, we would have estimated an increase of 0.6
percent in children’s eligibility from 2012 to 2013.
45
When tested at a 90 percent level of confidence, the changes are not statistically significant. In other words, we
cannot be 90 percent certain that the changes in eligibility for infants, children, and women are true changes, rather
than being due to sampling variability in the surveys.
46 The Census Bureau’s most recent postcensal population estimates for March 2014 vs. March 2013 show somewhat
different changes in the infant and child populations than shown in Table 8— a 0.01 percent increase in the infant
population and a 0.26 percent decline in the population of young children. These percentages differ from those used in
this analysis since the population estimates used for this analysis are not tied solely to the annual Census population
estimates.
47
See the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, http://data.bls.gov, series ID LNU04000000.
48
For example, the average SNAP caseload increased from 46.6 million in 2012 to 47.6 million in 2013. See the Food
and Nutrition Service website, http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap,
“Participation and Costs, 1969-2013.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
23
Among women, the estimated changes varied across pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and
non-breastfeeding postpartum women. The 1.4 percent decrease in the eligibility estimate for
pregnant women follows the decrease among infants since this estimate begins with the number of
eligible infants and does not use any year-specific adjustments. For postpartum women, the eligibility
estimate also begins with the infant eligibility estimate, but changes in these estimates are closely
related to changes in the assumptions about breastfeeding—how many WIC-eligible mothers begin to
breastfeed and how long they continue. According to the IFS survey (Figure 1), the in-hospital
breastfeeding rate for WIC mothers increased from 61 percent in 2012 to 64 percent in 2013, but the
percentage of WIC mothers breastfeeding at six months decreased from 31 percent in 2012 to 29
percent in 2013. Since more women are breastfeeding in the first six months (when they would be
potentially eligible for WIC regardless of breastfeeding), fewer are counted as non-breastfeeding
mothers, and the estimated eligibility for that group falls by 4.1 percent. The combined effects of more
women starting to breastfeed, but stopping sooner, leads to an estimated 1.6 percent reduction in WIC
eligibility for breastfeeding postpartum women. Considering both the breastfeeding and nonbreastfeeding women in combination, estimated eligibility for all postpartum women is estimated to be
2.8 percent lower than in 2012.
It is worth noting in Figure 1 that the WIC administrative data show more modest changes in
breastfeeding than shown in the IFS data. According to the administrative data, while the portion of
WIC-recipient mothers who receive a breastfeeding package has trended upwards (from 43 percent in
2000 to 50 percent in 2013), the year-to-year changes have been gradual and generally in the same
direction. On the other hand, the IFS data show more year-to-year variation in both the magnitude and
direction of the changes. 49 Given the importance of the breastfeeding rates to the eligibility estimates
for postpartum mothers, more analysis of these data is warranted.
49
The National Immunization Survey (NIS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, shows somewhat different
breastfeeding information. For example, the IFS statistic that 42.8 percent of all mothers breastfed at six months in
2013 is lower than the six-month breastfeeding rate of 49.4 percent for 2011 from the NIS, (See the National
Immunization Survey webpage, “Rates of Any and Exclusive Breastfeeding by Socio-demographics Among Children
Born in 2011,” http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/nis_data/rates-any-exclusive-bf-socio-dem-2011.htm.) Also,
the NIS shows a different trend; for example, for all mothers, there are no year-to-year declines in the six-month rate
over the period from 2000 to their (provisional) 2010 data.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
24
Table 8: Estimates of the Total Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by Participant Group: A Comparison of CY 2012
and 2013
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories.
Total
Total Eligibles
Eligibility Rate
2013
2012
Percent
Change
2013
2012
Percent
Change
Infants
3,896,689
3,941,665
-1.1%
2,387,223
2,420,597
-1.4%
61.3
61.4
Total Children Ages 1-4
Children Age 1
Children Age 2
Children Age 3
Children Age 4
16,186,118 16,183,647
4,066,073
4,009,860
4,000,997
4,045,462
4,070,139
4,046,536
4,048,908
4,081,789
0.0%
1.4%
-1.1%
0.6%
-0.8%
9,053,165
2,285,482
2,280,827
2,224,943
2,261,914
8,823,888
2,185,171
2,196,651
2,232,286
2,209,780
2.6%
4.6%
3.8%
-0.3%
2.4%
55.9
56.2
57.0
54.7
55.9
54.5
54.5
54.3
55.2
54.1
Pregnant Women
1,228,252
1,245,423
All Postpartum Women
Breastfeeding Women
Non-Breastfeeding Women
1,520,267
826,003
694,264
Total WIC Eligibles
14,188,907
Participant Group
2012
Percent
Change
-0.2%
84.4
85.1
-0.8%
2.6%
3.1%
5.0%
-0.9%
3.2%
49.8
68.8
50.0
47.3
32.9
53.4
75.2
54.3
49.3
35.2
-6.8%
-8.6%
-7.9%
-4.1%
-6.6%
-1.4%
68.4
70.9
-3.6%
1,563,454
839,736
723,718
-2.8%
-1.6%
-4.1%
77.8
71.9
84.9
77.0
70.4
84.6
1.1%
2.0%
0.4%
14,053,362
1.0%
60.2
63.1
-4.5%
2012
Percent
Change
Coverage Rate
2013
2013
Sources: Eligibility estimates use information from the March 2013 and March 2014 CPS; 2004 and 2008 SIPP panels; 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006 NHANES; and 2012 and
2013 IFS. Coverage rates use data on WIC participants from WIC administrative data; participant data by exact year of age for young children is estimated using enrollment data from
Johnson et al. (2013), Figure E.1.
Note: Changes in the number of eligibles between 2012 and 2013 are not statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level; all changes could be due solely to sampling variability in
the survey.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
25
Figure 1: Breastfeeding Rates over Time
Breastfeeding Rates Over Time
80
Pct of postpartum
women receiving WIC
who receive a
breastfeeding package
70
60
Pct of postpartum
women simulated as
eligible for WIC who are
breastfeeding
50
WIC BF rate, in-hosp (IFS)
40
WIC BF rate, 6-mo (IFS)
30
All BF rate, in-hosp (IFS)
20
All BF rate, 6-mo (IFS)
10
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
26
Regional and State Estimates of WIC Eligibility: 2013
As explained above, the large sample size of the ACS allows WIC eligibility to be estimated for each
State and the District of Columbia. Eligibility varies across the country due to variations in total
population, demographic characteristics, income levels, and State policy choices. This section first
examines the distribution of WIC eligibility across regions and States and then presents the regionallevel eligibility rates—the percentages of women, infants and children who are estimated to meet
program eligibility requirements. As mentioned above in the context of the national estimates, all the
WIC eligibility estimates are affected by sampling variability; measures of precision of the State and
regional eligibility estimates are provided in the section following this one.
Distribution of WIC Eligibles
The estimated distribution of WIC eligibility by FNS region (Table 9) shows the greatest portions of
WIC eligibles in the Southeast and Western regions (with 21 percent of all WIC eligibles, each), while
the Northeast and Mountain Plains regions have the fewest WIC-eligible individuals (about nine
percent and seven percent, respectively). The distribution of estimated eligibility across regions is
approximately the same for each subgroup of WIC-eligible individuals. By State (Table 10), California
has the largest share of WIC eligibles, with an estimated 13 percent of all WIC-eligible individuals.
Other States with large shares of total WIC eligibility are Texas (11 percent), Florida (6 percent), and
New York (6 percent).
Table 9: Distribution of WIC Eligibles by FNS Region for each Participant Group, CY 2013
Infants
Distribution of Eligibles
Northeast
8.8%
Mid-Atlantic
11.6%
Southeast
21.1%
Midwest
14.7%
Southwest
15.8%
Mountain Plains
7.5%
Western
20.5%
Total
100.0%
Children
(age 1 to 4)
Pregnant
Women
All Postpartum
Women
Total
8.9%
11.3%
21.3%
14.7%
15.7%
7.4%
20.7%
100.0%
8.8%
11.6%
21.1%
14.7%
15.8%
7.5%
20.5%
100.0%
9.3%
11.4%
20.5%
14.2%
15.1%
7.4%
22.2%
100.0%
8.9%
11.4%
21.1%
14.7%
15.7%
7.4%
20.8%
100.0%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
27
Table 10: Distribution of WIC Eligibility by State and FNS Region, CY 2013
Percent Share
of National WIC
Eligibles
State a
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
1.6%
0.2%
2.2%
1.1%
13.0%
1.4%
0.8%
0.3%
0.2%
6.2%
3.7%
0.4%
0.6%
3.7%
2.1%
0.9%
0.9%
1.4%
1.7%
0.3%
1.5%
1.4%
2.9%
1.2%
1.2%
1.8%
0.3%
0.6%
0.8%
0.3%
2.1%
0.9%
Percent Share of
National WIC
Eligibles
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
5.7%
3.3%
0.2%
3.3%
1.5%
1.2%
3.2%
1.5%
0.3%
1.6%
0.3%
2.2%
10.5%
1.0%
0.2%
2.0%
2.1%
0.6%
1.4%
0.2%
FNS Regionb
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
8.9%
11.4%
21.1%
14.7%
15.7%
7.4%
20.8%
Total
100.0%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base
Notes:
a
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal
Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are
included in regional totals but not shown separately due to small sample constraints.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
28
WIC Eligibility Rates across States and Regions
A State’s or region’s share of total WIC eligibles is due in large part to that State’s or region’s share of
total population. (California has the largest population and, not surprisingly, has the most WIC
eligibles.) However, States and regions do show some variation in their WIC eligibility rates—the
portions of the population of women, infants, and children who appear to meet other eligibility
requirements – that is unrelated to the State or region’s share of total population. As shown earlier,
the national-level analysis suggests that 61.3 percent of infants and 55.9 percent of young children
were eligible for WIC in the average month of 2013. However, at the regional level, the percentage of
infants who appear eligible for WIC varies from 54.6 percent in the Mountain-Plains to 68.9 percent
in the Southwest; and the percentage of children who appear eligible for WIC varies from 48.6
percent in the Mountain Plans to 62.5 percent in the Southeast (Table 11).
Table 11: WIC Eligibles by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2012 and CY 2013
Infants
Children
(age 1 to 4)
Pregnant
Women
All Postpartum
Women
Total
Eligibility Rate, 2013
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
55.0%
55.9%
68.1%
57.5%
68.9%
54.6%
61.5%
61.3%
52.0%
50.1%
62.5%
52.0%
62.0%
48.6%
57.1%
55.9%
37.9%
38.5%
46.9%
39.6%
47.5%
37.6%
42.4%
42.2%
37.0%
35.2%
42.3%
35.5%
41.9%
34.4%
42.7%
39.2%
48.7%
47.5%
58.7%
49.1%
58.6%
46.3%
54.1%
52.8%
Eligibility Rate, 2012
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
53.8%
55.8%
69.5%
58.8%
67.7%
54.4%
61.4%
61.4%
50.1%
49.2%
60.3%
51.0%
60.9%
48.8%
55.2%
54.5%
37.0%
38.5%
47.8%
40.5%
46.7%
37.5%
42.3%
42.3%
34.6%
35.3%
42.9%
38.6%
42.9%
35.1%
43.0%
39.8%
46.9%
47.0%
57.7%
49.2%
57.7%
46.4%
52.9%
52.1%
2.4%
0.1%
-1.9%
-2.2%
1.7%
0.5%
0.2%
-0.2%
7.2%
-0.2%
-1.4%
-8.2%
-2.4%
-1.8%
-0.6%
-1.6%
3.8%
1.1%
1.7%
-0.2%
1.5%
-0.3%
2.2%
1.4%
Percent Change in Eligibility Rate, 2013 vs 2012
Northeast
2.4%
3.7%
Mid-Atlantic
0.1%
1.8%
Southeast
-1.9%
3.6%
Midwest
-2.2%
2.1%
Southwest
1.7%
1.9%
Mountain Plains
0.5%
-0.4%
Western
0.2%
3.4%
Total
-0.2%
2.6%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
29
WIC eligibility rates for infants and pregnant women appeared to increase between 2012 and
2013 in most of the regions, but decreased slightly overall. The degree of change varied across the
regions. For infants, while the national WIC eligibility rate decreased by 0.2 percent between 2012
and 2013, the regional changes ranged from a 2.4 percent increase in the Northeast to a reduction of
2.2 percent in the Midwest. The regional pattern of change in the eligibility rates for pregnant women
follows that for infants, although the eligibility rates themselves are smaller for pregnant women than
for infants. For postpartum women, the eligibility rate decreased overall by 1.6 percent. At the
regional level, the eligibility rate decreased 8.0 percent in the Midwest, while rising 7.0 percent in the
Northeast. The eligibility rate for children rose by 2.6 percent, increasing in all but one of the regions –
the rate decreased by 0.4 percent in the Mountain Plains. Among the other regions, the increase in
the children’s eligibility rate ranged from 1.9 percent in the Southwest to 3.7 percent in the Northeast.
Changes in the children’s eligibility rate between the two years were likely due in part to the extent to
which States in each region have adopted 12-month certification.
WIC Coverage Rates
The WIC eligibility estimates at the national, regional, and State levels can be compared with program
administrative data to estimate program coverage rates—defined as the number of individuals
participating50 in the WIC program divided by the number eligible (these are alternately referred to as
participation rates). For the first time in this series, State eligibility estimates are provided separately
for children and for the combined group of infants and women.
WIC Coverage Rates in 2013
At the national level, the WIC coverage rate for 2013 is estimated at 60.2 percent overall (Table 12),
with the highest rate for infants (84.4 percent of eligible infants appear to be enrolled in the program),
and the lowest for children (49.8 percent). Among eligible women, postpartum women appear to have
a higher coverage rate than pregnant women, with 77.8 percent of eligible postpartum women
enrolled compared with 68.4 percent of eligible pregnant women.
The 2013 WIC coverage rate appears to vary somewhat by region (Table 12 and Figure 2).
Considering all WIC-eligible individuals combined, the overall WIC coverage rate is lowest in the
Mountain Plains region, at 51.1 percent and highest in the Western region, at 70.4 percent. Some
regions, while having an overall coverage rate similar to the national rate, have rates in some
subgroups that are noticeably higher or lower than the national rate (Figures 3 through 6 map the
coverage rates by region for infants, children, pregnant women, and postpartum women,
50
Although the terms “enrolled in WIC” and “participating in WIC” are often used interchangeably, there is a
difference in what is measured. WIC participants are people on WIC who are receiving a food package (or are fully
breastfeeding infants) in a given time period. This is usually the way that administrative data on WIC participation is
presented, and this is the number used in this report to estimate coverage rates. On the other hand, WIC enrollees
includes all WIC participants (i.e. those actively participating in WIC), as well as others who are enrolled in WIC but
who are not currently participating (e.g. persons who did not pick up their vouchers for this month).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
30
respectively). For example, the Northeast and Southwest have overall coverage rates similar to the
national rate, but in the Southwest the rate for postpartum women is about 12 percentage points
higher than the national rate, while in the Northeast the rate for pregnant women is about 4
percentage points lower than the national rate. However, as mentioned above, all the WIC eligibility
estimates are affected by sampling variability. Thus, the actual coverage rates could be somewhat
higher or lower than shown.
Table 12: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2013
Infants
Children
(age 1 to 4)
Pregnant
Women
All Post-Partum
Women
Total
Eligibles
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
210,923
276,013
503,271
351,021
378,331
179,453
488,212
2,387,223
808,968
1,021,273
1,925,207
1,333,563
1,424,024
666,546
1,873,229
9,052,810
108,522
142,011
258,938
180,604
194,655
92,330
251,190
1,228,252
141,387
173,013
311,182
215,695
229,032
112,709
337,249
1,520,267
1,269,800
1,612,309
2,998,599
2,080,883
2,226,042
1,051,038
2,949,881
14,188,552
Participants
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
173,775
232,644
416,379
298,936
330,185
132,199
431,612
2,015,732
409,956
532,768
837,528
608,755
667,504
275,326
1,176,399
4,508,236
69,790
93,724
170,842
122,818
139,820
52,530
190,296
839,820
105,054
130,573
232,012
153,120
206,933
77,455
278,082
1,183,228
758,576
989,709
1,656,761
1,183,628
1,344,443
537,510
2,076,389
8,547,016
Coverage Rates
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
82.4%
84.3%
82.7%
85.2%
87.3%
73.7%
88.4%
84.4%
50.7%
52.2%
43.5%
45.6%
46.9%
41.3%
62.8%
49.8%
64.3%
66.0%
66.0%
68.0%
71.8%
56.9%
75.8%
68.4%
74.3%
75.5%
74.6%
71.0%
90.4%
68.7%
82.5%
77.8%
59.7%
61.4%
55.3%
56.9%
60.4%
51.1%
70.4%
60.2%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
31
Figure 2: WIC Coverage Rate for All Participants by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 60.2%
Northeast
59.7%
Mountain Plains
51.1%
Western
70.4%
Midwest
56.9%
Southwest
60.4%
Mid-Atlantic
61.4%
Southeast
55.3%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
32
Figure 3: WIC Coverage Rate for Infants by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 84.4%
Northeast
82.4%
Mountain Plains
73.7%
Western
88.4%
Midwest
85.2%
Southwest
87.3%
Mid-Atlantic
84.3%
Southeast
82.7%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
33
Figure 4: WIC Coverage Rate for Children (Ages 1-4) by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 49.8%
Northeast
50.7%
Mountain Plains
41.3%
Western
62.8%
Midwest
45.6%
Southwest
46.9%
Mid-Atlantic
52.2%
Southeast
43.5%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
34
Figure 5: WIC Coverage Rate for Pregnant Women by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 68.4%
Northeast
64.3%
Mountain Plains
56.9%
Western
75.8%
Midwest
68.0%
Southwest
71.8%
Mid-Atlantic
66.0%
Southeast
66.0%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
35
Figure 6: WIC Coverage Rate for All Postpartum Women by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 77.8%
Northeast
74.3%
Mountain Plains
68.7%
Western
82.5%
Midwest
71.0%
Southwest
90.4%
Mid-Atlantic
75.5%
Southeast
74.6%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
36
Coverage rates can also be calculated by State. The precision of the State estimates is considerably
lower than for the national estimates, so that must be kept in mind in interpreting the estimates,
particularly for smaller States. (Later in this report we show the level of imprecision in the State
eligibility estimates due to sampling variability.)
With that caveat in mind, coverage rate estimates for 2013 show substantial variation between
States (Table 13 and Figure 7).51 In 2013, the State coverage rates range from 42 percent in New
Hampshire and Montana to 76 percent in California (and 85 percent in Puerto Rico). Among very-large
States other than California, the estimated overall WIC coverage rate is 54 percent in Florida (below
the national average) and 63 percent in both New York and Texas (slightly above the national average).
It is also useful to consider the State-level coverage rate for two subgroups—all young children and
the combined group of infants and women. To increase the reliability of State-level coverage rates for
these two subgroups, rather than using just a single year’s (2013) estimates of the numbers of
participants and eligibles, we compute the coverage rates using the average numbers of participants
and eligibles across three years—2011, 2012, and 2013—so the results are not precisely comparable to
those based on only 2013 data.52 Focusing first on children (Table 13a and Figure 7a), the estimated
coverage rates vary from a low of 36 percent in New Hampshire and 38 percent in Montana and Utah
to 74 percent in California and 81 percent in Puerto Rico. (The national rate when using three-yearaverages is 52.2 percent, slightly above the national rate of 49.8 percent for young children when using
only 2013 data for both participation and eligibility.) For infants and women (Table 13b and Figure 7b),
the coverage rates vary from 54 percent in Montana to 92 percent in Vermont. (The national rate
when using three-year-averages is 78.6 percent.)
The results show that some States have higher-than-average coverage rates for both subgroups.
For example, California’s coverage rates are 74 percent for children and 91 percent for the combined
group of infants and women, both above the national averages. Conversely, some States have belowaverage rates for both groups. For example, Illinois’s coverage rates using three-year-averages are 41
percent for children and 72 percent for the combined group of infants and women. Others show mixed
results. For example, Texas has a coverage rate of 52 percent for children (very close to the national
average), but covers an above-average 84 percent of infants and women.
WIC Coverage Rate Changes from 2012 to 2013
The overall national coverage rate of 60.2 percent is 4.5 percent lower than the 63.1 percent rate
estimated for 2012 (Table 14). The change is due to the combined impact of the 1 percent estimated
increase in eligibility (Table 8) and a 3.6 percent decline in WIC participation—from 8.862 million in
2012 (not shown in a table) to 8.547 million average monthly participants in 2013. WIC participation
has been declining somewhat since 2010 (with annual drops of one or two percent); however, our
eligibility estimates declined by slightly larger percentages, so the overall estimated coverage rates
51
Table B.2 in the Appendix shows the same information as Table 13, but the States are categorized by region rather
than alphabetically.
52
Specifically, the coverage rates for the subgroups within States are computed as (the average of average monthly
participation over the three years 2011, 2012, and 2013) divided by (the average of the average monthly eligibility
estimates over the three years 2011, 2012, and 2013).
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
37
increased in each year since 2010. However, this year, the participation change is larger, and
estimated eligibility increased slightly.
The largest change in the estimated coverage rate was for children. The number of children
participating in WIC fell by 4.4 percent while our estimated eligibility figure increased by 2.6 percent.
The estimated coverage rate also fell for pregnant women (by 3.6 percent) and for infants (by 0.8
percent). The estimated coverage rate increased slightly for postpartum women, due to the
combination of a 1.7 percent drop in participation and a 2.8 percent drop in eligibility.
At the regional level, coverage rates show somewhat larger changes from 2012 (Table 14 and
Figure 8), ranging from an 8.7 percent increase in the Midwest for postpartum women to a 9.4 percent
decrease in the Northeast among pregnant women.
WIC Coverage Rates Since 2000
Considering all WIC subgroups together, the coverage rates in the Western region have been
consistently higher than in any other region across the entire period from 2000 to 2013, while the
coverage rates in the Mountain Plains have generally been lower than in other regions (Figure 8).53
This year, all regions showed a decrease in coverage rates – the only time this has happened in the
2000-2013 time period. The regional-level coverage rates for infants across the decade (Figure 9)
show a spike in the rate in 2002; this is due to a drop in the national-level infant eligibility estimate for
that year (2.2 million for 2002, relative to 2.5 million in both 2001 and 2003). Coverage rates across
time by region are shown for children in Figure 10, for pregnant women in Figure 11, and for
postpartum women in Figure 12.
Note that while this analysis can point to cross-State and cross-region variations in coverage rates,
it does not allow us to understand the reasons that the WIC coverage rates appear to vary. That would
require more in-depth analysis of variations in the characteristics of the eligible individuals across
States and regions, as well as variations in procedures for administering the WIC program.
53
The high rates in the Western region have been primarily due to the high rates in California.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
38
Table 13: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, CY 2013
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
Eligibles
Participants
State a
Alabama
223,006
136,258
61.1%
New York
809,158
508,738
Alaska
34,279
22,436
65.5%
North Carolina
470,233
262,223
Arizona
313,535
178,482
56.9%
North Dakota
25,236
13,102
Arkansas
153,459
87,186
56.8%
Ohio
471,700
259,801
California
1,850,260
1,408,714
76.1%
Oklahoma
215,759
116,195
Colorado
197,064
94,547
48.0%
Oregon
166,921
106,472
Connecticut
110,542
53,852
48.7%
Pennsylvania
451,537
253,365
Delaware
36,076
20,466
56.7%
Puerto Rico
217,052
184,394
D.C.
28,909
15,504
53.6%
Rhode Island
37,346
23,054
Florida
883,991
477,741
54.0%
South Carolina
229,625
120,969
Georgia
518,001
283,714
54.8%
South Dakota
38,261
19,892
Hawaii
59,912
35,952
60.0%
Tennessee
311,972
157,384
Idaho
85,320
42,531
49.8%
Texas
1,492,923
943,249
Illinois
526,875
276,710
52.5%
Utah
143,703
64,945
Indiana
293,780
158,071
53.8%
Vermont
23,835
14,647
Iowa
121,136
65,236
53.9%
Virginia
278,515
154,538
Kansas
125,843
68,507
54.4%
Washington
296,351
189,047
Kentucky
193,506
128,477
66.4%
West Virginia
80,142
45,968
Louisiana
239,958
137,498
57.3%
Wisconsin
199,196
112,237
Maine
47,981
24,097
50.2%
Wyoming
21,856
11,951
Maryland
216,808
143,765
66.3%
Massachusetts
203,874
118,802
58.3%
FNS Regionb
Michigan
413,548
253,027
61.2%
Northeast
1,269,800
758,576
Minnesota
175,784
123,783
70.4%
Mid-Atlantic
1,612,309
989,709
Mississippi
168,263
89,996
53.5%
Southeast
2,998,599
1,656,761
Missouri
252,217
139,940
55.5%
Midwest
2,080,883
1,183,628
Montana
46,161
19,518
42.3%
Southwest
2,226,042
1,344,443
Nebraska
79,560
39,873
50.1%
Mountain Plains
1,051,038
537,510
Nevada
119,860
74,670
62.3%
Western
2,949,881
2,076,389
New Hampshire
37,063
15,386
41.5%
New Jersey
297,612
166,866
56.1%
Total
14,188,552
8,547,016
New Mexico
123,943
60,314
48.7%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
Coverage
Rate
62.9%
55.8%
51.9%
55.1%
53.9%
63.8%
56.1%
85.0%
61.7%
52.7%
52.0%
50.4%
63.2%
45.2%
61.5%
55.5%
63.8%
57.4%
56.3%
54.7%
59.7%
61.4%
55.3%
56.9%
60.4%
51.1%
70.4%
60.2%
Notes:
a
State and regional eligibility estimates and participant data include those eligible for WIC and/or receiving WIC
via Indian Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are included in regional totals but
not shown separately due to small sample constraints.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
39
Table 13a: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles and Participants: Children (age 1 to 4)
State a
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
148,148
23,473
202,871
98,889
1,138,193
128,847
68,511
23,195
16,238
533,990
330,567
34,876
52,678
347,388
187,085
75,389
84,744
125,495
156,026
29,907
131,168
123,044
260,085
111,524
110,648
159,990
28,279
50,970
81,559
22,906
185,172
79,028
72,978
12,664
98,169
44,331
837,885
53,281
29,730
11,724
7,277
251,473
155,515
19,402
23,079
143,161
82,806
35,574
38,281
66,405
69,776
14,256
75,402
65,238
132,603
69,798
47,652
70,315
10,766
22,679
40,293
8,322
92,288
32,881
49.3%
54.0%
48.4%
44.8%
73.6%
41.4%
43.4%
50.5%
44.8%
47.1%
47.0%
55.6%
43.8%
41.2%
44.3%
47.2%
45.2%
52.9%
44.7%
47.7%
57.5%
53.0%
51.0%
62.6%
43.1%
43.9%
38.1%
44.5%
49.4%
36.3%
49.8%
41.6%
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
496,139
298,366
13,856
296,373
130,868
105,245
285,247
141,259
21,489
147,290
22,263
192,768
939,116
95,142
14,779
171,192
186,306
46,060
135,261
14,245
273,671
140,754
7,080
139,779
62,462
60,788
134,023
114,911
13,175
59,912
11,712
75,150
488,546
36,237
9,212
78,588
110,396
24,668
63,037
6,430
55.2%
47.2%
51.1%
47.2%
47.7%
57.8%
47.0%
81.3%
61.3%
40.7%
52.6%
39.0%
52.0%
38.1%
62.3%
45.9%
59.3%
53.6%
46.6%
45.1%
FNS Regionb
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
776,774
1,003,092
1,887,271
1,337,715
1,403,927
673,725
1,839,066
413,604
541,732
869,839
631,184
697,995
292,356
1,213,629
53.2%
54.0%
46.1%
47.2%
49.7%
43.4%
66.0%
Total
8,921,568
4,660,339
52.2%
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
Notes:
a
State and regional eligibility estimates and participant data include those eligible for WIC and/or receiving WIC
via Indian Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are included in regional totals but
not shown separately due to small sample constraints.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
40
Table 13b: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles and Participants: Women and Infants
State a
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
83,610
15,081
120,645
56,563
674,404
76,397
39,948
13,336
10,258
320,810
189,267
22,133
33,310
197,017
112,294
42,233
46,127
74,107
91,790
17,440
78,897
71,322
153,442
67,655
63,019
94,910
17,254
27,488
48,469
12,071
104,321
44,345
67,335
11,714
91,101
47,203
610,596
47,103
25,615
9,910
8,802
236,575
141,329
17,225
20,331
142,473
79,907
32,381
34,378
67,361
73,385
10,964
70,221
55,272
121,460
57,331
45,838
73,311
9,303
19,048
35,177
7,807
76,835
29,731
80.5%
77.7%
75.5%
83.5%
90.5%
61.7%
64.1%
74.3%
85.8%
73.7%
74.7%
77.8%
61.0%
72.3%
71.2%
76.7%
74.5%
90.9%
79.9%
62.9%
89.0%
77.5%
79.2%
84.7%
72.7%
77.2%
53.9%
69.3%
72.6%
64.7%
73.7%
67.0%
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
298,845
171,929
9,458
179,664
73,619
65,175
168,620
83,015
15,138
84,301
13,647
108,787
565,230
53,583
6,549
101,305
109,909
26,628
75,924
9,242
241,675
125,255
6,478
131,026
58,947
48,984
119,993
75,670
10,686
67,120
9,721
85,326
477,333
32,511
6,045
77,968
82,157
22,757
53,805
5,988
80.9%
72.9%
68.5%
72.9%
80.1%
75.2%
71.2%
91.2%
70.6%
79.6%
71.2%
78.4%
84.4%
60.7%
92.3%
77.0%
74.8%
85.5%
70.9%
64.8%
FNS Regionb
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
461,313
588,425
1,095,831
785,996
831,546
390,338
1,098,105
358,066
464,415
836,138
586,001
686,599
270,221
924,742
77.6%
78.9%
76.3%
74.6%
82.6%
69.2%
84.2%
Total
5,251,555
4,126,183
78.6%
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
Notes:
a
State and regional eligibility estimates and participant data include those eligible for WIC and/or receiving WIC
via Indian Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are included in regional totals but
not shown separately due to small sample constraints.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
41
Figure 7: WIC Coverage Rates for All Participants, by State, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 60.2%
63.8%
65.6%
42.3%
50.2%
51.9%
70.5%
63.9%
49.9%
56.3%
52.0%
54.7%
62.2%
50.1%
53.8%
56.1%
52.5%
45.2%
54.4%
57.3%
55.5%
60.1%
56.9%
53.8%
48.7%
66.4%
DE: 56.8%
55.5%
55.7%
50.4%
MA: 58.3%
MD: 66.3%
NH: 41.5%
NJ: 56.1%
56.8%
52.6%
53.4% 61.0%
40 – 49.9 percent
CT: 48.8%
53.8% 55.0%
48.0%
76.2%
Coverage Rate, All:
62.9%
61.2%
54.7%
RI: 61.8%
VT: 61.5%
DC: 53.7%
63.2%
57.2%
50 – 59.9 percent
54.1%
60 – 69.9 percent
85.0%
70 – 79.9 percent
80 percent or greater
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
42
Figure 7a: WIC Coverage Rates for Children (age 1 to 4), by State
(Due to small sample size, the rates shown in this map were computed using the average of the eligibility and participation estimates
for 2011-2013. Therefore, they do not match similar rates shown elsewhere in this report.)
National Coverage Rate: 52.2%
59.3%
54.0%
38.1%
47.7%
51.1%
62.6%
57.8%
43.8%
46.6%
52.6%
49.4%
55.2%
51.0%
45.1%
44.5%
47.2%
38.1%
47.0%
41.2%
44.3%
47.2%
DE: 50.5%
41.4%
73.6%
45.2%
53.6%
43.9%
52.9%
55.6%
48.4%
47.7 %
41.6%
Coverage Rate,
Children (age 1 to 4):
MA: 53.0%
45.9%
47.2%
39.0%
44.8%
40.7%
43.1% 49.3%
CT: 43.4%
MD: 57.5%
NH: 36.3%
NJ: 49.8%
RI: 61.3%
VT: 62.3%
DC: 44.8%
47.0%
52.0%
Less than 40 percent
44.7%
40 – 49.9 percent
50 – 59.9 percent
47.1%
81.3%
60 – 69.9 percent
70 – 79.9 percent
80 percent or greater
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
43
Figure 7b: WIC Coverage Rates for Women and Infants, by State
(Due to small sample size, the rates shown in this map were computed using the average of the eligibility and participation estimates
for 2011-2013. Therefore, they do not match similar rates shown elsewhere in this report.)
National Coverage Rate: 78.6%
74.8%
77.8%
53.9%
62.9%
68.5%
84.8%
75.3%
61.1%
70.9%
71.3%
72.5%
69.3%
60.7%
76.7%
71.1%
72.3%
61.7%
90.6%
74.5%
71.1%
Coverage Rate,
Women and Infants:
50 – 59.9 percent
80.0 %
67.0%
72.9%
CT: 64.2%
85.4%
77.2%
90.9%
78.0%
75.5%
80.9%
79.1%
64.9%
76.9%
NH: 64.7%
NJ: 73.7%
79.6%
72.7% 80.5%
MA: 77.5%
MD: 88.9%
72.8%
78.4%
83.4%
DE: 74.3%
RI: 70.6%
VT: 92.4%
74.6%
DC: 85.9%
84.4%
79.9%
60 – 69.9 percent
73.8%
91.2%
70 – 79.9 percent
80 percent or greater
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
44
Table 14: WIC Coverage Rates by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2013 and CY 2012
Infants
Children
(age 1 to 4)
Pregnant
Women
All Postpartum
Women
Total
Coverage Rate, 2013
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
82.4%
84.3%
82.7%
85.2%
87.3%
73.7%
88.4%
84.4%
50.7%
52.2%
43.5%
45.6%
46.9%
41.3%
62.8%
49.8%
64.3%
66.0%
66.0%
68.0%
71.8%
56.9%
75.8%
68.4%
74.3%
75.5%
74.6%
71.0%
90.4%
68.7%
82.5%
77.8%
59.7%
61.4%
55.3%
56.9%
60.4%
51.1%
70.4%
60.2%
Coverage Rate, 2012
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
86.7%
86.0%
82.2%
83.7%
88.3%
75.7%
88.8%
85.1%
54.5%
54.4%
47.4%
48.3%
50.5%
44.4%
68.0%
53.4%
71.0%
67.3%
66.9%
69.4%
75.2%
60.4%
78.6%
70.9%
81.4%
78.1%
73.1%
65.3%
86.7%
68.6%
82.3%
77.0%
64.3%
63.6%
58.0%
58.2%
63.1%
53.8%
74.2%
63.1%
-9.4%
-2.0%
-1.4%
-2.1%
-4.4%
-5.7%
-3.6%
-3.6%
-8.7%
-3.4%
2.0%
8.7%
4.2%
0.1%
0.2%
1.1%
-7.0%
-3.5%
-4.8%
-2.3%
-4.3%
-4.9%
-5.1%
-4.5%
Percent Change in Coverage Rate, 2013 vs 2012
Northeast
-5.0%
-7.0%
Mid-Atlantic
-2.0%
-4.0%
Southeast
0.7%
-8.3%
Midwest
1.7%
-5.5%
Southwest
-1.2%
-7.2%
Mountain Plains
-2.7%
-7.0%
Western
-0.5%
-7.6%
Total
-0.8%
-6.8%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
45
Figure 8: All Participants Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013a
All Participants Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000-2013
100%
90%
80%
Northeast
Coverage Rate
Mid-Atlantic
70%
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
60%
Mountain Plains
Western
50%
U.S.
40%
30%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Notes:
a
The upward trend in coverage rates between 2009 and 2010 reflects, in part, the decline in the number of eligibles in 2010 due to new
Census population weights.
See Appendix Table D.2 for source information.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REA CH
46
Figure 9: Infants Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013a
Infant Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000-2013
100%
90%
80%
Northeast
Coverage Rate
Mid-Atlantic
70%
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
60%
Mountain Plains
Western
50%
U.S.
40%
30%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Notes:
a
The upward trend in coverage rates between 2009 and 2010 reflects, in part, the decline in the number of eligibles in 2010 due to new
Census population weights.
See Appendix Table D.2 for source information.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REA CH
47
Figure 10: Children (Ages 1-4) Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013a
Children (Ages 1-4) Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000-2013
100%
90%
80%
Northeast
Coverage Rate
Mid-Atlantic
70%
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
60%
Mountain Plains
Western
50%
U.S.
40%
30%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Notes:
a
The upward trend in coverage rates between 2009 and 2010 reflects, in part, the decline in the number of eligibles in 2010 due to new
Census population weights.
See Appendix Table D.2 for source information.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REA CH
48
Figure 11: Pregnant Women Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013a
Pregnant Women Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000-2013
100%
90%
80%
Northeast
Coverage Rate
Mid-Atlantic
70%
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
60%
Mountain Plains
Western
50%
U.S.
40%
30%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Notes:
a
The upward trend in coverage rates between 2009 and 2010 reflects, in part, the decline in the number of eligibles in 2010 due to new
Census population weights.
See Appendix Table D.2 for source information.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REA CH
49
Figure 12: Postpartum Women Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000–2013a
Post-Partum Women Coverage Rate by FNS Region, 2000-2013
100%
90%
80%
Northeast
Coverage Rate
Mid-Atlantic
70%
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
60%
Mountain Plains
Western
50%
U.S.
40%
30%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Notes:
a
The upward trend in coverage rates between 2009 and 2010 reflects, in part, the decline in the number of eligibles in 2010 due to new
Census population weights.
See Appendix Table D.2 for source information
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REA CH
50
Measures of Precision of the Estimates of Eligibility
Standard errors of estimates were produced for the 2013 national, State, and regional estimates.54
The national-level estimates are all derived from the CPS-ASEC using the generalized variance
estimates described in the technical documentation for the March 2014 CPS-ASEC.55 The
standard errors for the State-level estimates were derived using a generalized variance model
described in the annual ACS report based on one year accuracy of the data.56 Tables 15 and 16
show these standard errors and also the coefficient of variation, which is the ratio of the standard
deviation to the eligibility estimate. Since the coefficient of variation is expressed in percentage
terms, it allows easier comparisons of the relative precision of various estimates. Tables 16a and
16b show this same information for the three-year-average estimates for all young children and
for the combined group of infants and women.
The coefficients of variation for the 2013 national eligibility estimates for infants and pregnant
women are the highest among all participant groups at 6.0 percent (Table 15). While the coefficient
of variation for postpartum women is slightly lower at 4.2 percent, the relative error for the
estimate for all children drops to 3.0 percent, reflecting the larger sample size for this estimation
group. The greatest precision of eligibility estimates is for the total of all WIC eligibles (2.4
percent).
At the State level, the precision of the estimates is considerably lower than at the national level
(Tables 16, 16a, and 16b). Given the large range of coefficient of variation (considering the overall
State estimates, the coefficient of variation ranges from 2.8 percent for California to 16.7 percent
for Wyoming), caution should be exercised when using the State estimates, especially for smaller
States. At the regional level, however, the relative precision of the estimates is quite high.
The statistics can be used to estimate a confidence interval around the estimates of WIC
eligibility. For example, we can be 90 percent sure that the actual number of WIC eligible people
(overall, by subgroup, by region, or by State) is at minimum equal to our best guess minus 1.65
times the standard error, and is at most equal to our best guess plus 1.65 times the standard error.
As an illustration of the computation, consider the overall WIC eligibility estimate for the
Northeast. Our best estimate is that there are 1,269,800 people eligible for WIC in the Northeast
in the average month of 2013. The standard error of that estimate is 43,529. We can be 90
percent sure that the true number falls within the range from (1,269,800 minus (1.65 * 43,529)) to
(1,269,800 plus (1.65 * 43,529)), or from 1,197,977 to 1,341,622. For a 95 percent level of
confidence, the process is the same, but a factor of 1.96 is applied to the standard error.
54
Estimates of WIC eligibility in the other island territories are not based upon samples but on Census Bureau
estimates of the population by age and are not subject to sampling variability. While non-sampling error can still be
present in the other island estimates, standard errors for the other island territories cannot be computed because
of the non-sample based methodology used in the estimation.
55 These reports can be found at http://www.census.gov/cps/methodology/techdocs.html. See Appendix G for the
generalized variance standard error formulas. Applying these methods requires choosing a specific pair of “a” and
“b” parameters for use in the formulas. We use the parameters for “income characteristics” for all people when
computing standard errors for total population estimates, and we use the “below poverty” parameters for standard
errors of the WIC eligibility estimates.
56
These reports can be found at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/pums_documentation/.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
51
Table 15: WIC Eligibles and Standard Errors by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2013
Infants
Children
(age 1-4)
Pregnant
Women
All Post-Partum
Women
Total
Eligibles
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
210,923
237,044
503,271
351,021
378,331
179,453
483,913
2,343,956
808,968
882,399
1,925,207
1,333,563
1,424,024
666,546
1,859,034
8,899,741
108,522
121,961
258,938
180,604
194,655
92,330
248,979
1,205,990
141,387
148,196
311,182
215,695
229,032
112,709
334,512
1,492,713
1,269,800
1,389,600
2,998,599
2,080,883
2,226,042
1,051,038
2,926,438
13,942,399
Standard Errora
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
18,014
19,610
35,309
26,418
28,025
16,061
34,186
140,216
34,813
37,090
68,316
50,777
53,479
30,328
66,368
270,320
9,268
10,090
18,167
13,593
14,419
8,263
17,589
72,142
8,783
9,198
15,902
11,526
12,289
7,263
16,769
63,377
43,529
46,475
84,658
63,100
66,538
38,064
82,975
335,527
a
Coefficient of Variation b
Northeast
8.5%
4.3%
8.5%
Mid-Atlantic
8.3%
4.2%
8.3%
Southeast
7.0%
3.5%
7.0%
Midwest
7.5%
3.8%
7.5%
Southwest
7.4%
3.8%
7.4%
Mountain Plains
8.9%
4.6%
8.9%
Western
7.1%
3.6%
7.1%
Total
6.0%
3.0%
6.0%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base,
6.2%
3.4%
6.2%
3.3%
5.1%
2.8%
5.3%
3.0%
5.4%
3.0%
6.4%
3.6%
5.0%
2.8%
4.2%
2.4%
WIC Administrative Data
Notes:
a
b
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
52
Table 16: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, CY 2013
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient of
Variationa
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient of
Variationa
State b
Alabama
223,006
12,583
5.6%
New York
809,158
28,215
Alaska
34,279
4,578
13.4%
North Carolina
470,233
19,705
Arizona
313,535
15,244
4.9%
North Dakota
25,236
3,904
Arkansas
153,459
10,094
6.6%
Ohio
471,700
19,668
California
1,850,260
52,367
2.8%
Oklahoma
215,759
12,312
Colorado
197,064
11,637
5.9%
Oregon
166,921
10,592
Connecticut
110,542
8,441
7.6%
Pennsylvania
451,537
19,111
Delaware
36,076
4,694
13.0%
Puerto Rico
217,052
12,350
D.C.
28,909
4,171
14.4%
Rhode Island
37,346
4,731
Florida
883,991
29,967
3.4%
South Carolina
229,625
12,760
Georgia
518,001
20,911
4.0%
South Dakota
38,261
4,813
Hawaii
59,912
6,070
10.1%
Tennessee
311,972
15,183
Idaho
85,320
7,349
8.6%
Texas
1,492,923
44,291
Illinois
526,875
21,200
4.0%
Utah
143,703
9,779
Indiana
293,780
14,701
5.0%
Vermont
23,835
3,806
Iowa
121,136
8,851
7.3%
Virginia
278,515
14,238
Kansas
125,843
9,103
7.2%
Washington
296,351
14,800
Kentucky
193,506
11,520
6.0%
West Virginia
80,142
7,099
Louisiana
239,958
13,068
5.4%
Wisconsin
199,196
11,753
Maine
47,981
5,406
11.3%
Wyoming
21,856
3,643
Maryland
216,808
12,308
5.7%
Massachusetts
203,874
11,842
5.8%
FNS Regionc
Michigan
413,548
18,068
4.4%
Northeast
1,269,800
43,529
Minnesota
175,784
10,912
6.2%
Mid-Atlantic
1,389,600
46,475
Mississippi
168,263
10,706
6.4%
Southeast
2,998,599
84,658
Missouri
252,217
13,381
5.3%
Midwest
2,080,883
63,100
Montana
46,161
5,311
11.5%
Southwest
2,226,042
66,538
Nebraska
79,560
7,116
8.9%
Mountain Plains 1,051,038
38,064
Nevada
119,860
8,882
7.4%
Western
2,926,438
82,975
New Hampshire
37,063
4,772
12.9%
New Jersey
297,612
14,781
5.0%
Total
13,942,399
335,527
New Mexico
123,943
9,005
7.3%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
3.5%
4.2%
15.5%
4.2%
5.7%
6.3%
4.2%
5.7%
12.7%
5.6%
12.6%
4.9%
3.0%
6.8%
16.0%
5.1%
5.0%
8.9%
5.9%
16.7%
3.4%
3.3%
2.8%
3.0%
3.0%
3.6%
2.8%
2.4%
Notes:
a
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
b
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
c
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
53
Table 16a: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles: Children (age 1 to 4)
State b
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
148,148
23,473
202,871
98,889
1,138,193
128,847
68,511
23,195
16,238
533,990
330,567
34,876
52,678
347,388
187,085
75,389
84,744
125,495
156,026
29,907
131,168
123,044
260,085
111,524
110,648
159,990
28,279
50,970
81,559
22,906
185,172
79,028
6,203
2,345
7,410
4,967
23,092
5,738
4,081
2,327
1,941
13,512
9,918
2,867
3,556
10,228
7,078
4,297
4,570
5,657
6,383
2,651
5,801
5,599
8,577
5,305
5,280
6,473
2,576
3,496
4,476
2,311
7,039
4,404
4.2%
10.0%
3.7%
5.0%
2.0%
4.5%
6.0%
10.0%
12.0%
2.5%
3.0%
8.2%
6.8%
2.9%
3.8%
5.7%
5.4%
4.5%
4.1%
8.9%
4.4%
4.6%
3.3%
4.8%
4.8%
4.0%
9.1%
6.9%
5.5%
10.1%
3.8%
5.6%
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
496,139
298,366
13,856
296,373
130,868
105,245
285,247
141,259
21,489
147,290
22,263
192,768
939,116
95,142
14,779
171,192
186,306
46,060
135,261
14,245
12,867
9,326
1,794
9,280
5,796
5,136
9,066
5,716
2,241
6,185
2,279
7,202
19,977
4,863
1,852
6,732
7,065
3,319
5,897
1,819
2.6%
3.1%
12.9%
3.1%
4.4%
4.9%
3.2%
4.0%
10.4%
4.2%
10.2%
3.7%
2.1%
5.1%
12.5%
3.9%
3.8%
7.2%
4.4%
12.8%
FNS Regionc
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
776,774
858,273
1,887,271
1,337,715
1,403,927
673,725
1,825,201
18,265
19,549
35,164
26,886
27,930
16,525
34,238
2.4%
2.3%
1.9%
2.0%
2.0%
2.5%
1.9%
Total
8,762,884
178,558
2.0%
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
Notes:
a
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
c
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
b
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
54
Table 16b: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average
Numbers of Eligibles: Women and Infants
State b
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
83,610
15,081
120,645
56,563
674,404
76,397
39,948
13,336
10,258
320,810
189,267
22,133
33,310
197,017
112,294
42,233
46,127
74,107
91,790
17,440
78,897
71,322
153,442
67,655
63,019
94,910
17,254
27,488
48,469
12,071
104,321
44,345
6,711
2,810
8,457
5,458
26,389
6,500
4,635
2,605
2,246
15,508
10,899
3,455
4,206
11,247
8,035
4,678
4,964
6,321
7,106
2,972
6,565
6,279
9,669
6,095
5,792
7,282
2,957
3,750
5,058
2,456
7,767
4,871
8.0%
18.6%
7.0%
9.6%
3.9%
8.5%
11.6%
19.5%
21.9%
4.8%
5.8%
15.6%
12.6%
5.7%
7.2%
11.1%
10.8%
8.5%
7.7%
17.0%
8.3%
8.8%
6.3%
9.0%
9.2%
7.7%
17.1%
13.6%
10.4%
20.3%
7.4%
11.0%
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
298,845
171,929
9,458
179,664
73,619
65,175
168,620
83,015
15,138
84,301
13,647
108,787
565,230
53,583
6,549
101,305
109,909
26,628
75,924
9,242
14,755
10,334
2,227
10,591
6,289
6,051
10,223
8,641
2,782
6,792
2,653
7,853
22,852
5,382
1,786
7,571
8,052
3,647
6,474
2,192
4.9%
6.0%
23.5%
5.9%
8.5%
9.3%
6.1%
10.4%
18.4%
8.1%
19.4%
7.2%
4.0%
10.0%
27.3%
7.5%
7.3%
13.7%
8.5%
23.7%
FNS Regionc
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
461,313
503,364
1,095,831
785,996
831,546
390,338
1,089,126
19,570
20,891
36,716
28,295
29,676
17,419
36,298
4.2%
4.2%
3.4%
3.6%
3.6%
4.5%
3.3%
Total
5,157,516
188,865
3.7%
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
Notes:
a
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
c
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
b
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
55
Validating the Results
While one would like to assess the accuracy of the eligibility estimates, this cannot be known with
certainty since it is impossible to observe eligibility. However, it is important that the estimates are
reasonable. One comparison that can produce confidence in the eligibility estimates is to examine
whether the FNS participation figures ever exceed the eligibility estimates by State or region.
While it is quite possible that some ineligible individuals do participate, there also are eligible
individuals who fail to enroll in the program or who have been inappropriately denied benefits.
Thus, any occurrences where the number of participants exceeds the estimated count of eligibles
would lead to concerns about the estimation methods.
At the level of detail shown in this report, there are no cases where estimated eligibility falls
short of FNS participation figures.
Summary
This report estimates that 14.2 million individuals were eligible for WIC during an average month
of 2013 across the fifty States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four other island
territories. The estimate includes 2.4 million infants (approximately 61 percent of all infants in the
United States and territories), 9.1 million children age one through four (56 percent of all young
children), 1.2 million pregnant women, and 1.5 million postpartum women.
Compared to estimates of WIC eligibility in 2012, the estimates for 2013 show a decline in
WIC eligibility for all groups except children. The number of infants who were WIC eligible
declined by 1.4 percent, while the number of WIC eligible children increased by 2.6 percent. For
infants, this overall decline was caused by a decrease in the total size of the infant population as
defined for this analysis (1.1 percent) as well as by a very slight decrease in the percentage of
infants estimated eligible for WIC (from 61.4 percent in 2012 to 61.3 percent in 2013). Among
children however, there was virtually no change in the total size of the population, and a noticeable
increase in percentage estimated eligible for WIC (from 54.5 percent in 2012 to 55.9 percent in
2013), due to 12-month certification for children in many States. The number of eligible pregnant
women followed the trend among infants and decreased by 1.4 percent, while the number of
eligible postpartum women decreased by 2.8 percent.
Estimates of eligibles across the regions vary, with the Southeast and Western regions having
the largest eligible populations (almost 3 million each), and the Mountain Plains and Northeast
regions having the lowest eligible populations (somewhat over 1 million each). The geographic
distribution of individuals who are WIC-eligible reflect population and income differences, as well
as differences in adjunctive eligibility (due to participation in Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF). Two
States, California (13.0 percent) and Texas (10.5 percent), together account for almost one quarter
of all WIC eligible individuals.
The WIC coverage rate (the ratio of the number of participants relative to the number of
eligibles) was 60.2 percent in 2013. Nationwide, infants have the highest coverage rate at 84.4
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
56
percent and children age one through four have the lowest rate at 49.8 percent. Coverage rates
also vary by FNS region, ranging from 51.1 percent in the Mountain Plains to 70.4 percent in the
Western region. Since 2000, coverage rates had generally been increasing, but in 2013, the overall
coverage rate showed a decrease of 4.5 percent compared to 2012.
There are five appendices to this report. The first provides more detailed tables for the
national and territorial estimates, and the second provides more detailed tables for the State and
regional eligibility estimates. The third appendix provides coverage rate maps for all regions. The
fourth appendix shows the WIC eligibility and coverage results for 2000 through 2013. The fifth
appendix provides details regarding the new procedure used for computing the annual-to-monthly
adjustment factors for children. Interested readers should consult Betson et al. (2011), MartinezSchiferl et al. (2012), and Johnson et al. (2014 and 2015) for more details on all methods used to
produce these estimates.
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
57
References
Administration for Children and Families. 2014. “Caseload Data 2013.” Data are preliminary.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/resource/caseload-data-2013.
Betson, David, Linda Giannarelli, Michael Martinez-Schiferl, and Sheila Zedlewski. 2011. National and
State-Level Estimates of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Eligibles and Program Reach, 2000-2009. Project Officer: Grant Lovellette. Alexandria, VA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Research and Analysis.
Center for Disease Control. 2011. National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 60 Number 2 and Volume 60
number 2 in 2002.
Gray, Kelsey Farson. 2014. Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households:
Fiscal Year 2013. Alexandria, VA: USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
Huber, Erika, David Kassabian, and Elissa Cohen. 2014. “Welfare Rules Databook: State TANF
Policies as of July 2013. Final Report.” OPRE Report 2014-52. September 2014.
Johnson, B., Thorn, B., McGill, B., Suchman, A., Mendelson, M., Patlan, K.L., Freeman, B., Gotlieb, R., &
Connor, P. (2013). WIC Participant and Program Characteristics 2012. Prepared by Insight Policy
Research under Contract No. AG-3198-C-11-0010. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/WICPC2012.pdf.
Johnson, Paul, Linda Giannarelli, Erika Huber, and David Betson. 2015. National and State-Level
Estimates of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Eligibles
and Program Reach, 2012. Project Officer: Grant Lovellette. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Research and Analysis.
Johnson, Paul, Linda Giannarelli, Erika Huber, and David Betson. 2014. National and State-Level
Estimates of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Eligibles
and Program Reach, 2011. Project Officer: Grant Lovellette. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Research and Analysis.
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. 2014. “Medicaid Enrollment: June 2013 Data
Snapshot.” Table A-4. http://kff.org/report-section/medicaid-enrollment-june-2013-datasnapshot-appendix-a-table-a-1-total-medicaid-enrollment-by-state/, accessed May 5, 2015.
Heberlein, Martha, Tricia Brooks, Samantha Artiga, and Jessica Stephens. 2013. “Getting into Gear for
2014: Shifting New Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment Policies into Drive.” Kaiser Commission on
Medicaid and the Uninsured. November 2013.
Michael Martinez-Schiferl, Sheila Zedlewski, and Linda Giannarelli. 2012. National and State-Level
Estimates of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Eligibles
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
58
and Program Reach, 2010. Project Officer: Grant Lovellette. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Research and Analysis.
Office of Management and Budget. 1997. “Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal
Data on Race and Ethnicity”. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg_1997standards/.
Ruggles, Steven, J. Trent Alexander, Katie Genadek, Ronald Goeken, Matthew B. Schroeder, and
Matthew Sobek. 2010. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 5.0 [Machine-readable
database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2012. “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program State Options
Report. Tenth Edition.” August 2012.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2006. “WIC Program Coverage: How Many Eligible Individuals
Participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 1994-2003?”.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/Ora/menu/Published/WIC/FILES/WICEligibles.pdf.
Ver Ploeg, Michele and David M. Betson (Eds.). 2003. Estimating Eligibility and Participation for the WIC
Program: Final Report. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
Wheaton, Laura. 2007. “Underreporting of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the CPS and SIPP”
2007 Proceedings of the American Statistical Association, Social Statistics Section [CD-ROM].
Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association: 3622-3629.
Yelowitz, Aaron. 2002. “Income Variability and WIC Eligibility: Evidence from the SIPP.”
http://gatton.uky.edu/faculty/yelowitz/Yelowitz-WIC.pdf, accessed August 1, 2011
NATIONAL- AND STATE-LEVEL ESTIMATES OF W IC ELIGIBLES AND PROGRAM REACH
59
United States Department of Agriculture
Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series
Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support
Special Nutrition Programs
Report No. WIC-15B-ELIG
Volume II
Appendices
National- and State-Level Estimates of
WIC Eligibles and Program Reach,
2013
Final Report
December 2015
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
United States
Department of
Agriculture
December 2015
Special Nutrition Programs
Report No. WIC-15B-ELIG
Volume II
Appendices
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and
Program Reach, 2013
Final Report
Authors:
Paul Johnson
Erika Huber
Linda Giannarelli
David Betson
Submitted by:
The Urban Institute
2100 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Submitted to:
Office of Policy Support
Food and Nutrition Service
3101 Park Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302-1500
Project Director:
Linda Giannarelli
Project Officer:
Grant Lovellette
The opinions expressed reflect those of the authors and not the Urban Institute.
This study was conducted under Contract number AG-3198-B-10-0016 with the Food
and Nutrition Service. This report is available on the Food and Nutrition Service website:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/research-and-analysis.
Suggested Citation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. National and
State-Level Estimates of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC) Eligibles and Program Reach, 2013, by Paul Johnson, Erika Huber, Linda Giannarelli, and
David Betson. Project Officer: Grant Lovellette. Alexandria, VA: December 2015.
This page was left intentionally blank.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the guidance provided by FNS staff and other Urban
Institute staff and consultants. Grant Lovellette, the FNS project officer, provided
guidance throughout the project. Staff of the WIC Division of FNS have provided insights
and review over the course of the project. Sheila Zedlewski directed the first two years of
the project and guided the initial phases of work on the 2011 estimates. Michael
Martinez-Schiferl was the lead analyst on this work for the first two years of the project,
and developed the technical framework used for these estimates.
This page was left intentionally blank.
Contents
Appendix A. National Estimates: 2013
A-1
Appendix B. State Estimates: 2013
B-1
Appendix C. Coverage Rate Maps
C-1
Appendix D. Eligibles and Coverage Rate Time Series by FNS Region: 2000-2013
D-1
Appendix E. Method for Calculating the Annual-to-Monthly Adjustment Factors
Applied to Children in the 2013 WIC Eligibility Estimates
E-1
This page was left intentionally blank.
Appendix A
National Estimates: 2013
The appendix tables show the detailed estimates of WIC-eligible individuals by
participant group. A brief description of each of these tables is given below. These tables
document the assumptions and calculations used to produce the estimates.
CY 2013 National Estimates Appendix Tables
Tables A.1a and A.1b: Steps and Sources for Update to Estimates of WIC Eligibility for Infants,
Young Children, Pregnant Women, and Postpartum Women
These tables document the data sources used and summarize the steps performed in
producing national and State eligibility estimates.
Table A.2: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by
Participant Group
This table shows the estimated average monthly number of WIC eligibles in the calendar
year along with the total number of infants and children. Note that the number of noneligible infants and children is calculated as the difference between the total population
and the number of eligible infants and children. These figures include infants and children
in the U.S. territories. The reader is referred to table A.6 for the steps used in calculating
the estimated number of eligible individuals.
Table A.3a: Four-Year Accumulations of Census Estimates and CPS Estimates by Single-Year
Age Groups, Race, and Gender
This table shows the four-year accumulations of census estimates next to the four-year
accumulations of March CPS total weighted populations used to calculate the population
factors used to adjust the CPS weights.
Table A.3b: Current Year Census Estimates and CPS Estimates by Single-Year Age Groups, Race
and Gender
This table shows the current year Census estimates and CPS estimates by single-year age
groups, race, and gender, and the ratio of Census estimates to CPS estimates.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-1
Table A.3c: Effect of Applying Population Adjustment Factors on Population Counts in the CPS
ASEC by Race and Gender
This table shows the results of applying the population adjustment factors shown in Table
A.3a to the weights on the March CPS.
Table A.4: Breastfeeding Adjustment Factor Calculations for WIC-Eligible Postpartum Women
This table shows the calculated national breastfeeding adjustment factors assuming the
use of the current NHANES and SIPP adjustments.
Table A.5: A Comparison of Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for
WIC by Participant Group According to the Year of Breastfeeding Rates Used
This table shows the effect of the change in breastfeeding rate from the prior calendar
year by applying the breastfeeding rate from the prior calendar year to the current year.
The result is the estimated change in the number of eligible postpartum breastfeeding
women and postpartum non-breastfeeding women that can be attributable to the yearto-year change in the breastfeeding rate. This table includes infants and children in the
U.S. territories.
Table A.6: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for
WIC by Participant Group
This table shows the step-by-step adjustments made in calculating the total number of
infants, children, and pregnant and postpartum women that are eligible for WIC.
Tables A.7a and A.7b: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children
Eligible for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the March 2014 CPS by Demographic
Characteristics
These two tables show the estimates of WIC-eligible infants and children (in total and by
single year of age) by demographic and income characteristics in the March CPS. Note
that these tables do not include infants and children from the territories. Table A.7a
shows characteristics of WIC-eligible infants and children in the March CPS using
unadjusted person weights, and Table A.7b shows these characteristics using weights that
have been fully adjusted, including adjustments for the under/over count in the CPS
(population adjustment), monthly income and certification periods (annual-to-monthly
adjustment), and nutritional risk. The numbers are shown as both total counts and column
percentages of eligible individuals by their demographic and income characteristics. A
comparison of Table A.7a to Table A.7b shows the impact of the CPS weight adjustments
on the national estimates of WIC-eligible infants and children.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-2
Table A.8: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by
Participant Group: A Comparison of the Change from Calendar Year 2012 to 2013
This table shows change between the 2012 and 2013 in the total number of infants and
children, the numbers of WIC-eligible individuals, and the eligibility rate (including infants
and children in the U.S. territories). The percent change for each participant group is
calculated.
Table A.9: Stepwise Comparison of the Change in Average Monthly Number of Infants and
Children Eligible for WIC, as estimated by the March CPS
This table shows a step-by-step comparison of the difference in estimates from year to
year. The percentage change from year to year is calculated after each adjustment.
Table A.10: Standard Error and Coefficient of Variation for National Estimates from the CPSASEC by Participant Group
This table presents the standard error of the estimate and coefficient of variance for the
national estimates for the total population and the number eligible for WIC by participant
group.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-3
Table A.1a-2013
Steps and Sources for 2013 Update to Estimates of WIC Eligibility for Infants and
Young Children (Ages 1-4), Using Data from the 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, and Census Bureau International Data Base
Step
Demographic eligibility
Description
Identify infants and children (ages 1-4) in the survey.
Weight adjustment
Adjust sampling weights to account for under-count or over-count in
the CPS relative to Census estimates, by exact age, gender, and
race.
Income eligibility
Count as eligible if prior year’s annual family income is <= 185
percent of the applicable poverty guideline--"family" for income
purposes is defined as the broadly defined family, with related
subfamilies included in the primary.
2014
2013
2013
2010
Poverty guidelines are the blended poverty guidelines for the calendar
year for which estimates are produced.
Add in as eligible those infants/children whose household reports
SNAP, family reports TANF, or who are themselves reported as being
enrolled in Medicaid at any point during the prior calendar year.
Blended FY 2012 and FY 2013 poverty guidelines
Adjunctive eligibility
Sources for 2013 Updates to Estimates and Adjustment Factors
2014 CPS-ASEC - National Estimates
2013 ACS - State Estimates
2013 PRCS - Puerto Rico Estimates
Census Bureau International Data Base - Other Island Territories
National Estimates:
Postcensal population estimates from the Census Bureau and the
March CPS-ASEC for 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014
State and Puerto Rico Estimates:
Postcensal population estimates from the Census Bureau for 2013
CPS-ASEC - National Estimates
ACS - State Estimates
PRCS - Puerto Rico Estimates
Census - Other Island Territories Estimates
2014 CPS-ASEC
2013 ACS
2013 PRCS
For TANF receipt, "family" on the CPS is defined as the narrowly
defined family and also includes any related children whose parents
are not present in the household. On the ACS and PRCS the
definition is just the narrowly defined family with subfamilies separate.
Adjust for fluctuations in monthly
income and certification periods
Adjust for nutritional risk
Territories
Multiply the estimates by a factor of 1.16 for infants and 1.02 for
children to account for the impact of monthly fluctuations in income
and program participation, and for the impact of 6 and 12 month
certification periods. The factor for children takes into account that
some states have a 6 month certification period while others have
adopted the optional 12 month period.
Multiply the infant estimates by 0.97 and the child estimates by 0.99
to account for the fact that some otherwise-eligible infants and
children might not be found to be at nutritional risk.
Eligibility in Puerto Rico is based on the PRCS and is estimated with
the same methods as those used for the State estimates.
Eligibility in the Other Island Territories is based on a proportion of
the estimated population of infants and children.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Average of factors for 2005, 2006, and 2010, as computed from the
SIPP panels from 2004 and 2008.
No update.
PRCS 2013 - Puerto Rico
Census Bureau International Data Base - Other Island Territories
Page A-4
Table A.1b-2013
Steps and Sources for 2013 Update to Estimates of WIC Eligibility for Pregnant and
Postpartum Women, Using Data from the 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, and Census Bureau International Data Base
Step
Starting point
Description
Use as a starting point the final average monthly eligibility estimate
for infants.
Adjust for multiple births and infant Multiply by a factor of 0.9961 to account for the impact of multiple
deaths
births and infant deaths (so the number of pregnant women/mothers
is not exactly equal to the number of infants).
For pregnant women:
Multiply by 0.533 to account for 9 months of pregnancy (0.75 factor)
Adjust for length of pregnancy and and to account for lower likelihood of financial eligibility during
difference in income during
pregnancy vs. after birth (additional 0.71).
pregnancy vs. after birth
For postpartum mothers:
Multiply by one year-specific factor to estimate the average monthly
Separately estimate the average
women eligible for WIC as breastfeeding mothers (0<12 months
monthly number who are eligible
postpartum). Multiply the estimate by another factor to estimate the
as breastfeeding mothers and the average monthly women eligible for WIC as non-breastfeeding women
number eligible as postpartum non- <6 months postpartum.
breastfeeding mothers
Adjust for nutritional risk
Multiply the estimate for pregnant women by 0.97 to account for the
fact that some otherwise-eligible pregnant women might not be found
to be at nutritional risk. Assume all postpartum women are at
nutritional risk (factor of 1.0).
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Sources for 2013 Updates to Estimates and Adjustment Factors
Infants as estimated using methods outlined in Table A.1a.
Multiple birth, infant and fetal death data from 2004 vital statistics
data. March 2004 Census estimates for count of infants.
No update.
2013 Abbott Laboratories Infant Feeding Survey (formerly the Mother
Survey); 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006 waves of National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); 1996, 2001, and
2004 SIPP panels.
Territorial estimates assume the national breastfeeding rates.
No update.
Page A-5
Table A.2-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible
for WIC by Participant Group in the March 2014 CPS
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories
2013
NonParticipant Group
a
Eligibles Eligibles
Infants
2,387,223 1,509,466
Total Children Ages 1-4
Children Age 1
Children Age 2
Children Age 3
Children Age 4
9,053,165
2,285,482
2,280,827
2,224,943
2,261,914
Pregnant Women
1,228,252
Postpartum Breastfeeding Women
826,003
Postpartum Non-Breastfeeding Women
694,264
All Postpartum Women
Totalb
3,896,689
7,132,953 16,186,118
1,780,591 4,066,073
1,720,171 4,000,997
1,845,197 4,070,139
1,786,994 4,048,908
1,520,267
Total WIC Eligibles
14,188,907
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC for U.S. estimate, 2013 PRCS and Census International Data
Base for territories
Notes:
a
The non-eligible infants and children represent the difference between the Total
estimates of infants and children age 1 to 4 in the total United States and the WIC-eligible
infants and children.
b
The total numbers of infants and children represent the sum of the March 2014
total number of infants and children adjusted for the under and over count
of infants and children in the CPS relative to Census estimates plus the number
of infants and children in Puerto Rico and the other island territories based
on the 2013 PRCS and annual Census Bureau population estimates.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-6
Table A.3a-2013: Four-Year Accumulations of Census Estimates and CPS Estimates by Single-Year Age Groups, Race and Gender, March 2011-2014
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
Females
Males
Total
White
Black
Other
Total
White
Black
Other
Total
White
Black
Other
Infants
Census estimates
5,549,734 1,183,089
986,688
7,719,511
5,824,122 1,226,610 1,035,531
8,086,263
11,373,856 2,409,699 2,022,219
CPS estimate
5,663,301 1,090,735
892,406
7,646,442
5,932,011 1,107,964
978,516
8,018,490
11,595,312 2,198,699 1,870,922
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
0.980
1.085
1.106
1.010
0.982
1.107
1.058
1.008
0.981
1.096
1.081
Children Age 1
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Children Age 2
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Children Age 3
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Children Age 4
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Total Children Ages1 to 4
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
5,573,502
5,681,961
1,185,802
992,471
1,313,552 1,057,254
7,751,775
8,052,767
0.981
0.903
0.939
0.963
5,612,971
5,731,766
1,193,594
1,145,988
996,194
971,412
7,802,759
7,849,166
0.979
1.042
1.026
0.994
5,684,323
5,808,168
1,206,878
1,291,779
998,256
994,582
7,889,457
8,094,531
0.979
0.934
1.004
0.975
5,744,562
5,855,204
1,214,605
1,229,827
994,735
956,893
7,953,902
8,041,922
0.981
0.988
1.040
0.989
4,800,879 3,981,656
4,981,146 3,980,141
31,397,893
32,038,386
22,615,358
23,077,099
0.980
Total Infants and Children (Age 1-4)
Census estimates
28,165,092
CPS estimate
28,740,400
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
0.980
0.964
1.000
0.980
5,983,968 4,968,344
6,071,881 4,872,547
39,117,404
39,684,828
0.986
1.020
0.986
5,847,718 1,223,665 1,034,675
5,958,509 1,395,571 1,054,257
8,106,058
8,408,338
11,421,220
11,640,470
0.981
0.964
0.981
5,885,346 1,229,492 1,033,392
6,012,527 1,214,965
964,239
8,148,230
8,191,730
11,498,317
11,744,293
1.072
0.995
0.979
5,957,798 1,240,951 1,032,855
6,088,129 1,251,299 1,020,848
8,231,604
8,360,276
11,642,121
11,896,297
1.012
0.985
0.979
6,020,586 1,249,267 1,027,516
6,139,025 1,311,385 1,042,667
8,297,369
8,493,078
11,765,148
11,994,229
0.985
0.977
0.981
23,711,448 4,943,375 4,128,438
24,198,190 5,173,220 4,082,011
32,783,261
33,453,421
0.981
0.979
0.979
0.981
0.980
0.877
1.012
0.992
0.953
1.011
0.980
29,535,570 6,169,985 5,163,969
30,130,201 6,281,184 5,060,527
40,869,524
41,471,912
0.980
0.956
0.982
1.020
2,409,467 2,027,146
2,709,123 2,111,511
0.889
Total
15,805,774
15,664,932
1.009
15,857,833
16,461,105
0.960
0.963
2,423,086 2,029,586
2,360,953 1,935,651
15,950,989
16,040,896
1.026
1.049
0.994
2,447,829 2,031,111
2,543,078 2,015,430
16,121,061
16,454,807
0.963
1.008
0.980
2,463,872 2,022,251
2,541,212 1,999,560
16,251,271
16,535,000
1.011
0.983
46,326,806 9,744,254 8,110,094
47,275,289 10,154,366 8,062,152
64,181,154
65,491,807
0.980
0.970
1.006
0.980
57,700,662 12,153,953 10,132,313
58,870,601 12,353,065 9,933,074
79,986,928
81,156,740
0.985
0.980
0.960
0.984
1.020
0.986
Source: March 2011 CPS, March 2012 CPS, March 2013 CPS, and March 2014 CPS; postcensal Census estimates for March 2011-2014.
Census estimates represent estimates for March 2011-2014 based on the 2010 Census. CPS estimates use weights based on the 2000 Census (March 2011) and 2010 Census (March
2012-March 2014), and with updated Census controls used in the weight calculations.
The weights were calculated using more age detail for children to provide better estimates of children by single year of age.
Note: To calculate WIC eligibles in the CPS, the age/race/gender specific ratios are applied to the CPS weights by age/race/gender to adjust for the under/over count of children in the CPS
relative to the Census estimates. The ratios shown in the total columns (by age/race/gender) are for informational purposes only.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-7
Table A.3b-2013: Current Year Census Estimates and CPS Estimates by Single-Year Age Groups, Race and Gender, March 2014
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
Females
White
Black
Other
Infants
Census estimates
1,378,415
293,998
252,740
CPS estimate
1,377,835
274,510
221,949
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
1.000
1.071
1.139
Children Age 1
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Children Age 2
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Children Age 3
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Children Age 4
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Total Children Ages1 to 4
Census estimates
CPS estimate
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
Males
Total
Total
White
Black
Other
Total
White
Black
Other
Total
1,925,153
1,874,294
1,444,713
1,444,205
307,942
204,755
264,180
260,613
2,016,835
1,909,573
2,823,128
2,822,040
601,940
479,265
516,920
482,562
3,941,988
3,783,867
1.027
1.000
1.504
1.014
1.056
1.000
1.256
1.071
1.042
1,385,595
1,385,327
296,447
315,510
250,678
281,311
1,932,720
1,982,148
1,454,811
1,454,536
306,568
409,284
261,754
265,160
2,023,133
2,128,980
2,840,406
2,839,863
603,015
724,794
512,432
546,471
3,955,853
4,111,128
1.000
0.940
0.891
0.975
1.000
0.749
0.987
0.950
1.000
0.832
0.938
0.962
1,389,221
1,388,975
296,481
290,854
253,672
245,153
1,939,374
1,924,982
1,458,914
1,458,680
306,218
294,328
264,183
244,870
2,029,315
1,997,877
2,848,135
2,847,655
602,699
585,182
517,855
490,023
3,968,689
3,922,859
1.000
1.019
1.035
1.007
1.000
1.040
1.079
1.016
1.000
1.030
1.057
1.012
1,412,170
1,411,880
299,840
292,641
252,917
256,756
1,964,927
1,961,277
1,481,391
1,481,136
309,420
303,141
263,382
277,405
2,054,193
2,061,682
2,893,561
2,893,016
609,260
595,782
516,299
534,161
4,019,120
4,022,959
1.000
1.025
0.985
1.002
1.000
1.021
0.949
0.996
1.000
1.023
0.967
0.999
1,401,267
1,401,031
297,408
309,833
252,890
257,377
1,951,565
1,968,241
1,467,595
1,467,338
305,519
323,244
260,406
265,522
2,033,520
2,056,104
2,868,862
2,868,369
602,927
633,077
513,296
522,899
3,985,085
4,024,345
1.000
0.960
0.983
0.992
1.000
0.945
0.981
0.989
1.000
0.952
0.982
0.990
1,190,176 1,010,157
1,208,838 1,040,597
7,788,586
7,836,648
5,862,711 1,227,725 1,049,725
5,861,690 1,329,997 1,052,957
8,140,161
8,244,644
11,450,964
11,448,903
2,417,901 2,059,882
2,538,835 2,093,554
15,928,747
16,081,292
0.997
0.987
1.000
7,307,424 1,535,667 1,313,905
7,305,895 1,534,752 1,313,570
10,156,996
10,154,217
14,274,092
14,270,943
1.000
1.000
5,588,253
5,587,213
1.000
Total Infants and Children (Age 1-4)
Census estimates
6,966,668
CPS estimate
6,965,048
Ratio of Census estimate
to CPS estimate
1.000
0.985
0.971
0.994
1,484,174 1,262,897
1,483,348 1,262,546
9,713,739
9,710,942
1.001
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
0.923
1.001
1.000
0.952
0.984
0.991
3,019,841 2,576,802
3,018,100 2,576,116
19,870,735
19,865,159
1.001
1.000
1.000
Source: March 2014 CPS; postcensal Census estimates for March 2014.
Census estimates represent estimates for March 2014 based on the 2010 Census. CPS estimates use weights based on the 2010 Census, and with updated Census controls used in the
weight calculations.
The weights were calculated using more age detail for children to provide better estimates of children by single year of age.
Note: To calculate WIC eligibles in the CPS, the age/race/gender specific ratios are applied to the CPS weights by age/race/gender to adjust for the under/over count of children in the CPS
relative to the Census estimates. The ratios shown in the total columns (by age/race/gender) are for informational purposes only.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-8
Table A.3c-2013: Effect of Applying Population Adjustment Factors on Population Counts in the 2014 CPS ASEC by Race and Gender
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
Females
White
Black
Other
Infants
Total
White
Black
Males
Other
Total
Total
White
Black
Other
Total
Population adjustment factor
Revised 2012 CPS estimate
Original 2012 CPS estimate
% relative change
1.000
1,377,835
1,377,835
0.0%
1.071
294,000
274,510
7.1%
1.106
245,387
221,949
10.6%
na
1,917,222
1,874,294
2.3%
1.000
1,444,205
1,444,205
0.0%
1.107
226,685
204,755
10.7%
1.014
264,183
260,613
1.4%
na
1,935,072
1,909,573
1.3%
na
2,822,040
2,822,040
0.0%
na
520,685
479,265
8.6%
na
509,570
482,561
5.6%
na
3,852,294
3,783,867
1.8%
Children Age 1
Population adjustment factor
Revised 2012 CPS estimate
Original 2012 CPS estimate
% relative change
1.000
1,385,327
1,385,327
0.0%
0.940
296,453
315,510
-6.0%
0.939
264,067
281,311
-6.1%
na
1,945,847
1,982,148
-1.8%
1.000
1,454,536
1,454,536
0.0%
0.877
358,860
409,284
-12.3%
0.987
261,766
265,160
-1.3%
na
2,075,162
2,128,980
-2.5%
na
2,839,863
2,839,863
0.0%
na
655,313
724,794
-9.6%
na
525,833
546,472
-3.8%
na
4,021,009
4,111,128
-2.2%
Children Age 2
Population adjustment factor
Revised 2012 CPS estimate
Original 2012 CPS estimate
% relative change
1.000
1,388,975
1,388,975
0.0%
1.019
296,467
290,854
1.9%
1.026
251,405
245,153
2.6%
na
1,936,847
1,924,982
0.6%
1.000
1,458,680
1,458,680
0.0%
1.012
297,859
294,328
1.2%
1.072
262,427
244,870
7.2%
na
2,018,967
1,997,877
1.1%
na
2,847,655
2,847,655
0.0%
na
594,327
585,181
1.6%
na
513,832
490,023
4.9%
na
3,955,813
3,922,860
0.8%
Children Age 3
Population adjustment factor
Revised 2012 CPS estimate
Original 2012 CPS estimate
% relative change
1.000
1,411,880
1,411,880
0.0%
1.000
292,641
292,641
0.0%
1.000
256,756
256,756
0.0%
na
1,961,277
1,961,277
0.0%
1.000
1,481,136
1,481,136
0.0%
1.000
303,141
303,141
0.0%
1.000
277,405
277,405
0.0%
na
2,061,682
2,061,682
0.0%
na
2,893,016
2,893,016
0.0%
na
595,782
595,782
0.0%
na
534,161
534,161
0.0%
na
4,022,959
4,022,959
0.0%
Children Age 4
Population adjustment factor
Revised 2012 CPS estimate
Original 2012 CPS estimate
% relative change
1.000
1,401,031
1,401,031
0.0%
0.988
305,991
309,833
-1.2%
1.000
257,377
257,377
0.0%
na
1,964,399
1,968,241
-0.2%
1.000
1,467,338
1,467,338
0.0%
0.953
307,923
323,244
-4.7%
0.985
261,672
265,522
-1.5%
na
2,036,933
2,056,104
-0.9%
na
2,868,369
2,868,369
0.0%
na
613,914
633,077
-3.0%
na
519,049
522,899
-0.7%
na
4,001,332
4,024,346
-0.6%
Total Children Ages1 to 4
Population adjustment factor
Revised 2012 CPS estimate
Original 2012 CPS estimate
% relative change
na
na
5,587,213 1,191,553
5,587,213 1,208,838
0.0%
-1.4%
na
1,029,604
1,040,597
-1.1%
na
7,808,370
7,836,648
-0.4%
na
na
5,861,690 1,267,783
5,861,690 1,329,997
0.0%
-4.7%
na
1,063,270
1,052,957
1.0%
na
8,192,744
8,244,644
-0.6%
na
na
na
na
11,448,903 2,459,336 2,092,875 16,001,114
11,448,903 2,538,835 2,093,555 16,081,293
0.0%
-3.1%
0.0%
-0.5%
Total Infants and Children (Age 1-4)
Population adjustment factor
na
na
Revised 2012 CPS estimate
6,965,048 1,485,553
Original 2012 CPS estimate
6,965,048 1,483,348
% relative change
0.0%
0.1%
na
1,274,991
1,262,546
1.0%
na
9,725,592
9,710,943
0.2%
na
na
7,305,895 1,494,468
7,305,895 1,534,752
0.0%
-2.6%
na
na
1,327,453 10,127,816
1,313,570 10,154,217
1.1%
-0.3%
na
na
na
na
14,270,944 2,980,021 2,602,444 19,853,408
14,270,944 3,018,100 2,576,116 19,865,160
0.0%
-1.3%
1.0%
-0.1%
Source: March 2011 CPS, March 2012 CPS, March 2013 CPS, and March 2014 CPS; postcensal Census estimates for March 2011-2014.
Census estimates represent estimates for March 2010-2013 based on the 2010 Census. CPS estimates use weights based on the 2000 Census (March 2011) and 2010 Census (March
2012-March 2014), and with updated Census controls used in the weight calculations.
The weights were calculated using more age detail for children to provide better estimates of children by single year of age.
Note: To calculate WIC eligibles in the CPS, the age/race/gender specific ratios are applied to the CPS weights by age/race/gender to adjust for the under/over count of children in the
CPS relative to the Census estimates. The ratios shown in the total columns (by age/race/gender) are for informational purposes only.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-9
Table A.4-2013: Breastfeeding Adjustment Factor Calculations for WIC Eligible Postpartum Women (1993-2013)
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Breastfeeding rates among
WIC-participants (IFS)
In-hospital
0.416
0.443
0.466
0.466
0.504
0.568
0.561
0.568
0.582
0.588
0.543
0.536
0.562
0.531
0.499
0.495
0.507
0.533
0.592
0.610
0.635
At 6 months
0.108
0.116
0.127
0.129
0.165
0.189
0.199
0.201
0.208
0.221
0.210
0.214
0.214
0.191
0.160
0.170
0.176
0.185
0.271
0.310
0.291
Breastfeeding rates among
WIC-eligibles after NHANES
adjustment
In-hospital
0.430
0.458
0.482
0.482
0.521
0.587
0.580
0.587
0.602
0.608
0.561
0.554
0.581
0.549
0.527
0.523
0.535
0.563
0.625
0.644
0.671
At 6 months
0.117
0.126
0.138
0.140
0.179
0.205
0.216
0.218
0.226
0.240
0.228
0.232
0.232
0.207
0.184
0.196
0.202
0.213
0.312
0.357
0.335
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.034
1.056
1.056
1.056
1.056
1.056
1.056
1.056
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.085
1.150
1.150
1.150
1.150
1.150
1.150
1.150
In-hospital
0.274
0.292
0.307
0.307
0.332
0.375
0.370
0.375
0.384
0.388
0.358
0.353
0.371
0.350
0.327
0.324
0.332
0.349
0.388
0.400
0.416
At 6 months
0.096
0.103
0.113
0.115
0.147
0.168
0.177
0.179
0.185
0.197
0.187
0.191
0.191
0.170
0.153
0.163
0.169
0.177
0.260
0.297
0.279
0.185 0.198 0.210 0.211 0.240 0.271 0.274 0.277 0.284 0.292 0.272 0.272 0.281 0.260 0.240 0.244 0.250 0.263 0.324 0.348
<6 months postpartum
0.137 0.146 0.154 0.154 0.166 0.187 0.185 0.187 0.192 0.194 0.179 0.177 0.185 0.175 0.164 0.162 0.166 0.175 0.194 0.200
>=6 months postpartum
0.048 0.052 0.057 0.057 0.073 0.084 0.089 0.089 0.093 0.098 0.093 0.095 0.095 0.085 0.077 0.081 0.084 0.089 0.130 0.148
Not breastfeeding
<6 months postpartum
0.363 0.354 0.346 0.346 0.334 0.313 0.315 0.313 0.308 0.306 0.321 0.323 0.315 0.325 0.337 0.338 0.334 0.325 0.306 0.300
Sources:
Breastfeeding rates among WIC participants for 2013 are from the Infant Feeding Survey, Abbott Nutrition, Abbott Laboratories, as published in "2014 Breastfeeding Trends" . This survey was formerly
known as the "Ross Mothers Survey".
Adjustment for WIC eligible versus WIC participants from analysis of the combined 2001-2002, 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 NHANES.
Adjustment for using month 0 and month 6 breastfeeding rates (rather than monthly rates) and for certification periods from analysis of the 1996, 2001, and 2004 SIPP panels with breastfeeding prevalence
rates derived from the combined 2001-2002, 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 NHANES.
Note: The columns corresponding to 1993 to 2006 use SIPP adjustment factors based on 1996 and 2001 SIPP panels. The 2007 through 2012 columns include the 2004 SIPP panel as well.
0.347
0.208
0.139
NHANES 'In-hospital'
adjustment factor
NHANES 'At 6 months'
adjustment factor
Breastfeeding rates among
WIC-eligibles after
adjustment for overestimate
of monthly eligibility
Breastfeeding adjustment
factors
Breastfeeding
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-10
0.292
Table A.5-2013: A Comparison of Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible
for WIC by Participant Group in the March 2014 CPS.
According to Whether the 2013 or 2012 Breastfeeding Rates are Used
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories.
2013 (Using 2013 Breastfeeding Rates)
NonParticipant Group
Infants
Eligibles
a
Eligibles
Total
b
2013 (Using 2012 Breastfeeding Rates)
NonEligibles
a
Eligibles
Total
b
Percent Change
Eligibles
NonEligibles
Total
2,387,223
1,509,466
3,896,689
2,387,223
1,509,466
3,896,689
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
Total Children Ages 1-4
Children Age 1
Children Age 2
Children Age 3
Children Age 4
9,053,165
2,285,482
2,280,827
2,224,943
2,261,914
7,132,953
1,780,591
1,720,171
1,845,197
1,786,994
16,186,118
4,066,073
4,000,997
4,070,139
4,048,908
9,053,165
2,285,482
2,280,827
2,224,943
2,261,914
7,132,953
1,780,591
1,720,171
1,845,197
1,786,994
16,186,118
4,066,073
4,000,997
4,070,139
4,048,908
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
Pregnant Women
1,228,252
1,228,252
0.00%
826,003
694,264
828,158
713,740
-0.26%
-2.73%
Postpartum Breastfeeding Women
Postpartum Non-Breastfeeding Women
Total WIC Eligibles
14,188,907
14,210,539
-0.15%
Source: March 2014 CPS; 2004 and 2008 SIPP panels; 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2005-2006 NHANES
Notes:
a
The non-eligible infants and children represent the difference between the total estimates of infants and children age 1 to 4 in the total United States and the WIC-eligible
infants and children.
b
The total numbers of infants and children represent the sum of the March 2014 total number of infants and children adjusted for the under and over count of infants and
children in the CPS relative to Census estimates, plus the numbers of infants and children in Puerto Rico and the other island territories based on the 2013 PRCS and
annual Census Bureau population estimates.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-11
Table A.6-2013: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC by Participant Group
CY 2013 (March 2014 CPS)
NOTE: Estimates for the territories are added at the bottom of this table. The top portion of this table does not include estimates from the territories.
Total
Children
Children
Children
Children
Children
Infants
Age 1
Age 2
Age 3
Age 4
Age 1 to 4
Pregnant
Women
Postpartum
Breastfeeding
Women
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Women
Total
Total number of infants/children in the 2013 CPS-ASEC
3,783,867
4,111,128
3,922,860
4,022,959
4,024,346
16,081,293
19,865,160
Number (non-U.S. Territory) after adjustment for CPS
under/over counta
3,852,294
4,021,009
3,955,813
4,022,959
4,001,332
16,001,114
19,853,408
Number with annual income <185% FPG
1,619,876
1,737,479
1,734,875
1,676,574
1,676,922
6,825,850
8,445,726
463,270
133,034
486
329,750
487,517
83,224
498
403,794
486,151
83,858
8,022
394,270
488,916
75,880
8,128
404,908
524,936
172,633
7,151
345,152
1,987,520
415,596
23,800
1,548,124
2,450,790
548,630
24,286
1,877,874
Total number income and adjunctively eligible
2,083,146
2,224,996
2,221,026
2,165,490
2,201,858
8,813,370
10,896,516
Number after monthly income adjustmentc
2,416,450
2,269,496
2,265,446
2,208,800
2,245,895
8,989,637
11,406,087
2,343,956
2,246,801
2,242,792
2,186,712
2,223,436
8,899,741
Number of additional people adjunctively eligible above 185%
FPG
Through SNAPb
Through TANF
Through Medicaid
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for nutritional
risk (infants and children)d
Starting point for estimates of women is fully eligible infants
Number after adjustment for length of pregnancy and income
of woman during pregnancye
Number after adjustment for multiple births and infant deaths
11,243,697
2,343,956
2,343,956
2,343,956
1,248,157
f
1,243,289
7,031,868
1,248,157
2,334,815
2,334,815
5,912,918
811,032
681,681
1,492,713
1,205,990
811,032
681,681
2,698,703
Number after adjustment for breastfeeding
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for nutritional
risk (pregnant and postpartum women)d
Source: March 2014 CPS
CY 2013 - Eligibles in the U.S. Territories
Total Eligibles in the U.S. Territories
Source: 2013 PRCS and Census International Data Base
Total Eligibles - States and Territories U.S. Total
Infants
Children
Age 1
Children
Age 2
Children
Age 3
Children
Age 4
Total
Children
Ages 1-4
Pregnant
Women
Postpartum
Breastfeeding
Women
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Women
43,267
38,681
38,035
38,231
38,477
153,424
22,262
14,971
12,583
Total
246,508
2,387,223
2,285,482
2,280,827
2,224,943
2,261,914
9,053,165
1,228,252
826,003
694,264
14,188,907
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-12
Notes for Table A.6-2013:
FPG = Federal poverty guidelines
a
See Tables A.3a and A3.b for the adjustment factors used to correct for the under/over count of infants and children in
the CPS relative to estimates based on the Census. Table A.3a compares 4 years of accumulated CPS and Census
estimates for children ages 0 to 4 by single years of age, gender and race (white, black, and other) and calculates
adjustment factors based on the ratio of the Census estimate to the CPS estimate. Table A.3b shows the impact of the
adjustment factors on the original March 2014 CPS estimates of children ages 0-4 by single years of age, gender, and
race.
b
There is a hierarchy imposed on the number of infants and children adjunctively eligible for WIC. Any mention of
SNAP receipt is coded as SNAP; if no mention of SNAP, but report TANF, coded as TANF. If no mention of SNAP or
TANF, coded as Medicaid.
c
The SIPP-based multipliers used to adjust for monthly versus annual income and to account for certification periods are:
Infants:
1.16
Children:
1.02
d
The adjustment factors for nutritional risk by participant group are:
Infants
0.97
Children
0.99
Pregnant women
0.97
Postpartum breastfeeding women
1.00
Postpartum nonbreastfeeding women
1.00
e
The multiplier used to adjust for the length of pregnancy and a woman's income during pregnancy is:
Pregnancy length and income
0.533
f
The multiplier used to adjust for multiple births and infants deaths is:
Multiple births and infants death
0.9961
g
The multipliers used to adjust for breastfeeding status are:
Less than 12 months who breastfeed
0.347
Less than 6 months who do not breastfeed
0.292
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-13
Table A.7a-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Unadjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Infants
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 2
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,579,217
eligible c
452,646
Total
2,031,864
FPGb
1,789,271
eligible c
499,133
Total
2,288,404
FPGb
1,719,612
eligible c
481,322
Total
2,200,935
808,420
770,797
174,234
278,412
982,654
1,049,209
910,436
878,835
248,902
250,231
1,159,338
1,129,066
880,495
839,117
262,027
219,295
1,142,523
1,058,412
1,026,550
329,318
223,349
327,166
52,433
73,047
1,353,716
381,752
296,396
1,117,081
469,869
202,321
335,254
90,996
72,883
1,452,334
560,865
275,204
1,123,482
403,960
192,171
344,511
69,239
67,573
1,467,992
473,199
259,744
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
601,977
977,241
144,318
308,328
746,294
1,285,569
622,755
1,166,516
158,027
341,106
780,782
1,507,622
590,531
1,129,081
169,978
311,345
760,509
1,440,426
Living arrangement
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
966,798
532,112
80,307
36,819
43,487
335,174
106,437
11,035
11,035
0
1,301,972
638,550
91,342
47,855
43,487
1,029,145
667,413
92,713
60,356
32,357
386,540
88,531
24,062
24,062
0
1,415,685
755,944
116,775
84,418
32,357
948,607
694,463
76,542
38,627
37,916
335,799
117,493
28,030
28,030
0
1,284,406
811,955
104,573
66,657
37,916
Household size (number of persons)
2
81,879
3
380,507
4
386,287
5
331,915
6 or more
398,629
Mean
4.6
6,953
119,174
122,176
97,793
106,550
4.6
88,832
499,681
508,463
429,708
505,179
4.6
106,853
375,308
476,494
411,867
418,750
4.6
11,787
146,630
144,202
107,531
88,982
4.4
118,640
521,938
620,696
519,398
507,732
4.5
109,214
324,638
515,863
387,349
382,549
4.6
7,614
135,616
142,835
105,944
89,314
4.5
116,828
460,254
658,698
493,292
471,863
4.6
Number with working parent(s)
850,016
388,440
1,238,456
1,123,973
444,126
1,568,099
1,194,483
416,251
1,610,733
Annual family income relative to povertyb
Less than 50% FPL
483,481
50% to <100% FPL
428,219
100% to <130% FPL
272,670
d
130% to <185% FPL
382,125
185% to <200% FPL
12,271
200% to <250% FPL
451
250% FPL and above
0
0
0
0
6,134
65,549
98,059
282,904
483,481
428,219
272,670
388,259
77,821
98,510
282,904
501,465
479,648
297,800
506,046
2,348
1,964
0
0
0
0
20,339
45,732
141,394
291,667
501,465
479,648
297,800
526,386
48,079
143,359
291,667
424,166
479,711
332,855
471,001
10,964
914
0
0
0
0
8,015
38,648
112,389
322,270
424,166
479,711
332,855
479,016
49,613
113,303
322,270
Annual family income
Mean
Median
$21,133
$20,002
$93,482
$66,502
$37,250
$26,000
$22,499
$22,000
$82,553
$68,872
$35,598
$28,600
$23,524
$23,000
$102,361
$73,204
$40,765
$28,700
310,552
118,580
0
637,503
5,679
91,854
0
415,050
0
9,571
0
92,646
486
28,784
0
321,159
310,552
128,151
0
730,150
6,165
120,638
0
736,209
413,357
114,388
0
720,918
14,908
50,950
0
474,750
0
10,665
0
52,052
498
23,680
0
412,237
413,357
125,053
0
772,970
15,406
74,630
0
886,987
423,267
114,773
2,427
594,598
9,107
84,252
0
491,187
0
3,915
0
66,531
7,924
13,046
0
389,907
423,267
118,689
2,427
661,129
17,031
97,298
0
881,094
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Gender
Male
Female
Race
White
Black
Other
Benefit receipt
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-14
Table A.7a-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Unadjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 3
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1 to 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,676,574
eligible c
488,917
Total
2,165,490
FPGb
1,690,521
eligible c
528,542
Total
2,219,063
FPGb
6,875,978
eligible c
1,997,913
Total
8,873,891
843,069
833,505
269,391
219,526
1,112,460
1,053,030
854,417
836,104
277,353
251,189
1,131,770
1,087,293
3,488,417
3,387,560
1,057,673
940,240
4,546,090
4,327,801
1,138,920
342,590
195,064
338,096
75,020
75,801
1,477,016
417,610
270,865
1,072,452
393,171
224,898
354,667
113,610
60,265
1,427,119
506,781
285,163
4,451,934
1,609,589
814,454
1,372,527
348,865
276,522
5,824,461
1,958,454
1,090,976
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
677,940
998,634
132,909
356,007
810,849
1,354,642
613,659
1,076,862
148,704
379,837
762,364
1,456,699
2,504,884
4,371,093
609,618
1,388,295
3,114,503
5,759,388
Living arrangement
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
963,684
633,184
79,705
51,855
27,850
291,527
173,694
23,695
23,695
0
1,255,211
806,879
103,400
75,550
27,850
838,475
754,510
97,536
69,581
27,955
325,539
145,269
57,734
57,734
0
1,164,013
899,779
155,270
127,315
27,955
3,779,911
2,749,570
346,497
220,418
126,078
1,339,405
524,987
133,522
133,522
0
5,119,316
3,274,557
480,018
353,940
126,078
Household size (number of persons)
2
3
4
5
6 or more
Mean
76,608
293,523
544,142
357,015
405,286
4.7
36,688
104,311
147,715
87,790
112,412
4.5
113,296
397,834
691,857
444,805
517,698
4.6
98,486
273,869
510,555
422,240
385,371
4.6
24,582
123,098
148,839
108,968
123,055
4.7
123,069
396,967
659,394
531,207
508,426
4.6
391,161
1,267,338
2,047,053
1,578,470
1,591,955
4.6
80,670
509,655
583,592
410,233
413,763
4.5
471,832
1,776,993
2,630,645
1,988,702
2,005,719
4.6
1,080,973
423,994
1,504,967
1,133,714
451,838
1,585,552
4,533,143
1,736,209
6,269,352
Annual family income relative to poverty
Less than 50% FPL
475,427
50% to <100% FPL
447,336
100% to <130% FPL
253,748
130% to <185% FPLd
487,542
185% to <200% FPL
10,177
200% to <250% FPL
2,345
250% FPL and above
0
0
0
0
1,412
37,990
149,650
299,864
475,427
447,336
253,748
488,954
48,167
151,995
299,864
451,655
433,795
295,938
495,001
10,920
3,210
0
0
0
0
15,931
57,955
151,106
303,550
451,655
433,795
295,938
510,932
68,875
154,316
303,550
1,852,714
1,840,490
1,180,341
1,959,590
34,409
8,433
0
0
0
0
45,697
180,325
554,540
1,217,351
1,852,714
1,840,490
1,180,341
2,005,288
214,734
562,973
1,217,351
Annual family income
Mean
Median
$22,903
$22,480
$92,324
$71,363
$38,576
$28,800
$23,861
$22,000
$90,553
$70,000
$39,746
$30,000
$23,189
$22,700
$91,832
$70,300
$38,643
$29,000
372,374
128,395
0
642,965
1,938
106,753
0
424,148
0
4,518
0
61,345
8,128
10,016
0
404,908
372,374
132,913
0
704,311
10,066
116,769
0
829,056
395,704
113,978
0
671,860
4,627
75,871
0
428,481
0
8,853
0
136,282
7,151
29,307
0
346,950
395,704
122,831
0
808,142
11,779
105,178
0
775,430
1,604,703
471,534
2,427
2,630,342
30,581
317,826
0
1,818,566
0
27,952
0
316,210
23,701
76,049
0
1,554,001
1,604,703
499,486
2,427
2,946,552
54,282
393,875
0
3,372,567
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Gender
Male
Female
Race
White
Black
Other
Number with working parent(s)
b
Benefit receipt
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-15
Table A.7a-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Unadjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Infants
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 2
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,579,217
eligible c
452,646
Total
2,031,864
FPGb
1,789,271
eligible c
499,133
Total
2,288,404
FPGb
1,719,612
eligible c
481,322
Total
2,200,935
Gender (% distribution)
Male
Female
51.2
48.8
38.5
61.5
48.4
51.6
50.9
49.1
49.9
50.1
50.7
49.3
51.2
48.8
54.4
45.6
51.9
48.1
Race (% distribution)
White
Black
Other
65.0
20.9
14.1
72.3
11.6
16.1
66.6
18.8
14.6
62.4
26.3
11.3
67.2
18.2
14.6
63.5
24.5
12.0
65.3
23.5
11.2
71.6
14.4
14.0
66.7
21.5
11.8
Ethnicity (% distribution)
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
38.1
61.9
31.9
68.1
36.7
63.3
34.8
65.2
31.7
68.3
34.1
65.9
34.3
65.7
35.3
64.7
34.6
65.4
Living arrangement (% distribution)
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
61.2
33.7
5.1
2.3
2.8
74.0
23.5
2.4
2.4
0.0
64.1
31.4
4.5
2.4
2.1
57.5
37.3
5.2
3.4
1.8
77.4
17.7
4.8
4.8
0.0
61.9
33.0
5.1
3.7
1.4
55.2
40.4
4.5
2.2
2.2
69.8
24.4
5.8
5.8
0.0
58.4
36.9
4.8
3.0
1.7
Number of people in household (% distribution)
2
5.2
3
24.1
4
24.5
5
21.0
6 or more
25.2
1.5
26.3
27.0
21.6
23.5
4.4
24.6
25.0
21.1
24.9
6.0
21.0
26.6
23.0
23.4
2.4
29.4
28.9
21.5
17.8
5.2
22.8
27.1
22.7
22.2
6.4
18.9
30.0
22.5
22.2
1.6
28.2
29.7
22.0
18.6
5.3
20.9
29.9
22.4
21.4
% with working parent(s)
85.8
61.0
62.8
89.0
68.5
69.5
86.5
73.2
Annual family income relative to povertyb (% distribution)
Less than 50% FPL
30.6
0.0
50% to <100% FPL
27.1
0.0
100% to <130% FPL
17.3
0.0
130% to <185% FPLd
24.2
1.4
185% to <200% FPL
0.8
14.5
200% to <250% FPL
0.0
21.7
250% FPL and above
0.0
62.5
23.8
21.1
13.4
19.1
3.8
4.8
13.9
28.0
26.8
16.6
28.3
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.1
9.2
28.3
58.4
21.9
21.0
13.0
23.0
2.1
6.3
12.7
24.7
27.9
19.4
27.4
0.6
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.7
8.0
23.4
67.0
19.3
21.8
15.1
21.8
2.3
5.1
14.6
15.3
6.3
0.0
35.9
0.3
5.9
0.0
36.2
23.1
6.4
0.0
40.3
0.8
2.8
0.0
26.5
0.0
2.1
0.0
10.4
0.1
4.7
0.0
82.6
18.1
5.5
0.0
33.8
0.7
3.3
0.0
38.8
24.6
6.7
0.1
34.6
0.5
4.9
0.0
28.6
0.0
0.8
0.0
13.8
1.6
2.7
0.0
81.0
19.2
5.4
0.1
30.0
0.8
4.4
0.0
40.0
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Benefit receipt (% distribution)
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
53.8
19.7
7.5
0.0
40.4
0.4
5.8
0.0
26.3
0.0
2.1
0.0
20.5
0.1
6.4
0.0
71.0
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-16
Table A.7a-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Unadjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 3
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1 to 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,676,574
eligible c
488,917
Total
2,165,490
FPGb
1,690,521
eligible c
528,542
Total
2,219,063
FPGb
6,875,978
eligible c
1,997,913
Total
8,873,891
Gender (% distribution)
Male
Female
50.3
49.7
55.1
44.9
51.4
48.6
50.5
49.5
52.5
47.5
51.0
49.0
50.7
49.3
52.9
47.1
51.2
48.8
Race (% distribution)
White
Black
Other
67.9
20.4
11.6
69.2
15.3
15.5
68.2
19.3
12.5
63.4
23.3
13.3
67.1
21.5
11.4
64.3
22.8
12.9
64.7
23.4
11.8
68.7
17.5
13.8
65.6
22.1
12.3
Ethnicity (% distribution)
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
40.4
59.6
27.2
72.8
37.4
62.6
36.3
63.7
28.1
71.9
34.4
65.6
36.4
63.6
30.5
69.5
35.1
64.9
Living arrangement (% distribution)
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
57.5
37.8
4.8
3.1
1.7
59.6
35.5
4.8
4.8
0.0
58.0
37.3
4.8
3.5
1.3
49.6
44.6
5.8
4.1
1.7
61.6
27.5
10.9
10.9
0.0
52.5
40.5
7.0
5.7
1.3
55.0
40.0
5.0
3.2
1.8
67.0
26.3
6.7
6.7
0.0
57.7
36.9
5.4
4.0
1.4
Number of people in household (% distribution)
2
4.6
3
17.5
4
32.5
5
21.3
6 or more
24.2
7.5
21.3
30.2
18.0
23.0
5.2
18.4
31.9
20.5
23.9
5.8
16.2
30.2
25.0
22.8
4.7
23.3
28.2
20.6
23.3
5.5
17.9
29.7
23.9
22.9
5.7
18.4
29.8
23.0
23.2
4.0
25.5
29.2
20.5
20.7
5.3
20.0
29.6
22.4
22.6
% with working parent(s)
86.7
69.5
67.1
85.5
71.5
65.9
86.9
70.6
Annual family income relative to povertyb (% distribution)
Less than 50% FPL
28.4
0.0
50% to <100% FPL
26.7
0.0
100% to <130% FPL
15.1
0.0
130% to <185% FPLd
29.1
0.3
185% to <200% FPL
0.6
7.8
200% to <250% FPL
0.1
30.6
250% FPL and above
0.0
61.3
22.0
20.7
11.7
22.6
2.2
7.0
13.8
26.7
25.7
17.5
29.3
0.6
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
3.0
11.0
28.6
57.4
20.4
19.5
13.3
23.0
3.1
7.0
13.7
26.9
26.8
17.2
28.5
0.5
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.3
9.0
27.8
60.9
20.9
20.7
13.3
22.6
2.4
6.3
13.7
17.2
6.1
0.0
32.5
0.5
5.4
0.0
38.3
23.4
6.7
0.0
39.7
0.3
4.5
0.0
25.3
0.0
1.7
0.0
25.8
1.4
5.5
0.0
65.6
17.8
5.5
0.0
36.4
0.5
4.7
0.0
34.9
23.3
6.9
0.0
38.3
0.4
4.6
0.0
26.4
0.0
1.4
0.0
15.8
1.2
3.8
0.0
77.8
18.1
5.6
0.0
33.2
0.6
4.4
0.0
38.0
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Benefit receipt (% distribution)
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
64.5
22.2
7.7
0.0
38.3
0.1
6.4
0.0
25.3
0.0
0.9
0.0
12.5
1.7
2.0
0.0
82.8
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-17
Notes for Table A.7a-2013:
FPG - Federal Poverty Guidelines
FPL - Federal Poverty Level
a
These estimates are tabulated from the unadjusted person weights on the 2014 CPS-ASEC. They are not adjusted to account for the under or over count of
infants and children in the CPS relative to Census estimates, monthly income, or nutritional risk.
b
This table uses both the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) and the Federal Poverty Thresholds or "Levels" (FPL). The thresholds are used to calculate the ratio
of annual family income to the poverty threshold for their family size. The guidelines are used in determining WIC eligibility. The Federal Poverty Thresholds are
updated by the Census Bureau each year and are used mainly to produce official poverty population estimates. The Federal Poverty Guidelines are issued by
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use in determining financial eligibility for certain federal
programs, including WIC.
c
Infants and children adjunctively eligible are those whose family income was not below 185% FPG but who reported receipt of SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Therefore, the two categories are mutually exclusive.
d
There are infants and children adjunctively eligible for WIC with annual family incomes above 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) who have
annual family incomes below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For example, in January 2013 a family of five with three children and an annual family
income of $45,125 has an income to FPL ratio of 1.58, but an income to FPG ratio of 1.64 (FPL for a family of 5 = $28,498; FPG for a family of 5 = $27,570).
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-18
This page was left intentionally blank.
Table A.7b-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Fully adjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Infants
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 2
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,822,685
eligible c
521,272
Total
2,343,957
FPGb
1,754,506
eligible c
492,294
Total
2,246,800
FPGb
1,751,877
eligible c
490,915
Total
2,242,793
930,115
892,570
198,341
322,932
1,128,456
1,215,501
886,289
868,217
244,373
247,921
1,130,663
1,116,137
898,109
853,768
268,122
222,793
1,166,231
1,076,561
Race
White
Black
Other
1,155,075
403,091
264,519
368,127
63,879
89,266
1,523,202
466,970
353,785
1,128,028
429,639
196,839
338,539
83,009
70,746
1,466,567
512,649
267,584
1,134,492
414,239
203,147
347,887
71,031
71,998
1,482,379
485,269
275,145
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
681,481
1,141,204
163,327
357,946
844,807
1,499,150
625,196
1,129,310
157,253
335,041
782,449
1,464,351
598,472
1,153,405
172,408
318,508
770,879
1,471,913
Living arrangement
Two-parent family
1,108,724
Single-parent family
620,169
No-parent family
93,791
Related non-parent caretaker
42,346
Unrelated non-parent caretaker 51,445
385,444
123,227
12,601
12,601.0
0
1,494,169
743,396
106,392
54,947
51,445
1,020,241
642,435
91,830
59,305
32,525
382,123
86,315
23,856
23,856
0
1,402,364
728,749
115,686
83,161
32,525
965,183
708,668
78,027
39,399
38,627
342,863
119,675
28,377
28,377
0
1,308,046
828,343
106,404
67,776
38,627
Household size (number of persons)
2
96,831
3
439,269
4
444,074
5
384,774
6 or more
457,737
Mean
4.6
8,146
137,937
140,294
112,727
122,169
4.6
104,976
577,206
584,368
497,501
579,907
4.6
103,476
366,771
466,748
405,511
412,000
4.6
11,536
144,986
141,587
105,164
89,021
4.4
115,011
511,758
608,335
510,675
501,021
4.5
111,679
331,292
525,460
394,623
388,824
4.6
7,800
138,441
145,703
108,049
90,923
4.5
119,480
469,733
671,162
502,672
479,746
4.6
Number with working parent(s)
973,606
447,796
1,421,402
1,105,028
438,472
1,543,499
1,215,228
424,581
1,639,810
Annual family income relative to povertyb
Less than 50% FPL
561,374
50% to <100% FPL
498,354
100% to <130% FPL
312,726
130% to <185% FPLd
435,787
185% to <200% FPL
13,937
200% to <250% FPL
508
250% FPL and above
0
0
0
0
7,238
76,467
112,738
324,829
561,374
498,354
312,726
443,024
90,404
113,246
324,829
489,622
467,001
295,089
498,522
2,305
1,966
0
0
0
0
19,672
44,973
141,423
286,226
489,622
467,001
295,089
518,194
47,278
143,388
286,226
433,701
489,437
337,686
478,867
11,247
940
0
0
0
0
8,094
39,226
113,973
329,622
433,701
489,437
337,686
486,960
50,473
114,913
329,622
Annual family income
Mean
Median
$21,029
$20,000
$93,557
$66,200
$37,159
$25,764
$22,583
$22,326
$82,306
$68,872
$35,669
$28,600
$23,491
$23,000
$102,817
$73,204
$40,854
$28,638
354,359
138,450
0
740,663
6,516
107,523
0
475,173
0
10,769
0
104,914
547
34,007
0
371,035
354,359
149,219
0
845,577
7,063
141,530
0
846,208
407,686
110,271
0
705,144
14,376
50,302
0
466,728
0
9,932
0
51,473
503
22,636
0
407,751
407,686
120,202
0
756,617
14,879
72,937
0
874,478
431,170
117,456
2,498
606,506
9,270
85,730
0
499,248
0
4,011
0
67,307
8,101
13,362
0
398,134
431,170
121,467
2,498
673,813
17,371
99,091
0
897,382
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Gender
Male
Female
Benefit receipt
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-20
Table A.7b-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Fully adjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 3
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Ages 1-4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,693,004
eligible c
493,708
Total
2,186,712
FPGb
1,693,356
eligible c
530,081
Total
2,223,436
FPGb
6,892,743
eligible c
2,006,998
Total
8,899,741
851,331
841,673
272,031
221,677
1,123,362
1,063,350
851,479
841,877
277,151
252,929
1,128,630
1,094,806
3,487,208
3,405,535
1,061,677
945,321
4,548,886
4,350,855
Race
White
Black
Other
1,150,081
345,947
196,975
341,409
75,755
76,544
1,491,490
421,702
273,519
1,082,962
385,038
225,356
358,143
111,321
60,617
1,441,105
496,359
285,973
4,495,563
1,574,863
822,317
1,385,978
341,116
279,904
5,881,541
1,915,979
1,102,221
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
684,583
1,008,421
134,212
359,496
818,795
1,367,917
618,282
1,075,074
149,665
380,416
767,946
1,455,490
2,526,532
4,366,210
613,537
1,393,461
3,140,070
5,759,671
Living arrangement
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
973,129
639,389
80,486
52,363
28,123
294,384
175,397
23,927
23,927
0
1,267,512
814,786
104,414
76,290
28,123
842,572
753,045
97,739
69,593
28,145
326,861
145,299
57,920
57,920
0
1,169,433
898,344
155,659
127,513
28,145
3,801,124
2,743,537
348,081
220,660
127,421
1,346,232
526,686
134,081
134,081
0
5,147,356
3,270,223
482,162
354,741
127,421
Household size (number of persons)
2
3
4
5
6 or more
Mean
77,359
296,399
549,474
360,514
409,258
4.7
37,047
105,333
149,163
88,650
113,514
4.5
114,406
401,732
698,637
449,164
522,772
4.6
98,334
273,726
510,891
424,193
386,211
4.6
24,594
123,037
149,555
109,181
123,714
4.7
122,928
396,763
660,446
533,374
509,925
4.6
390,848
1,268,189
2,052,573
1,584,840
1,596,293
4.6
80,977
511,797
586,007
411,045
417,172
4.5
471,825
1,779,986
2,638,580
1,995,884
2,013,465
4.6
1,091,567
428,149
1,519,716
1,136,405
453,186
1,589,591
4,548,228
1,744,388
6,292,616
Annual family income relative to povertyb
Less than 50% FPL
480,086
50% to <100% FPL
451,719
100% to <130% FPL
256,234
d
130% to <185% FPL
492,320
185% to <200% FPL
10,277
200% to <250% FPL
2,368
250% FPL and above
0
0
0
0
1,426
38,363
151,117
302,803
480,086
451,719
256,234
493,746
48,639
153,484
302,803
451,441
433,889
296,926
496,920
10,948
3,233
0
0
0
0
15,661
58,060
151,402
304,957
451,441
433,889
296,926
512,581
69,008
154,635
304,957
1,854,850
1,842,046
1,185,935
1,966,628
34,777
8,507
0
0
0
0
44,853
180,622
557,915
1,223,609
1,854,850
1,842,046
1,185,935
2,011,481
215,399
566,421
1,223,609
Annual family income
Mean
Median
$22,903
$22,480
$92,324
$71,363
$38,576
$28,800
$23,894
$22,400
$90,629
$70,000
$39,804
$30,000
$23,214
$22,800
$91,986
$70,351
$38,723
$29,000
376,024
129,653
0
649,267
1,957
107,799
0
428,304
0
4,563
0
61,947
8,208
10,115
0
408,877
376,024
134,216
0
711,213
10,165
117,914
0
837,181
397,631
113,908
0
671,409
4,648
76,093
0
429,667
0
8,820
0
136,285
7,221
29,219
0
348,535
397,631
122,729
0
807,694
11,869
105,312
0
778,202
1,612,511
471,288
2,498
2,632,325
30,251
319,924
0
1,823,946
0
27,326
0
317,012
24,033
75,331
0
1,563,297
1,612,511
498,614
2,498
2,949,337
54,285
395,255
0
3,387,243
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Gender
Male
Female
Number with working parent(s)
Benefit receipt
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-21
Table A.7b-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Fully adjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Infants
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 2
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,822,685
eligible c
521,272
Total
2,343,957
FPGb
1,754,506
eligible c
492,294
Total
2,246,800
FPGb
1,751,877
eligible c
490,915
Total
2,242,793
Gender (% distribution)
Male
Female
51.0
49.0
38.0
62.0
48.1
51.9
50.5
49.5
49.6
50.4
50.3
49.7
51.3
48.7
54.6
45.4
52.0
48.0
Race (% distribution)
White
Black
Other
63.4
22.1
14.5
70.6
12.3
17.1
65.0
19.9
15.1
64.3
24.5
11.2
68.8
16.9
14.4
65.3
22.8
11.9
64.8
23.6
11.6
70.9
14.5
14.7
66.1
21.6
12.3
Ethnicity (% distribution)
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
37.4
62.6
31.3
68.7
36.0
64.0
35.6
64.4
31.9
68.1
34.8
65.2
34.2
65.8
35.1
64.9
34.4
65.6
Living arrangement (% distribution)
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
60.8
34.0
5.1
2.3
2.8
73.9
23.6
2.4
2.4
0.0
63.7
31.7
4.5
2.3
2.2
58.1
36.6
5.2
3.4
1.9
77.6
17.5
4.8
4.8
0.0
62.4
32.4
5.1
3.7
1.4
55.1
40.5
4.5
2.2
2.2
69.8
24.4
5.8
5.8
0.0
58.3
36.9
4.7
3.0
1.7
Number of people in household (% distribution)
2
5.3
3
24.1
4
24.4
5
21.1
6 or more
25.1
1.6
26.5
26.9
21.6
23.4
4.5
24.6
24.9
21.2
24.7
5.9
20.9
26.6
23.1
23.5
2.3
29.5
28.8
21.4
18.1
5.1
22.8
27.1
22.7
22.3
6.4
18.9
30.0
22.5
22.2
1.6
28.2
29.7
22.0
18.5
5.3
20.9
29.9
22.4
21.4
% with working parent(s)
85.9
60.6
63.0
89.1
68.7
69.4
86.5
73.1
Annual family income relative to povertyb (% distribution)
Less than 50% FPL
30.8
0.0
50% to <100% FPL
27.3
0.0
100% to <130% FPL
17.2
0.0
130% to <185% FPLd
23.9
1.4
185% to <200% FPL
0.8
14.7
200% to <250% FPL
0.0
21.6
250% FPL and above
0.0
62.3
23.9
21.3
13.3
18.9
3.9
4.8
13.9
27.9
26.6
16.8
28.4
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.0
9.1
28.7
58.1
21.8
20.8
13.1
23.1
2.1
6.4
12.7
24.8
27.9
19.3
27.3
0.6
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.6
8.0
23.2
67.1
19.3
21.8
15.1
21.7
2.3
5.1
14.7
15.1
6.4
0.0
36.1
0.3
6.0
0.0
36.1
23.2
6.3
0.0
40.2
0.8
2.9
0.0
26.6
0.0
2.0
0.0
10.5
0.1
4.6
0.0
82.8
18.1
5.3
0.0
33.7
0.7
3.2
0.0
38.9
24.6
6.7
0.1
34.6
0.5
4.9
0.0
28.5
0.0
0.8
0.0
13.7
1.7
2.7
0.0
81.1
19.2
5.4
0.1
30.0
0.8
4.4
0.0
40.0
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Benefit receipt (% distribution)
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
53.4
19.4
7.6
0.0
40.6
0.4
5.9
0.0
26.1
0.0
2.1
0.0
20.1
0.1
6.5
0.0
71.2
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-22
Table A.7b-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics - CY 2013
Fully adjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 3
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
WIC-Eligible Children
Age 1 to 4
Family
income
Adjunct<185%
ively
FPGb
1,693,004
eligible c
493,708
Total
2,186,712
FPGb
1,693,356
eligible c
530,081
Total
2,223,436
FPGb
6,892,743
eligible c
2,006,998
Total
8,899,741
Gender (% distribution)
Male
Female
50.3
49.7
55.1
44.9
51.4
48.6
50.3
49.7
52.3
47.7
50.8
49.2
50.6
49.4
52.9
47.1
51.1
48.9
Race (% distribution)
White
Black
Other
67.9
20.4
11.6
69.2
15.3
15.5
68.2
19.3
12.5
64.0
22.7
13.3
67.6
21.0
11.4
64.8
22.3
12.9
65.2
22.8
11.9
69.1
17.0
13.9
66.1
21.5
12.4
Ethnicity (% distribution)
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
40.4
59.6
27.2
72.8
37.4
62.6
36.5
63.5
28.2
71.8
34.5
65.5
36.7
63.3
30.6
69.4
35.3
64.7
Living arrangement (% distribution)
Two-parent family
Single-parent family
No-parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
57.5
37.8
4.8
3.1
1.7
59.6
35.5
4.8
4.8
0.0
58.0
37.3
4.8
3.5
1.3
49.8
44.5
5.8
4.1
1.7
61.7
27.4
10.9
10.9
0.0
52.6
40.4
7.0
5.7
1.3
55.1
39.8
5.0
3.2
1.8
67.1
26.2
6.7
6.7
0.0
57.8
36.7
5.4
4.0
1.4
Number of people in household (% distribution)
2
4.6
3
17.5
4
32.5
5
21.3
6 or more
24.2
7.5
21.3
30.2
18.0
23.0
5.2
18.4
31.9
20.5
23.9
5.8
16.2
30.2
25.1
22.8
4.6
23.2
28.2
20.6
23.3
5.5
17.8
29.7
24.0
22.9
5.7
18.4
29.8
23.0
23.2
4.0
25.5
29.2
20.5
20.8
5.3
20.0
29.6
22.4
22.6
% with working parent(s)
86.7
69.5
67.1
85.5
71.5
66.0
86.9
70.7
Annual family income relative to povertyb (% distribution)
Less than 50% FPL
28.4
0.0
50% to <100% FPL
26.7
0.0
100% to <130% FPL
15.1
0.0
130% to <185% FPLd
29.1
0.3
185% to <200% FPL
0.6
7.8
200% to <250% FPL
0.1
30.6
250% FPL and above
0.0
61.3
22.0
20.7
11.7
22.6
2.2
7.0
13.8
26.7
25.6
17.5
29.3
0.6
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
3.0
11.0
28.6
57.5
20.3
19.5
13.4
23.1
3.1
7.0
13.7
26.9
26.7
17.2
28.5
0.5
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
2.2
9.0
27.8
61.0
20.8
20.7
13.3
22.6
2.4
6.4
13.7
17.2
6.1
0.0
32.5
0.5
5.4
0.0
38.3
23.5
6.7
0.0
39.6
0.3
4.5
0.0
25.4
0.0
1.7
0.0
25.7
1.4
5.5
0.0
65.8
17.9
5.5
0.0
36.3
0.5
4.7
0.0
35.0
23.4
6.8
0.0
38.2
0.4
4.6
0.0
26.5
0.0
1.4
0.0
15.8
1.2
3.8
0.0
77.9
18.1
5.6
0.0
33.1
0.6
4.4
0.0
38.1
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Benefit receipt (% distribution)
No benefit receipt
SNAP, TANF, & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
See notes at the end of this table.
64.5
22.2
7.7
0.0
38.3
0.1
6.4
0.0
25.3
0.0
0.9
0.0
12.5
1.7
2.0
0.0
82.8
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-23
Notes for Table A.7b-2013:
FPG - Federal Poverty Guidelines
FPL - Federal Poverty Level
a
These estimates are tabulated from the fully adjusted person weights on the 2014 CPS-ASEC. They are adjusted to account for the under or over count of
infants and children in the CPS relative to Census estimates, monthly income, and nutritional risk. See Tables A.3a and A.3b for the adjustment factors.
b
This table uses both the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) and the Federal Poverty Thresholds or "Levels" (FPL). The thresholds are used to calculate the ratio
of annual family income to the poverty threshold for their family size. The guidelines are used in determining WIC eligibility. The Federal Poverty Thresholds are
updated by the Census Bureau each year and are used mainly to produce official poverty population estimates. The Federal Poverty Guidelines are issued by the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use in determining financial eligibility for certain federal
programs, including WIC.
c
Infants and children adjunctively eligible are those whose family income was not below 185% FPG but who reported receipt of SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Therefore, the two categories are mutually exclusive.
d
There are infants and children adjunctively eligible for WIC with annual family incomes above 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) who have
annual family incomes below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). For example, in January 2013 a family of five with three children and an annual family
income of $45,125 has an income to FPL ratio of 1.58, but an income to FPG ratio of 1.64 (FPL for a family of 5 = $28,498; FPG for a family of 5 = $27,570).
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-24
Table A.8-2013: Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible
for WIC by Participant Group:
A Comparison of the Change from Calendar Year 2012 to 2013
NOTE: This table includes estimates for the territories.
Total
Participant Group
Infants
Total Children Ages 1-4
Children Age 1
Children Age 2
Children Age 3
Children Age 4
Pregnant Women
Postpartum Breastfeeding Women
Postpartum Non-Breastfeeding Women
Total WIC Eligibles
2013
2012
3,896,689
3,941,665
16,186,118
4,066,073
4,000,997
4,070,139
4,048,908
16,183,647
4,009,860
4,045,462
4,046,536
4,081,789
Percent
Change
Total Eligibles
Percent
Change
Eligibility Rate
2012
84.4
85.1
-0.8%
49.8
68.8
50.0
47.3
32.9
53.4
75.2
54.3
49.3
35.2
-6.8%
-8.6%
-7.9%
-4.1%
-6.6%
-1.4%
68.4
70.9
-3.6%
-1.6%
-4.1%
71.9
84.9
70.4
84.6
2.0%
0.4%
-0.6%
60.2
63.1
-4.5%
2013
2012
-1.1%
2,387,223
2,420,597
-1.4%
61.3
61.4
-0.2%
0.0%
1.4%
-1.1%
0.6%
-0.8%
9,053,165
2,285,482
2,280,827
2,224,943
2,261,914
8,823,888
2,185,171
2,196,651
2,232,286
2,209,780
2.6%
4.6%
3.8%
-0.3%
2.4%
55.9
56.2
57.0
54.7
55.9
54.5
54.5
54.3
55.2
54.1
2.6%
3.1%
5.0%
-0.9%
3.2%
1,228,252
1,245,423
826,003
694,264
839,736
723,718
14,188,907 14,277,453
Coverage Rate
Percent
Change
2013
2012
Percent
Change
2013
Sources: Eligibility estimates use information from the March 2013 and March 2014 CPS; 2004 and 2008 SIPP panels; 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006 NHANES; and 2012 and
2013 IFS. Coverage rates use data on WIC participants from WIC administrative data; participant data by exact year of age for young children is estimated using enrollment data from
Johnson et al. (2013), Figure E.1.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-25
Table A.9-2013: Stepwise Comparison of the Change in Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible for WIC, from Calendar Year 2012 to 2013 as
estimated by the March CPS
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
2013
Percent Change a
2012
Children
Age 1 to 4
Total
Total number of infants/children in the March CPS
Infants
3,783,867
Children
Age 1 to 4
Total
19,865,160
Infants
3,873,054
16,044,013
19,917,068
Infants
-2.3%
16,081,293
Number (non-U.S. Territory) after adjustment for CPS
under/overcount
3,852,294
Number with annual income <185% FPG
16,001,114
19,853,408
3,894,846
15,990,251
19,885,097
1,619,876
6,825,850
8,445,726
1,712,910
6,991,605
463,270
133,034
486
329,750
1,987,520
415,596
23,800
1,548,124
2,450,790
548,630
24,286
1,877,874
399,522
94,557
11,215
293,750
Number before monthly income adjustment
Number after monthly income adjustment
2,083,146
2,416,450
8,813,370
8,989,637
10,896,516
11,406,087
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (infants and children)
2,343,956
8,899,741
11,243,697
Number with adjunctive eligibility
Through SNAP
Through TANF
Through Medicaid
Children
Age 1 to 4
Total
0.2%
-0.3%
-1.1%
0.1%
-0.2%
8,704,515
-5.4%
-2.4%
-3.0%
1,761,310
383,571
27,583
1,350,157
2,160,833
478,128
38,798
1,643,907
16.0%
40.7%
-95.7%
12.3%
12.8%
8.3%
-13.7%
14.7%
13.4%
14.7%
-37.4%
14.2%
2,112,432
2,450,422
8,752,915
8,752,915
10,865,348
11,203,337
-1.4%
-1.4%
0.7%
2.7%
0.3%
1.8%
2,376,909
8,665,386
11,042,295
-1.4%
2.7%
1.8%
Source: March 2014 CPS and March 2013 CPS
See footnotes on Table A.6 for adjustment factor calculations for 2013.
a
When interpreting percent changes keep in mind that groups with small populations can show large changes simply as a result of year-to-year sample variation.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-26
Table A.10-2013: Standard Error and Coefficient of Variation for National Estimates from the 2014
CPS-ASEC by Participant Group
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories
2013
Estimate
Standard Error
Coefficient of
Participant Group
Infants
Total
Eligibles
Total
Eligibles
Total
Eligibles
3,852,294
2,343,956
87,053
140,216
2.3%
6.0%
16,001,114
4,021,009
3,955,813
4,022,959
4,001,332
.
2,877,953
8,899,741
2,246,801
2,242,792
2,186,712
2,223,436
172,980
88,908
88,196
88,929
88,694
270,320
137,300
137,179
135,465
136,590
1.1%
2.2%
2.2%
2.2%
2.2%
3.0%
6.1%
6.1%
6.2%
6.1%
1,205,990
65,035
72,142
2.3%
6.0%
Postpartum Breastfeeding Women
2,127,766
811,032
48,082
48,516
2.3%
6.0%
Postpartum Non-Breastfeeding Women
1,709,504
681,681
38,631
40,778
2.3%
6.0%
26,568,632 13,942,399
217,800
335,527
0.8%
2.4%
Total Children Age 1 to 4
Children Age 1
Children Age 2
Children Age 3
Children Age 4
Pregnant Women
Total
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page A-27
This page was left intentionally blank.
Appendix B
State and Regional Estimates: 2013
The tables in this appendix show the estimates of total WIC-eligible individuals by
State and by participant group and region for calendar year 2013 as summarized in
Volume I of this report. Note that these estimates refer to the FNS regions as defined on
page B-3. The estimates rely on the American Community Survey (ACS) that allows
calculation of income and adjunctive eligibility by State. Note that adjunctive eligibility
reflects individuals that report receipt of SNAP, TANF, or public health coverage on the
ACS but are not already income-eligible for WIC. The ACS does not separately identify
Medicaid vs. the State’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
State and Regional Estimates Appendix Table Definitions
Tables B.1, B.1a and B.1b: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region
Table B.1 shows the estimated total number of WIC-eligible individuals by State
(alphabetical) and FNS region. Also shown is the total number of participants and
calculated coverage rates by State and FNS region. Totals and coverage rates by FNS
region include the territories. Tables B.1a and B.1b show this same information but for
two mutually-exclusive subpopulations – children (B.1a) and women and infants (B.1b).
Note that, due to small sample size, the eligibility estimates used to compute the coverage
rates in these two tables are actually the average of the estimates for the years 20112013. Therefore, the rates in these two tables do not match similar rates shown
elsewhere.
Table B.2: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by FNS Region and State
This table shows the estimated total number of WIC-eligible individuals by FNS region
with each State listed under its region. Also shown is the total number of participants and
calculated coverage rates by FNS region and State. Totals and coverage rates by FNS
region include the territories.
Table B.3: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by FNS Region and Participant Group
This table shows the estimated number of WIC-eligible individuals by FNS region and
participant group. Also shown is the total number of participants and calculated coverage
rates by FNS region and participant group. Totals and coverage rates by FNS region and
participant group include the territories.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-1
Table B.4: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region
This table shows the estimated total number of WIC-eligible individuals and the
associated standard errors and coefficients of variance by State (listed alphabetically) and
FNS region.
Table B.5: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by FNS Region and State
This table shows the estimated total number of WIC-eligible individuals and the
associated standard errors and coefficients of variance by FNS region with each State
listed under its region.
Table B.6: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by FNS Region and Participant Group
This table shows the estimated number of WIC-eligible individuals and the associated
standard errors and coefficients of variance by FNS region and participant group.
Table B.7: State-Specific Breastfeeding Adjustment Factors
This table shows the State-specific breastfeeding adjustment factors. These factors were
determined using the same methodology used to produce the national breastfeeding
adjustments but substitute the State-specific breastfeeding rates as reported by the
Abbott Laboratories’ Infant Feeding Survey (IFS). Estimates for the territories assumed
the national breastfeeding rates.
Table B.8: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for
WIC in Puerto Rico and the Other Island Territories by Participant Group
Analogous to Table A.6 of the national estimates, this table shows the step-by-step
adjustments made from the total number of infants and children to the final numbers of
infants, children, and pregnant and postpartum women that are fully eligible for WIC for
the territories based on the ACS data and population estimates from the Census Bureau.
Table B.9: FNS Region Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children
Eligible for WIC in the CPS-ASEC by Demographic Characteristics
This tables shows the estimates of total WIC-eligible infants and children by demographic
and income characteristics in the CPS-ASEC. Note that these tables do not include infants
and children from the territories. This table shows these characteristics using weights
that have been fully adjusted, including adjustments for the under/over count in the CPS
(population adjustment), monthly income and certification periods (annual-to-monthly
adjustment), and nutritional risk. The numbers are shown as a single total count and the
column percentages of eligible individuals by their demographic and income
characteristics.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-2
FNS Regions
Northeast
 Connecticut
 Maine
 Massachusetts
 New Hampshire
 New York
 Rhode Island
 Vermont
Mid-Atlantic
 Delaware
 District of Columbia
 Maryland
 New Jersey
 Pennsylvania
 Puerto Rico
 Virgin Islands
 Virginia
 West Virginia
Southeast
 Alabama
 Florida
 Georgia
 Kentucky
 Mississippi
 North Carolina
 South Carolina
 Tennessee
Midwest
 Illinois
 Indiana
 Michigan
 Minnesota
 Ohio
 Wisconsin
Southwest
 Arkansas
 Louisiana
 New Mexico
 Oklahoma
 Texas
Mountain Plains
 Colorado
 Iowa
 Kansas
 Missouri
 Montana
 Nebraska
 North Dakota
 South Dakota
 Utah
 Wyoming
Western
 Alaska
 American Samoa
 Arizona
 California
 Guam
 Hawaii
 Idaho
 Nevada
 Northern Mariana Islands
 Oregon
 Washington
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-3
Table B.1-2013: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, CY 2013
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
State a
Alabama
223,227
136,258
61.0% New York
809,042
508,738
Alaska
34,200
22,436
65.6% North Carolina
470,448
262,223
Arizona
313,640
178,482
56.9% North Dakota
25,239
13,102
Arkansas
153,567
87,186
56.8% Ohio
472,082
259,801
California
1,848,576
1,408,714
76.2% Oklahoma
215,894
116,195
Colorado
196,975
94,547
48.0% Oregon
166,649
106,472
Connecticut
110,376
53,852
48.8% Pennsylvania
451,696
253,365
Delaware
36,063
20,466
56.8% Puerto Rico
217,052
184,394
D.C.
28,881
15,504
53.7% Rhode Island
37,330
23,054
Florida
883,468
477,741
54.1% South Carolina
229,833
120,969
Georgia
518,357
283,714
54.7% South Dakota
38,218
19,892
Hawaii
59,797
35,952
60.1% Tennessee
312,190
157,384
Idaho
85,222
42,531
49.9% Texas
1,493,365
943,249
Illinois
526,844
276,710
52.5% Utah
143,661
64,945
Indiana
293,864
158,071
53.8% Vermont
23,820
14,647
Iowa
121,159
65,236
53.8% Virginia
278,594
154,538
Kansas
125,942
68,507
54.4% Washington
296,109
189,047
Kentucky
193,589
128,477
66.4% West Virginia
80,234
45,968
Louisiana
240,223
137,498
57.2% Wisconsin
199,206
112,237
Maine
47,969
24,097
50.2% Wyoming
21,828
11,951
Maryland
216,993
143,765
66.3%
Massachusetts
203,795
118,802
58.3% FNS Regionb
Michigan
413,703
253,027
61.2% Northeast
1,269,397
758,576
Minnesota
175,703
123,783
70.5% Mid-Atlantic
1,612,680
989,709
Mississippi
168,394
89,996
53.4% Southeast
2,999,505
1,656,761
Missouri
252,279
139,940
55.5% Midwest
2,081,402
1,183,628
Montana
46,176
19,518
42.3% Southwest
2,227,006
1,344,443
Nebraska
79,538
39,873
50.1% Mountain Plains
1,051,016
537,510
Nevada
119,981
74,670
62.2% Western
2,947,900
2,076,389
New Hampshire
37,065
15,386
41.5%
New Jersey
297,438
166,866
56.1% Total
14,188,907
8,547,016
New Mexico
123,957
60,314
48.7%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
Notes:
a
62.9%
55.7%
51.9%
55.0%
53.8%
63.9%
56.1%
85.0%
61.8%
52.6%
52.0%
50.4%
63.2%
45.2%
61.5%
55.5%
63.8%
57.3%
56.3%
54.7%
59.8%
61.4%
55.2%
56.9%
60.4%
51.1%
70.4%
60.2%
State and regional eligibility estimates and participant data include those eligible for WIC
and/or receiving WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are included in
regional totals but not shown separately due to small sample constraints.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-4
Table B.1a-2013: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average Numbers of
Eligibles and Participants: Children (age 1 to 4)
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
Eligibles
Participants
State a
Alabama
148,148
72,978
49.3%
New York
496,139
273,671
Alaska
23,473
12,664
54.0%
North Carolina
298,366
140,754
Arizona
202,871
98,169
48.4%
North Dakota
13,856
7,080
Arkansas
98,889
44,331
44.8%
Ohio
296,373
139,779
California
1,138,193
837,885
73.6%
Oklahoma
130,868
62,462
Colorado
128,847
53,281
41.4%
Oregon
105,245
60,788
Connecticut
68,511
29,730
43.4%
Pennsylvania
285,247
134,023
Delaware
23,195
11,724
50.5%
Puerto Rico
141,259
114,911
D.C.
16,238
7,277
44.8%
Rhode Island
21,489
13,175
Florida
533,990
251,473
47.1%
South Carolina
147,290
59,912
Georgia
330,567
155,515
47.0%
South Dakota
22,263
11,712
Hawaii
34,876
19,402
55.6%
Tennessee
192,768
75,150
Idaho
52,678
23,079
43.8%
Texas
939,116
488,546
Illinois
347,388
143,161
41.2%
Utah
95,142
36,237
Indiana
187,085
82,806
44.3%
Vermont
14,779
9,212
Iowa
75,389
35,574
47.2%
Virginia
171,192
78,588
Kansas
84,744
38,281
45.2%
Washington
186,306
110,396
Kentucky
125,495
66,405
52.9%
West Virginia
46,060
24,668
Louisiana
156,026
69,776
44.7%
Wisconsin
135,261
63,037
Maine
29,907
14,256
47.7%
Wyoming
14,245
6,430
Maryland
131,168
75,402
57.5%
Massachusetts
123,044
65,238
53.0%
FNS Regionb
Michigan
260,085
132,603
51.0%
Northeast
776,774
413,604
Minnesota
111,524
69,798
62.6%
Mid-Atlantic
1,003,116
541,732
Mississippi
110,648
47,652
43.1%
Southeast
1,887,271
869,839
Missouri
159,990
70,315
43.9%
Midwest
1,337,715
631,184
Montana
28,279
10,766
38.1%
Southwest
1,403,927
697,995
Nebraska
50,970
22,679
44.5%
Mountain Plains
673,725
292,356
Nevada
81,559
40,293
49.4%
Western
1,839,160
1,213,629
New Hampshire
22,906
8,322
36.3%
New Jersey
185,172
92,288
49.8%
Total
8,921,686
4,660,339
New Mexico
79,028
32,881
41.6%
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
Coverage
Rate
55.2%
47.2%
51.1%
47.2%
47.7%
57.8%
47.0%
81.3%
61.3%
40.7%
52.6%
39.0%
52.0%
38.1%
62.3%
45.9%
59.3%
53.6%
46.6%
45.1%
53.2%
54.0%
46.1%
47.2%
49.7%
43.4%
66.0%
52.2%
Notes:
a
State and regional eligibility estimates and participant data include those eligible for WIC and/or receiving WIC via Indian
Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are included in regional totals but not shown
separately due to small sample constraints.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-5
Table B.1b-2013: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013
Average Numbers of Eligibles and Participants: Women and Infants
State a
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
83,684
15,055
120,680
56,599
673,842
76,367
39,893
13,332
10,248
320,636
189,385
22,095
33,277
197,007
112,322
42,240
46,160
74,135
91,878
17,436
78,959
71,295
153,493
67,628
63,063
94,930
17,259
27,480
48,509
12,072
104,263
44,350
67,335
11,714
91,101
47,203
610,596
47,103
25,615
9,910
8,802
236,575
141,329
17,225
20,331
142,473
79,907
32,381
34,378
67,361
73,385
10,964
70,221
55,272
121,460
57,331
45,838
73,311
9,303
19,048
35,177
7,807
76,835
29,731
80.5%
77.8%
75.5%
83.4%
90.6%
61.7%
64.2%
74.3%
85.9%
73.8%
74.6%
78.0%
61.1%
72.3%
71.1%
76.7%
74.5%
90.9%
79.9%
62.9%
88.9%
77.5%
79.1%
84.8%
72.7%
77.2%
53.9%
69.3%
72.5%
64.7%
73.7%
67.0%
Eligibles
Participants
Coverage
Rate
298,806
172,001
9,459
179,792
73,664
65,084
168,673
83,015
15,132
84,370
13,633
108,860
565,378
53,569
6,544
101,331
109,829
26,658
75,927
9,233
241,675
125,255
6,478
131,026
58,947
48,984
119,993
75,670
10,686
67,120
9,721
85,326
477,333
32,511
6,045
77,968
82,157
22,757
53,805
5,988
80.9%
72.8%
68.5%
72.9%
80.0%
75.3%
71.1%
91.2%
70.6%
79.6%
71.3%
78.4%
84.4%
60.7%
92.4%
76.9%
74.8%
85.4%
70.9%
64.9%
FNS Regionb
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
461,179
588,525
1,096,134
786,169
831,868
390,331
1,097,350
358,066
464,415
836,138
586,001
686,599
270,221
924,742
77.6%
78.9%
76.3%
74.5%
82.5%
69.2%
84.3%
Total
5,251,555
4,126,183
78.6%
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
Notes:
a
State and regional eligibility estimates and participant data include those eligible for WIC and/or receiving WIC
via Indian Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are included in regional totals but
not shown separately due to small sample constraints.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-6
Table B.2-2013: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by FNS Region and State, CY 2013 a,b
Eligibles
Participants
Northeast
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New York
Rhode Island
Vermont
1,269,397
110,376
47,969
203,795
37,065
809,042
37,330
23,820
758,576
53,852
24,097
118,802
15,386
508,738
23,054
14,647
Mid-Atlantic
Delaware
D.C.
Maryland
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Virginia
West Virginia
1,612,680
36,063
28,881
216,993
297,438
451,696
217,052
278,594
80,234
989,709
20,466
15,504
143,765
166,866
253,365
184,394
154,538
45,968
Southeast
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
2,999,505
223,227
883,468
518,357
193,589
168,394
470,448
229,833
312,190
1,656,761
136,258
477,741
283,714
128,477
89,996
262,223
120,969
157,384
Coverage
Rate
59.8% Southwest
48.8%
Arkansas
50.2%
Louisiana
58.3%
New Mexico
41.5%
Oklahoma
62.9%
Texas
61.8%
61.5% Mountain Plains
Colorado
61.4%
Iowa
56.8%
Kansas
53.7%
Missouri
66.3%
Montana
56.1%
Nebraska
56.1%
North Dakota
85.0%
South Dakota
55.5%
Utah
57.3%
Wyoming
55.2% Western
61.0%
Alaska
54.1%
Arizona
54.7%
California
66.4%
Hawaii
53.4%
Idaho
55.7%
Nevada
52.6%
Oregon
50.4%
Washington
2,227,006
153,567
240,223
123,957
215,894
1,493,365
1,344,443
87,186
137,498
60,314
116,195
943,249
Coverage
Rate
60.4%
56.8%
57.2%
48.7%
53.8%
63.2%
1,051,016
196,975
121,159
125,942
252,279
46,176
79,538
25,239
38,218
143,661
21,828
537,510
94,547
65,236
68,507
139,940
19,518
39,873
13,102
19,892
64,945
11,951
51.1%
48.0%
53.8%
54.4%
55.5%
42.3%
50.1%
51.9%
52.0%
45.2%
54.7%
2,947,900
34,200
313,640
1,848,576
59,797
85,222
119,981
166,649
296,109
2,076,389
22,436
178,482
1,408,714
35,952
42,531
74,670
106,472
189,047
70.4%
65.6%
56.9%
76.2%
60.1%
49.9%
62.2%
63.9%
63.8%
Eligibles
Participants
Midwest
2,081,402
1,183,628
56.9% Total
14,188,907
8,547,016
Illinois
526,844
276,710
52.5%
Indiana
293,864
158,071
53.8%
Michigan
413,703
253,027
61.2%
Minnesota
175,703
123,783
70.5%
Ohio
472,082
259,801
55.0%
Wisconsin
199,206
112,237
56.3%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
Notes:
60.2%
a
State and regional eligibility estimates and participant data include those eligible for WIC
and/or receiving WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the other island territories (territories other than Puerto Rico) are included in
regional totals but not shown separately due to small sample constraints.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-7
Table B.3-2013: WIC Eligibles and Coverage Rates by Region and Participant Group, CY 2013
Infants
Children
(Ages 1-4)
Pregnant
Women
All Post-Partum
Women
Total
Eligibles
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
210,923
276,013
503,271
351,021
378,331
179,453
488,212
2,387,223
808,968
1,021,273
1,925,207
1,333,563
1,424,024
666,546
1,873,229
9,052,810
108,522
142,011
258,938
180,604
194,655
92,330
251,190
1,228,252
141,387
173,013
311,182
215,695
229,032
112,709
337,249
1,520,267
1,269,800
1,612,309
2,998,599
2,080,883
2,226,042
1,051,038
2,949,881
14,188,552
Participants
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
173,775
232,644
416,379
298,936
330,185
132,199
431,612
2,015,732
409,956
532,768
837,528
608,755
667,504
275,326
1,176,399
4,508,236
69,790
93,724
170,842
122,818
139,820
52,530
190,296
839,820
105,054
130,573
232,012
153,120
206,933
77,455
278,082
1,183,228
758,576
989,709
1,656,761
1,183,628
1,344,443
537,510
2,076,389
8,547,016
Coverage Rates
Northeast
82.4%
Mid-Atlantic
84.3%
Southeast
82.7%
Midwest
85.2%
Southwest
87.3%
Mountain Plains
73.7%
Western
88.4%
Total
84.4%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS,
50.7%
64.3%
74.3%
59.7%
52.2%
66.0%
75.5%
61.4%
43.5%
66.0%
74.6%
55.3%
45.6%
68.0%
71.0%
56.9%
46.9%
71.8%
90.4%
60.4%
41.3%
56.9%
68.7%
51.1%
62.8%
75.8%
82.5%
70.4%
49.8%
68.4%
77.8%
60.2%
Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-8
Table B.4-2013: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, CY 2013
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of Variationa
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of Variationa
State b
Alabama
223,227
12,587
5.6% New York
809,042
28,214
Alaska
34,200
4,573
13.4% North Carolina
470,448
19,708
Arizona
313,640
15,246
4.9% North Dakota
25,239
3,905
Arkansas
153,567
10,097
6.6% Ohio
472,082
19,674
California
1,848,576
52,350
2.8% Oklahoma
215,894
12,314
Colorado
196,975
11,636
5.9% Oregon
166,649
10,585
Connecticut
110,376
8,434
7.6% Pennsylvania
451,696
19,113
Delaware
36,063
4,693
13.0% Puerto Rico
217,052
12,422
D.C.
28,881
4,169
14.4% Rhode Island
37,330
4,731
Florida
883,468
29,959
3.4% South Carolina
229,833
12,764
Georgia
518,357
20,916
4.0% South Dakota
38,218
4,811
Hawaii
59,797
6,065
10.1% Tennessee
312,190
15,187
Idaho
85,222
7,346
8.6% Texas
1,493,365
44,295
Illinois
526,844
21,199
4.0% Utah
143,661
9,779
Indiana
293,864
14,703
5.0% Vermont
23,820
3,805
Iowa
121,159
8,852
7.3% Virginia
278,594
14,240
Kansas
125,942
9,106
7.2% Washington
296,109
14,797
Kentucky
193,589
11,522
6.0% West Virginia
80,234
7,102
Louisiana
240,223
13,073
5.4% Wisconsin
199,206
11,753
Maine
47,969
5,406
11.3% Wyoming
21,828
3,641
Maryland
216,993
12,311
5.7%
Massachusetts
203,795
11,841
5.8% FNS Regionc
Michigan
413,703
18,071
4.4% Northeast
1,269,397
43,519
Minnesota
175,703
10,910
6.2% Mid-Atlantic
1,389,899
46,483
Mississippi
168,394
10,710
6.4% Southeast
2,999,505
84,679
Missouri
252,279
13,382
5.3% Midwest
2,081,402
63,113
Montana
46,176
5,312
11.5% Southwest
2,227,006
66,560
Nebraska
79,538
7,116
8.9% Mountain Plains
1,051,016
38,064
Nevada
119,981
8,885
7.4% Western
2,924,174
82,922
New Hampshire
37,065
4,772
12.9%
New Jersey
297,438
14,777
5.0% Total
13,942,399
335,527
New Mexico
123,957
9,005
7.3%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
Notes:
a
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
c
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
b
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-9
3.5%
4.2%
15.5%
4.2%
5.7%
6.4%
4.2%
5.7%
12.7%
5.6%
12.6%
4.9%
3.0%
6.8%
16.0%
5.1%
5.0%
8.9%
5.9%
16.7%
3.4%
3.3%
2.8%
3.0%
3.0%
3.6%
2.8%
2.4%
Table B.4a-2013: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average Numbers of
Eligibles: Children (age 1 to 4)
State b
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
148,148
23,473
202,871
98,889
1,138,193
128,847
68,511
23,195
16,238
533,990
330,567
34,876
52,678
347,388
187,085
75,389
84,744
125,495
156,026
29,907
131,168
123,044
260,085
111,524
110,648
159,990
28,279
50,970
81,559
22,906
185,172
79,028
6,203
2,345
7,410
4,967
23,092
5,738
4,081
2,327
1,941
13,512
9,918
2,867
3,556
10,228
7,078
4,297
4,570
5,657
6,383
2,651
5,801
5,599
8,577
5,305
5,280
6,473
2,576
3,496
4,476
2,311
7,039
4,404
4.2%
10.0%
3.7%
5.0%
2.0%
4.5%
6.0%
10.0%
12.0%
2.5%
3.0%
8.2%
6.8%
2.9%
3.8%
5.7%
5.4%
4.5%
4.1%
8.9%
4.4%
4.6%
3.3%
4.8%
4.8%
4.0%
9.1%
6.9%
5.5%
10.1%
3.8%
5.6%
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
496,139
298,366
13,856
296,373
130,868
105,245
285,247
141,259
21,489
147,290
22,263
192,768
939,116
95,142
14,779
171,192
186,306
46,060
135,261
14,245
12,867
9,326
1,794
9,280
5,796
5,136
9,066
5,733
2,241
6,185
2,279
7,202
19,977
4,863
1,852
6,732
7,065
3,319
5,897
1,819
2.6%
3.1%
12.9%
3.1%
4.4%
4.9%
3.2%
4.1%
10.4%
4.2%
10.2%
3.7%
2.1%
5.1%
12.5%
3.9%
3.8%
7.2%
4.4%
12.8%
FNS Regionc
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
776,774
858,273
1,887,271
1,337,715
1,403,927
673,725
1,825,201
18,265
19,549
35,164
26,886
27,930
16,525
34,238
2.4%
2.3%
1.9%
2.0%
2.0%
2.5%
1.9%
Total
8,762,884
178,558
2.0%
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
Notes:
a
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
c
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
b
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-10
Table B.4b-2013: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by State and FNS Region, Using 2011-2013 Average Numbers of
Eligibles: Women and Infants
State b
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
83,684
15,055
120,680
56,599
673,842
76,367
39,893
13,332
10,248
320,636
189,385
22,095
33,277
197,007
112,322
42,240
46,160
74,135
91,878
17,436
78,959
71,295
153,493
67,628
63,063
94,930
17,259
27,480
48,509
12,072
104,263
44,350
6,717
2,805
8,460
5,461
26,363
6,497
4,628
2,604
2,244
15,499
10,906
3,449
4,202
11,246
8,038
4,679
4,968
6,323
7,113
2,972
6,570
6,277
9,673
6,092
5,796
7,283
2,958
3,749
5,062
2,456
7,762
4,871
8.0%
18.6%
7.0%
9.6%
3.9%
8.5%
11.6%
19.5%
21.9%
4.8%
5.8%
15.6%
12.6%
5.7%
7.2%
11.1%
10.8%
8.5%
7.7%
17.0%
8.3%
8.8%
6.3%
9.0%
9.2%
7.7%
17.1%
13.6%
10.4%
20.3%
7.4%
11.0%
Eligibles
Standard
Error
Coefficient
of
Variationa
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
298,806
172,001
9,459
179,792
73,664
65,084
168,673
83,015
15,132
84,370
13,633
108,860
565,378
53,569
6,544
101,331
109,829
26,658
75,927
9,233
14,753
10,338
2,227
10,599
6,293
6,043
10,227
8,641
2,781
6,797
2,650
7,858
22,859
5,381
1,785
7,573
8,046
3,651
6,474
2,190
4.9%
6.0%
23.5%
5.9%
8.5%
9.3%
6.1%
10.4%
18.4%
8.1%
19.4%
7.2%
4.0%
10.0%
27.3%
7.5%
7.3%
13.7%
8.5%
23.7%
FNS Regionc
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
461,179
503,464
1,096,134
786,169
831,868
390,331
1,088,372
19,564
20,895
36,727
28,301
29,688
17,419
36,276
4.2%
4.2%
3.4%
3.6%
3.6%
4.5%
3.3%
Total
5,157,516
188,872
3.7%
Source: 2012-2014 CPS-ASEC, 2011-2013 ACS, 2011-2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative
Data
Notes:
a
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
c
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
b
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-11
Table B.5-2013: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by FNS Region and State, CY 2013 a,b
Eligibles
Northeast
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New York
Rhode Island
Vermont
1,269,397
110,376
47,969
203,795
37,065
809,042
37,330
23,820
Mid-Atlantic
Delaware
D.C.
Maryland
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Virginia
West Virginia
1,389,899
36,063
28,881
216,993
297,438
451,696
278,594
80,234
Southeast
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
2,999,505
223,227
883,468
518,357
193,589
168,394
470,448
229,833
312,190
Midwest
2,081,402
Illinois
526,844
Indiana
293,864
Michigan
413,703
Minnesota
175,703
Ohio
472,082
Wisconsin
199,206
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013
Coefficient
Standard Coefficient of
Standard
Eligibles
Error
Error
Variationc
of Variationc
43,519
3.4% Southwest
2,227,006
66,560
3.0%
8,434
7.6%
Arkansas
153,567
10,097
6.6%
5,406
11.3%
Louisiana
240,223
13,073
5.4%
11,841
5.8%
New Mexico
123,957
9,005
7.3%
4,772
12.9%
Oklahoma
215,894
12,314
5.7%
28,214
3.5%
Texas
1,493,365
44,295
3.0%
4,731
12.7%
3,805
16.0% Mountain Plains
1,051,016
38,064
3.6%
Colorado
196,975
11,636
5.9%
46,483
3.3%
Iowa
121,159
8,852
7.3%
4,693
13.0%
Kansas
125,942
9,106
7.2%
4,169
14.4%
Missouri
252,279
13,382
5.3%
12,311
5.7%
Montana
46,176
5,312
11.5%
14,777
5.0%
Nebraska
79,538
7,116
8.9%
19,113
4.2%
North Dakota
25,239
3,905
15.5%
14,240
5.1%
South Dakota
38,218
4,811
12.6%
7,102
8.9%
Utah
143,661
9,779
6.8%
Wyoming
21,828
3,641
16.7%
84,679
2.8%
12,587
5.6% Western
2,924,174
82,922
2.8%
29,959
3.4%
Alaska
34,200
4,573
13.4%
20,916
4.0%
Arizona
313,640
15,246
4.9%
11,522
6.0%
California
1,848,576
52,350
2.8%
10,710
6.4%
Hawaii
59,797
6,065
10.1%
19,708
4.2%
Idaho
85,222
7,346
8.6%
12,764
5.6%
Nevada
119,981
8,885
7.4%
15,187
4.9%
Oregon
166,649
10,585
6.4%
Washington
296,109
14,797
5.0%
63,113
3.0%
21,199
4.0% Total
13,942,399
335,527
2.4%
14,703
5.0%
18,071
4.4%
10,910
6.2%
19,674
4.2%
11,753
5.9%
ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
Notes:
a
State and regional eligibility estimates include those eligible for WIC via Indian Tribal Organizations.
b
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
c
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-12
Table B.6-2013: WIC Eligibles Standard Errors by FNS Region and Participant Group, CY 2013
Infants
Children
(Ages 1-4)
Pregnant
Women
All Post-Partum
Women
Total
a
Eligibles
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
210,923
237,044
503,271
351,021
378,331
179,453
483,913
2,343,956
808,968
882,399
1,925,207
1,333,563
1,424,024
666,546
1,859,034
8,899,741
108,522
121,961
258,938
180,604
194,655
92,330
248,979
1,205,990
140,984
148,495
312,089
216,215
229,996
112,686
332,248
1,492,713
1,269,397
1,389,899
2,999,505
2,081,402
2,227,006
1,051,016
2,924,174
13,942,399
Standard Errora
Northeast
Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
Mountain Plains
Western
Total
18,014
19,610
35,309
26,418
28,025
16,061
34,186
140,216
34,813
37,090
68,316
50,777
53,479
30,328
66,368
270,320
9,268
10,090
18,167
13,593
14,419
8,263
17,589
72,142
8,753
9,220
15,957
11,556
12,349
7,262
16,666
63,377
43,519
46,483
84,679
63,113
66,560
38,064
82,922
335,527
Coefficient of Variation b
Northeast
8.5%
4.3%
8.5%
6.2%
3.4%
Mid-Atlantic
8.3%
4.2%
8.3%
6.2%
3.3%
Southeast
7.0%
3.5%
7.0%
5.1%
2.8%
Midwest
7.5%
3.8%
7.5%
5.3%
3.0%
Southwest
7.4%
3.8%
7.4%
5.4%
3.0%
Mountain Plains
8.9%
4.6%
8.9%
6.4%
3.6%
Western
7.1%
3.6%
7.1%
5.0%
2.8%
Total
6.0%
3.0%
6.0%
4.2%
2.4%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, Census International Data Base, WIC Administrative Data
Notes:
a
Estimates for the territories, including Puerto Rico, are not included in regional totals or standard errors.
b
The coefficient of variation is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the eligibility estimate.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-13
Table B.7-2013: State-Specific Adjustment Factors for Estimating WIC Eligibility Among Postpartum
Women, CY 2013
All Mothers
WIC Eligibles
Not Breastfeeding
Not Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
<6 months
Breastfeeding
<6 months
postpartum
postpartum
State
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
D.C.
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
U.S.
Source:
0.417
0.767
0.545
0.465
0.663
0.692
0.646
0.483
0.706
0.595
0.519
0.764
0.725
0.550
0.549
0.585
0.555
0.497
0.415
0.710
0.531
0.640
0.565
0.644
0.386
0.540
0.670
0.615
0.556
0.643
0.556
0.590
0.542
0.535
0.631
0.510
0.539
0.739
0.546
0.593
0.448
0.657
0.507
0.505
0.678
0.703
0.581
0.734
0.394
0.610
0.661
0.552
0.579
0.229
0.451
0.531
0.333
0.304
0.350
0.513
0.290
0.401
0.477
0.233
0.271
0.446
0.447
0.411
0.441
0.499
0.581
0.286
0.465
0.356
0.431
0.352
0.610
0.456
0.326
0.381
0.440
0.353
0.440
0.406
0.454
0.461
0.366
0.487
0.457
0.257
0.450
0.403
0.548
0.339
0.490
0.492
0.318
0.293
0.415
0.262
0.602
0.386
0.335
0.444
0.215
0.601
0.319
0.265
0.457
0.416
0.475
0.387
0.440
0.406
0.264
0.542
0.485
0.343
0.327
0.322
0.277
0.286
0.217
0.392
0.261
0.389
0.318
0.399
0.226
0.329
0.343
0.383
0.250
0.352
0.390
0.348
0.349
0.296
0.354
0.257
0.279
0.534
0.302
0.394
0.246
0.461
0.265
0.308
0.388
0.434
0.309
0.455
0.227
0.346
0.490
0.346
0.349
0.194
0.277
0.319
0.234
0.227
0.307
0.264
0.267
0.271
0.319
0.215
0.217
0.297
0.268
0.294
0.276
0.320
0.339
0.234
0.300
0.266
0.273
0.261
0.365
0.273
0.236
0.264
0.286
0.258
0.300
0.258
0.299
0.294
0.249
0.315
0.296
0.206
0.304
0.258
0.314
0.250
0.321
0.302
0.253
0.231
0.302
0.223
0.325
0.271
0.239
0.291
For details regarding the calculation of these factors see Appendix F from "National and State-Level Estimates of
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Eligibles and Program Reach,
2000-2009" (http://www.fns.usda.gov/special-supplemental-nutrition-program-women-infants-and-childrenwic-eligibles-and-coverage-2000).
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-14
Table B.8-2013: Adjustments for Calculating the Average Monthly Number of Individuals Eligible for WIC in Puerto Rico and the Other Island Territories by Participant Group, CY 2013
Children
Age 1
Children
Age 2
Children
Age 3
Children
Age 4
Total
Children
Ages 1-4
36,071
38,028
43,303
46,369
163,771
199,351
Pregnant Women
Postpartum
Breastfeeding
Women
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Women
Total
Puerto Rico
Total number of infants/children in the 2012 PRCS
Infants
35,580
Number after adjustment for PRCS under/overcount
38,288
38,994
39,180
41,225
41,658
161,057
199,345
Number with annual income <185% FPG
31,935
33,301
32,696
32,361
33,011
131,369
163,304
Number of additional people adjunctively eligible above
185% FPG
Through SNAPa
Through TANF
Through Medicaid
1,835
1,208
0
626
1,132
130
0
1,002
1,134
449
36
649
1,705
620
0
1,085
1,332
520
0
812
5,304
1,719
36
3,549
7,138
2,927
36
4,175
Total number income and adjunctively eligible
33,769
34,433
33,831
34,066
34,343
136,673
170,442
39,173
34,433
33,831
34,066
34,343
136,673
175,845
37,997
34,089
33,492
33,725
34,000
135,306
173,304
Number after monthly income adjustment
b
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (infants and children)c
Starting point for estimates of women is fully eligible
infants
37,997
Number after adjustment for length of pregnancy and
income of woman during pregnancyd
20,234
Number after adjustment for multiple births and infant
deaths e
20,155
f
Number after adjustment for breastfeeding
37,997
37,997
113,992
20,234
37,849
37,849
95,853
13,147
11,051
24,198
13,147
Postpartum
Breastfeeding
Women
11,051
Postpartum NonBreastfeeding
Women
43,748
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (pregnant and postpartum women)c
19,550
Infants
Children
Age 1
Children
Age 2
Children
Age 3
Children
Age 4
Total
Children
Ages 1-4
Number after the other islands full-eligibility factorg
4,684
4,548
4,499
4,462
4,434
17,942
22,626
Number after monthly income adjustmentb
5,433
4,548
4,499
4,462
4,434
17,942
23,376
5,270
4,503
4,454
4,417
4,390
17,763
23,033
Other Island Territories
Pregnant Women
Total
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (infants and children)c
Starting point for estimates of women is fully eligible
infants
5,270
Number after adjustment for length of pregnancy and
income of woman during pregnancye
2,806
Number after adjustment for multiple births and infant
deaths e
2,795
f
Number after adjustment for breastfeeding
5,270
5,270
15,810
2,806
5,250
5,250
13,294
1,824
1,533
3,356
1,824
1,533
6,068
Total Eligibles - Number after adjustment for
nutritional risk (pregnant and postpartum women)c
Source: Census Bureau International Data Base
See notes on page 2.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
2,712
Page B-15
Notes for Table B.8-2013:
FPG = Federal poverty guidelines
a
There is a hierarchy imposed on the number of infants and children adjunctively eligible for WIC. Any mention of SNAP receipt is coded as
SNAP; if no mention of SNAP, but report TANF, coded as TANF. If no mention of SNAP or TANF, coded as Medicaid.
b
The SIPP-based multipliers used to adjust for monthly versus annual income and to account for certification periods are:
Infants:
1.16
Children:
1.00
c
The adjustment factors for nutritional risk by participant group are:
Infants
0.97
Children
0.99
Pregnant women
0.97
Postpartum breastfeeding women
1.00
Postpartum nonbreastfeeding women
1.00
d
The multiplier used to adjust for the length of pregnancy and a woman's income during pregnancy is:
Pregnancy length and income
0.533
e
The multiplier used to adjust for multiple births and infants deaths is:
Multiple births and infants death
0.9961
f
The multipliers used to adjust for breastfeeding status are:
Less than 12 months who breastfeed
0.347
Less than 6 months who do not breastfeed
0.292
g
The full-eligibles to population factor for the Other Island Territories in CY2013 is:
Infants
0.767
Children
0.749
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-16
This page was left intentionally blank.
Table B.9-2013: Region Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic
Characteristics - CY 2013
Fully adjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
Region
WIC Eligible
Infants
Northeast
WIC Eligible
Children Age
1-4
WIC Eligible
Infants and
Children
WIC Eligible
Infants
Mid-Atlantic
WIC Eligible
Children Age
1-4
WIC Eligible
Infants and
Children
WIC Eligible
Infants
Southeast
WIC Eligible
Children Age
1-4
WIC Eligible
Infants and
Children
WIC Eligible
Infants
Midwest
WIC Eligible
Children Age
1-4
WIC Eligible
Infants and
Children
246,442
819,055
1,065,497
263,707
904,640
1,168,348
409,260
1,828,130
2,237,390
285,080
1,311,230
1,596,310
Gender
Male
Female
36.7%
63.3%
49.4%
50.6%
46.5%
53.5%
44.7%
55.3%
53.7%
46.3%
51.6%
48.4%
53.6%
46.4%
48.7%
51.3%
49.6%
50.4%
49.4%
50.6%
52.3%
47.7%
51.8%
48.2%
Race
White
Black
Other
63.7%
13.0%
23.3%
62.1%
26.1%
11.7%
62.5%
23.1%
14.4%
54.1%
26.2%
19.7%
58.3%
30.8%
11.0%
57.3%
29.7%
12.9%
43.5%
47.2%
9.4%
57.8%
35.8%
6.5%
55.1%
37.8%
7.0%
65.9%
26.3%
7.8%
67.0%
19.8%
13.2%
66.8%
21.0%
12.2%
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
37.8%
62.2%
29.0%
71.0%
31.0%
69.0%
22.9%
77.1%
26.1%
73.9%
25.4%
74.6%
14.5%
85.5%
21.0%
79.0%
19.8%
80.2%
17.6%
82.4%
20.0%
80.0%
19.5%
80.5%
Living arrangement
2 parent family
Single parent family
No parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
78.2%
18.1%
3.6%
1.8%
1.8%
63.5%
31.4%
5.1%
3.2%
1.9%
66.9%
28.4%
4.8%
2.8%
1.9%
66.3%
32.6%
1.1%
1.1%
0.0%
55.2%
39.3%
5.5%
4.0%
1.5%
57.7%
37.8%
4.5%
3.4%
1.1%
56.9%
41.4%
1.6%
0.5%
1.2%
55.0%
39.3%
5.8%
4.7%
1.1%
55.3%
39.7%
5.0%
3.9%
1.1%
57.0%
39.2%
3.9%
0.0%
3.9%
55.1%
40.4%
4.5%
2.9%
1.6%
55.4%
40.2%
4.4%
2.4%
2.0%
Household size (number of persons)
2
3
4
5
6 or more
5.1%
32.7%
30.3%
13.1%
18.8%
6.7%
18.2%
29.3%
20.4%
25.3%
6.3%
21.6%
29.5%
18.7%
23.8%
7.6%
16.8%
39.2%
15.3%
21.1%
6.5%
22.2%
30.4%
19.6%
21.3%
6.8%
21.0%
32.4%
18.6%
21.2%
8.9%
27.6%
12.2%
34.6%
16.7%
3.9%
24.7%
31.4%
24.0%
16.0%
4.8%
25.2%
27.9%
25.9%
16.1%
7.7%
21.0%
27.7%
22.7%
20.9%
7.4%
20.2%
31.8%
21.2%
19.5%
7.5%
20.3%
31.1%
21.4%
19.7%
69.1%
73.1%
72.2%
64.0%
67.1%
66.4%
45.4%
65.4%
61.7%
64.7%
74.0%
72.3%
24.7%
19.0%
11.6%
22.5%
4.2%
5.6%
12.3%
18.0%
18.1%
15.8%
23.8%
1.7%
7.6%
15.1%
19.5%
18.3%
14.9%
23.5%
2.3%
7.1%
14.4%
17.8%
25.1%
15.8%
17.5%
4.1%
2.2%
17.6%
15.6%
22.4%
13.8%
20.7%
3.6%
7.1%
16.7%
16.1%
23.0%
14.2%
19.9%
3.7%
6.0%
16.9%
30.6%
25.8%
13.6%
19.4%
2.4%
4.6%
3.5%
24.0%
22.0%
9.7%
23.1%
1.2%
6.8%
13.4%
25.2%
22.7%
10.4%
22.4%
1.4%
6.4%
11.6%
21.7%
21.2%
8.5%
20.5%
3.9%
4.8%
19.3%
21.7%
19.9%
13.3%
19.9%
3.4%
6.8%
14.9%
21.7%
20.2%
12.5%
20.0%
3.5%
6.5%
15.7%
17.2%
11.7%
0.0%
26.7%
2.0%
5.5%
0.0%
36.8%
12.2%
7.5%
0.0%
31.4%
1.2%
5.2%
0.0%
42.5%
13.4%
8.5%
0.0%
30.3%
1.4%
5.2%
0.0%
41.1%
20.3%
7.8%
0.0%
31.9%
0.1%
10.5%
0.0%
29.3%
24.2%
6.0%
0.3%
29.0%
0.5%
4.4%
0.0%
35.6%
23.3%
6.4%
0.2%
29.6%
0.4%
5.8%
0.0%
34.2%
14.7%
2.4%
0.0%
44.9%
0.0%
4.0%
0.0%
34.0%
15.8%
4.2%
0.0%
37.8%
0.0%
4.5%
0.0%
37.7%
15.6%
3.9%
0.0%
39.1%
0.0%
4.4%
0.0%
37.0%
8.0%
6.8%
0.0%
42.0%
0.0%
2.1%
0.0%
41.2%
16.7%
5.1%
0.0%
36.2%
0.5%
5.3%
0.0%
36.2%
15.1%
5.4%
0.0%
37.2%
0.4%
4.8%
0.0%
37.1%
Demographic Characteristics
Total
% with working parent(s)
b
Annual family income relative to poverty
Less than 50% FPL
50% to <100% FPL
100% to <130% FPL
130% to <185% FPLd
185% to <200% FPL
200% to <250% FPL
250% FPL and above
Benefit receipt
No benefit receipt
SNAP & TANF & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-18
Table B.9-2013: Region Estimates of the Average Monthly Number of Infants and Children (Ages 1-4) Eligible
for WIC by Income and Adjunctive Eligibility in the 2014 CPS-ASEC by Demographic
Characteristics - CY 2013
Fully adjusted weightsa
NOTE: This table does not include estimates for the territories.
Region
WIC Eligible
Infants
Southwest
WIC Eligible
Children Age
1-4
WIC Eligible
Infants and
Children
WIC Eligible
Infants
WIC Eligible
Infants
Western
WIC Eligible
Children Age
1-4
WIC Eligible
Infants and
Children
WIC Eligible
Infants
Total
WIC Eligible
Children Age
1-4
WIC Eligible
Infants and
Children
418,986
1,437,434
1,856,421
202,189
632,950
835,139
518,292
1,966,301
2,484,593
2,343,957
8,899,741
11,243,698
Gender
Male
Female
47.1%
52.9%
50.7%
49.3%
49.9%
50.1%
55.5%
44.5%
51.5%
48.5%
52.4%
47.6%
48.4%
51.6%
52.3%
47.7%
51.5%
48.5%
48.1%
51.9%
51.1%
48.9%
50.5%
49.5%
Race
White
Black
Other
71.4%
10.8%
17.8%
71.5%
17.8%
10.6%
71.5%
16.2%
12.2%
73.7%
11.9%
14.4%
72.6%
12.1%
15.3%
72.8%
12.0%
15.1%
79.0%
5.6%
15.4%
72.4%
9.0%
18.6%
73.8%
8.3%
17.9%
65.0%
19.9%
15.1%
66.1%
21.5%
12.4%
65.9%
21.2%
12.9%
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
55.2%
44.8%
54.8%
45.2%
54.9%
45.1%
28.9%
71.1%
18.6%
81.4%
21.1%
78.9%
56.4%
43.6%
56.8%
43.2%
56.7%
43.3%
36.0%
64.0%
35.3%
64.7%
35.4%
64.6%
Living arrangement
2 parent family
Single parent family
No parent family
Related non-parent caretaker
Unrelated non-parent caretaker
60.1%
33.9%
6.0%
3.3%
2.7%
55.0%
37.9%
7.1%
5.6%
1.4%
56.2%
37.0%
6.8%
5.1%
1.7%
61.4%
28.4%
10.2%
7.0%
3.2%
59.4%
35.8%
4.8%
2.6%
2.2%
59.9%
34.0%
6.1%
3.7%
2.4%
68.5%
25.5%
6.0%
3.4%
2.6%
62.7%
32.4%
4.8%
3.6%
1.2%
63.9%
31.0%
5.1%
3.6%
1.5%
63.7%
31.7%
4.5%
2.3%
2.2%
57.8%
36.7%
5.4%
4.0%
1.4%
59.1%
35.7%
5.2%
3.6%
1.6%
Household size (number of persons)
2
3
4
5
6 or more
2.7%
26.2%
26.2%
13.9%
30.9%
4.2%
18.6%
25.4%
22.8%
29.0%
3.9%
20.3%
25.6%
20.8%
29.5%
1.3%
26.9%
27.3%
19.8%
24.8%
4.5%
22.3%
32.0%
20.0%
21.3%
3.7%
23.4%
30.9%
19.9%
22.1%
0.0%
22.3%
21.7%
23.2%
32.9%
5.1%
15.5%
28.8%
24.5%
26.1%
4.0%
16.9%
27.3%
24.2%
27.5%
4.5%
24.6%
24.9%
21.2%
24.7%
5.3%
20.0%
29.6%
22.4%
22.6%
5.1%
21.0%
28.7%
22.2%
23.1%
% with working parent(s)
62.6%
73.3%
70.9%
75.0%
76.5%
76.2%
57.5%
70.3%
67.7%
60.6%
70.7%
68.6%
Annual family income relative to povertyb
Less than 50% FPL
50% to <100% FPL
100% to <130% FPL
130% to <185% FPLd
185% to <200% FPL
200% to <250% FPL
250% FPL and above
25.8%
22.6%
12.6%
18.4%
3.9%
4.2%
12.5%
21.5%
23.5%
12.6%
21.3%
2.6%
5.3%
13.3%
22.5%
23.3%
12.6%
20.7%
2.9%
5.0%
13.1%
18.8%
20.7%
14.3%
21.5%
3.7%
7.2%
13.7%
23.7%
15.6%
12.6%
28.3%
2.0%
5.5%
12.3%
22.5%
16.8%
13.0%
26.7%
2.4%
5.9%
12.6%
23.2%
15.9%
15.6%
15.9%
4.7%
5.5%
19.0%
19.6%
20.0%
16.3%
23.4%
2.7%
5.9%
12.2%
20.3%
19.1%
16.1%
21.9%
3.1%
5.8%
13.6%
23.9%
21.3%
13.3%
18.9%
3.9%
4.8%
13.9%
20.8%
20.7%
13.3%
22.6%
2.4%
6.4%
13.7%
21.5%
20.8%
13.3%
21.8%
2.7%
6.0%
13.8%
9.9%
3.4%
0.0%
39.1%
0.0%
10.2%
0.0%
37.3%
16.1%
1.8%
0.0%
36.0%
0.3%
4.8%
0.0%
40.9%
14.7%
2.2%
0.0%
36.7%
0.3%
6.0%
0.0%
40.1%
22.9%
2.1%
0.0%
27.8%
0.9%
5.9%
0.0%
40.5%
24.0%
3.4%
0.0%
31.8%
1.2%
4.5%
0.0%
35.0%
23.8%
3.1%
0.0%
30.8%
1.1%
4.8%
0.0%
36.3%
16.9%
10.1%
0.0%
33.2%
0.0%
4.5%
0.0%
35.4%
20.5%
9.7%
0.0%
27.7%
1.1%
3.2%
0.0%
37.8%
19.7%
9.8%
0.0%
28.9%
0.8%
3.5%
0.0%
37.3%
15.1%
6.4%
0.0%
36.1%
0.3%
6.0%
0.0%
36.1%
18.1%
5.6%
0.0%
33.1%
0.6%
4.4%
0.0%
38.1%
17.5%
5.8%
0.0%
33.8%
0.5%
4.8%
0.0%
37.7%
Demographic Characteristics
Total
Benefit receipt
No benefit receipt
SNAP & TANF & Medicaid
SNAP & TANF
SNAP & Medicaid
TANF & Medicaid
SNAP only
TANF only
Medicaid only
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS
Mountain Plains
WIC Eligible
WIC Eligible
Children Age
Infants and
1-4
Children
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page B-19
Notes for Table B.9:
FPG - Federal Poverty Guidelines
FPL - Federal Poverty Level
a
These estimates are tabulated from the fully adjusted person weights on the 2014 CPS-ASEC. They are adjusted to account for the under or over count of infants and
children in the CPS relative to Census estimates, monthly income, or nutritional risk.
b
This table uses both the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) and the Federal Poverty Thresholds or "Levels" (FPL). The thresholds are used to calculate the ratio of annual
family income to the poverty "Levels" (FPL). The thresholds are used to calculate the ratio of annual family income to the poverty threshold for their family size. The
guidelines are used in determining WIC eligibility.
c
There are infants and children adjunctively eligible for WIC with annual family incomes above 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) who have annual family
incomes below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
B-20
Appendix C
Coverage Rate Maps
The maps in this appendix display WIC coverage rates at the State and regional
levels. A coverage rate is defined here as the number of individuals participating in the
WIC program divided by the number estimated to be eligible. For 2013, rates are shown
at the regional level for all participants and for each of four subgroups—infants, children,
pregnant women, and postpartum women. Coverage rates are also shown at the State
level for 2013 for all participants combined. The maps are listed individually below.
FNS Region Level Coverage Rate
 C.1 – All Groups
 C.2 – Infants
 C.3 – Children
 C.4 – Pregnant Women
 C.5 – Postpartum Women
State Level Coverage Rate
 C.6 – All Groups
 C.6a – Children
 C.6b - Women and Infants
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-1
Figure C-1. WIC Coverage Rate for All Participants by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 60.2%
Northeast
59.7%
Mountain Plains
51.1%
Western
70.4%
Midwest
56.9%
Southwest
60.4%
Mid-Atlantic
61.4%
Southeast
55.3%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-2
Figure C-2. WIC Coverage Rate for Infants by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 84.4%
Northeast
82.4%
Mountain Plains
73.7%
Western
88.4%
Midwest
85.2%
Mid-Atlantic
84.3%
Southeast
82.7%
Southwest
87.3%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-3
Figure C-3. WIC Coverage Rate for Children (Ages 1-4) by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 49.8%
Northeast
50.7%
Mountain Plains
41.3%
Western
62.8%
Midwest
45.6%
Southwest
46.9%
Mid-Atlantic
52.2%
Southeast
43.5%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-4
Figure C-4. WIC Coverage Rate for Pregnant Women by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 68.4%
Northeast
64.3%
Mountain Plains
56.9%
Western
75.8%
Midwest
68.0%
Southwest
71.8%
Mid-Atlantic
66.0%
Southeast
66.0%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-5
Figure C-5. WIC Coverage Rate for All Postpartum Women by FNS Region, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 77.8%
Northeast
74.3%
Mountain Plains
68.7%
Western
82.5%
Midwest
71.0%
Mid-Atlantic
75.5%
Southeast
74.6%
Southwest
90.4%
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-6
Figure C-6. WIC Coverage Rate for All Participants by State, CY 2013
National Coverage Rate: 60.2%
63.8%
65.6%
42.3%
50.2%
51.9%
70.5%
63.9%
49.9%
56.3%
52.0%
62.2%
50.1%
53.8%
45.2%
56.1%
52.5%
54.4%
57.3%
55.5%
60.1%
56.9%
53.8%
48.7%
66.4%
56.8%
DE: 56.8%
55.5%
55.7%
50.4%
MA: 58.3%
MD: 66.3%
NH: 41.5%
NJ: 56.1%
52.6%
53.4% 61.0%
40 – 49.9 percent
CT: 48.8%
53.8% 55.0%
48.0%
76.2%
Coverage Rate, All:
62.9%
61.2%
54.7%
54.7%
RI: 61.8%
VT: 61.5%
DC: 53.7%
63.2%
57.2%
50 – 59.9 percent
60 – 69.9 percent
54.1%
85.0%
70 – 79.9 percent
80 percent or greater
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-7
Figure C-6a. WIC Coverage Rates for Children (age 1 to 4), by State, CY 2013
(Due to small sample size, the rates shown in this map were computed using the average of the eligibility estimates for 2011-2013.
Therefore, they do not match similar rates shown elsewhere in this report.)
National Coverage Rate: 52.2%
59.3%
54.0%
38.1%
47.7%
51.1%
62.6%
57.8%
43.8%
46.6%
52.6%
49.4%
55.2%
51.0%
45.1%
44.5%
47.2%
47.0%
41.2%
38.1%
44.3%
47.2%
DE: 50.5%
41.4%
73.6%
45.2%
53.6%
43.9%
52.9%
55.6%
48.4%
47.7 %
41.6%
Coverage Rate,
Children (age 1 to 4):
MA: 53.0%
45.9%
47.2%
39.0%
44.8%
40.7%
43.1% 49.3%
CT: 43.4%
MD: 57.5%
NH: 36.3%
NJ: 49.8%
RI: 61.3%
VT: 62.3%
DC: 44.8%
47.0%
52.0%
Less than 40 percent
44.7%
40 – 49.9 percent
47.1%
50 – 59.9 percent
81.3%
60 – 69.9 percent
70 – 79.9 percent
80 percent or greater
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-8
Figure C-6b. WIC Coverage Rates for Women and Infants, by State, CY 2013
(Due to small sample size, the rates shown in this map were computed using the average of the eligibility estimates for 2011-2013.
Therefore, they do not match similar rates shown elsewhere in this report.)
National Coverage Rate: 78.6%
74.8%
77.8%
53.9%
62.9%
68.5%
84.8%
75.3%
61.1%
70.9%
71.3%
72.5%
69.3%
60.7%
76.7%
71.1%
72.3%
61.7%
90.6%
74.5%
Coverage Rate,
Women and Infants:
80.0 %
67.0%
71.1%
72.9%
CT: 64.2%
85.4%
77.2%
90.9%
78.0%
75.5%
80.9%
79.1%
64.9%
DE: 74.3%
76.9%
MD: 88.9%
72.8%
78.4%
NH: 64.7%
NJ: 73.7%
83.4%
79.6%
72.7% 80.5%
MA: 77.5%
RI: 70.6%
VT: 92.4%
74.6%
DC: 85.9%
84.4%
79.9%
50 – 59.9 percent
60 – 69.9 percent
73.8%
91.2%
70 – 79.9 percent
80 percent or greater
Source: 2014 CPS-ASEC, 2013 ACS, 2013 PRCS, WIC Administrative Data
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-9
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National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page C-10
Appendix D
Eligibles and Coverage Rate Time Series by FNS Region: 2000-2013
Table D.1: Population Eligible for WIC Benefits: 2000-2013
This table displays a time series of the population eligible for WIC benefits for the total
U.S. by year.
Table D.2: Coverage Rates by FNS Region and Participant Group: 2000-2013
This table displays a time series of the coverage rate for each WIC participant group by
FNS Region and the U.S by year.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page D-1
Table D.1: Population Eligible for WIC Benefits: 2000-2013
Participant Group
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Infants
2,417,133
2,494,306
2,203,108
2,501,169
2,578,635
2,596,448
2,702,049
2,651,367
2,633,819
2,673,683
2,535,074
2,516,309
2,420,597
2,387,223
Children (Ages 1-4)
7,400,765
7,783,758
8,339,280
8,385,979
8,472,345
8,593,698
8,622,879
8,540,981
8,657,117
9,469,217
9,224,455
8,888,005
8,823,888
9,053,165
Pregnant Women
1,244,265
1,283,991
1,134,091
1,287,524
1,326,735
1,335,900
1,390,233
1,364,156
1,355,127
1,375,638
1,304,322
1,294,668
1,245,423
1,228,252
All Postpartum Women
1,420,038
1,473,125
1,313,853
1,479,398
1,529,028
1,539,590
1,574,645
1,522,834
1,525,315
1,556,053
1,486,265
1,578,471
1,563,454
1,520,267
Total
12,482,201 13,035,181 12,990,331 13,654,070 13,906,742 14,065,636 14,289,805 14,079,339 14,171,378 15,074,591 14,550,116 14,277,453 14,053,362 14,188,907
Notes:
For years 2000-2007, see Betson et al. (2011), Appendix Table D.4.
For years 2008 and 2009, see Betson et al. (2011), Appendix Table C.3.
For 2010, see Martinez-Schiferl et al. (2012), Appendix table D.1.
For 2011, see Johnson et al. (2014), Appendix table, D.1.
For 2012, see Johnson et al. (2015), Appendix table, D.1.
The decline in WIC eligibles from 2009 to 2010 is likely the result of revisions to Census population estimates that incorporate information from the 2010
Census. See Martinez-Schiferl et al. (2012), Appendix E for further information.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page D-2
Table D.2: Coverage Rates by Region and Participant Group: 2000-2012
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
57.8%
56.5%
57.8%
56.3%
57.3%
57.1%
56.9%
59.5%
62.2%
60.9%
62.6%
62.7%
63.1%
60.2%
Northeast
61.1%
58.6%
59.8%
57.3%
58.2%
60.7%
59.5%
63.0%
64.9%
63.7%
63.0%
63.0%
64.3%
59.7%
Mid-Atlantic
58.0%
56.6%
55.8%
57.9%
57.8%
57.8%
60.1%
61.2%
64.8%
62.6%
62.8%
64.7%
63.6%
61.4%
Southeast
53.5%
51.7%
53.4%
51.3%
52.2%
51.3%
51.1%
54.3%
58.9%
57.0%
58.6%
58.3%
58.0%
55.3%
Midwest
53.4%
53.2%
54.1%
54.6%
56.2%
55.4%
56.0%
57.6%
59.3%
57.3%
57.4%
56.9%
58.2%
56.9%
Southwest
58.0%
57.4%
58.9%
55.1%
56.6%
56.2%
53.9%
56.0%
59.0%
61.2%
63.9%
62.4%
63.1%
60.4%
Mountain Plains
50.0%
50.7%
52.2%
51.3%
53.9%
51.4%
50.0%
51.3%
54.2%
52.8%
53.6%
53.7%
53.8%
51.1%
Western
Infants
65.8%
2000
63.5%
2001
66.3%
2002
63.4%
2003
63.8%
2004
64.7%
2005
65.3%
2006
69.5%
2007
70.6%
2008
68.2%
2009
72.5%
2010
73.9%
2011
74.2%
2012
70.4%
2013
U.S.
All Participants
U.S.
78.6%
77.2%
87.7%
78.3%
78.7%
79.1%
77.5%
82.4%
84.6%
82.9%
84.8%
83.4%
85.1%
84.4%
Northeast
79.0%
83.1%
95.0%
83.7%
78.4%
84.4%
82.9%
88.6%
89.1%
86.3%
84.8%
81.9%
86.7%
82.4%
Mid-Atlantic
80.7%
77.3%
82.9%
79.6%
81.2%
79.9%
81.9%
85.5%
88.4%
83.1%
85.5%
86.8%
86.0%
84.3%
Southeast
80.4%
77.0%
85.6%
76.5%
76.7%
75.0%
73.2%
80.5%
85.0%
81.5%
83.6%
83.2%
82.2%
82.7%
Midwest
74.6%
78.0%
87.3%
82.0%
83.7%
81.6%
82.1%
84.7%
83.4%
80.8%
82.8%
79.6%
83.7%
85.2%
Southwest
77.7%
78.3%
88.7%
75.3%
76.6%
76.7%
73.7%
77.2%
81.3%
85.2%
87.0%
82.0%
88.3%
87.3%
Mountain Plains
66.0%
67.2%
76.6%
72.3%
74.0%
72.4%
68.9%
72.1%
73.0%
74.0%
76.7%
76.1%
75.7%
73.7%
Western
Children (Ages 1-4)
84.0%
2000
77.1%
2001
93.0%
2002
79.2%
2003
79.0%
2004
82.9%
2005
80.3%
2006
86.7%
2007
88.2%
2008
86.1%
2009
88.6%
2010
89.0%
2011
88.8%
2012
88.4%
2013
U.S.
48.0%
46.9%
45.1%
45.9%
47.1%
46.6%
46.2%
47.8%
51.2%
50.6%
52.4%
53.6%
53.4%
49.8%
Northeast
53.6%
48.4%
46.1%
45.9%
48.6%
49.4%
47.8%
49.9%
53.1%
52.5%
52.8%
54.7%
54.5%
50.7%
Mid-Atlantic
48.3%
47.8%
44.8%
48.2%
47.9%
48.0%
49.6%
49.5%
53.5%
53.2%
53.3%
55.4%
54.4%
52.2%
Southeast
40.4%
39.6%
39.5%
39.4%
40.5%
39.5%
39.6%
41.2%
46.2%
45.8%
47.5%
47.5%
47.4%
43.5%
Midwest
44.3%
42.8%
41.1%
42.9%
44.2%
44.0%
43.7%
45.2%
48.5%
47.2%
47.0%
47.6%
48.3%
45.6%
Southwest
47.8%
46.8%
45.3%
45.0%
46.5%
46.1%
43.6%
44.8%
47.7%
49.1%
52.2%
52.0%
50.5%
46.9%
Mountain Plains
41.9%
42.5%
41.0%
41.3%
44.0%
41.5%
40.5%
41.2%
44.8%
43.5%
43.7%
44.5%
44.4%
41.3%
Western
Pregnant Women
56.9%
2000
56.8%
2001
54.3%
2002
55.5%
2003
55.9%
2004
55.3%
2005
56.5%
2006
59.3%
2007
60.9%
2008
59.3%
2009
64.4%
2010
67.3%
2011
68.0%
2012
62.8%
2013
U.S.
67.6%
64.0%
72.6%
65.6%
65.5%
65.4%
64.6%
66.7%
68.4%
68.6%
70.8%
69.5%
70.9%
68.4%
Northeast
83.2%
79.9%
76.0%
67.9%
63.9%
69.8%
69.5%
72.3%
71.7%
71.1%
70.0%
66.9%
71.0%
64.3%
Mid-Atlantic
64.6%
60.4%
66.3%
64.9%
64.8%
63.6%
66.0%
67.4%
70.7%
67.9%
69.2%
69.7%
67.3%
66.0%
Southeast
67.7%
61.4%
68.7%
63.1%
62.8%
60.7%
59.5%
62.3%
66.0%
64.7%
68.8%
67.6%
66.9%
66.0%
Midwest
57.2%
59.1%
68.5%
65.6%
65.7%
64.8%
66.0%
66.5%
65.9%
67.1%
68.5%
65.6%
69.4%
68.0%
Southwest
65.7%
64.9%
74.7%
63.9%
65.0%
64.2%
62.0%
63.1%
67.6%
71.8%
73.2%
69.4%
75.2%
71.8%
Mountain Plains
56.0%
57.1%
66.3%
62.3%
62.7%
60.5%
54.5%
55.2%
55.8%
58.4%
58.7%
60.1%
60.4%
56.9%
Western
All Post-Partum Women
75.9%
2000
67.2%
2001
82.7%
2002
70.0%
2003
70.4%
2004
72.6%
2005
71.7%
2006
75.7%
2007
75.5%
2008
74.2%
2009
78.4%
2010
79.0%
2011
78.6%
2012
75.8%
2013
U.S.
64.7%
65.6%
75.7%
69.6%
70.3%
71.5%
72.8%
78.8%
81.0%
79.4%
80.6%
76.0%
77.0%
77.8%
Northeast
49.7%
56.9%
77.6%
71.7%
71.0%
78.0%
78.8%
87.6%
84.6%
88.6%
82.1%
74.1%
81.4%
74.3%
Mid-Atlantic
68.2%
68.1%
72.3%
71.7%
70.8%
71.6%
77.2%
83.6%
87.6%
80.6%
78.6%
79.1%
78.1%
75.5%
Southeast
63.2%
65.1%
73.1%
67.9%
67.8%
68.8%
66.9%
74.7%
81.1%
77.4%
76.6%
73.8%
73.1%
74.6%
Midwest
58.5%
60.8%
68.8%
66.5%
68.4%
65.7%
71.6%
72.2%
70.9%
69.5%
70.2%
65.5%
65.3%
71.0%
Southwest
68.1%
68.9%
78.4%
68.1%
70.4%
69.9%
69.0%
74.6%
77.7%
85.0%
87.7%
82.5%
86.7%
90.4%
Mountain Plains
58.6%
59.0%
67.0%
63.5%
65.8%
62.5%
64.8%
67.6%
71.9%
65.2%
71.4%
66.9%
68.6%
68.7%
Western
74.9%
71.3%
85.0%
74.2%
74.6%
79.7%
80.3%
89.3%
89.0%
85.6%
90.0%
82.9%
82.3%
82.5%
Notes:
For years 2000-2007, see Betson et al (2011), Appendix Table D.2
For years 2008 and 2009, see Betson et al (2011), Volume I, Tables 18 and 19
For 2010, see Martinez-Schiferl et al. (2012), Appendix Table D.1.
For 2011, see Johnson et al. (2014), Appendix Table, D.1.
For 2012, see Johnson et al. (2015), Appendix table, D.1.
The decline in WIC eligibles from 2009 to 2010 is likely the result of revisions to Census population estimates that incorporate information from the 2010
Census. See Martinez-Schiferl et al. (2012), Appendix E for further information.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page D-3
Appendix E: Method for Calculating the Annual-to-Monthly Adjustment Factors
Applied to Children in the 2013 WIC Eligibility Estimates
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 gave States the option of adopting a
12-month certification period for WIC-eligible children rather than continuing to use a 6month period. While some States adopted this option as early as 2011, it was not until
2013 that it had a significant impact on WIC eligibility, for two reasons:
1. States have been adopting the option gradually. By the end of 2011, only 6 States
had adopted it; an additional 14 had adopted it by the end of 2012.
2. The longer certification period is not applied retroactively, so it does not begin
affecting eligibility until 6 months after its adoption. (Of the 14 States that adopted
the option in 2012, only 5 adopted it early enough for it to have any impact on
eligibility in 2012.)
In our WIC eligibility estimates, the impact of certification periods is reflected in
the annual-to-monthly adjustment factors applied to the annual infant and child eligibility
estimates. (These factors also reflect the impact of monthly fluctuations in income.) Prior
to the eligibility estimates for 2013, these factors were calculated under the assumption
that all States had the same certification periods – 12 months for infants and 6 months for
children. However, in order for this year’s estimates to reflect the fact that some (but not
all) States have adopted a 12-month certification period for children, State-specific
factors had to be calculated, with each factor reflecting if (and when) the State adopted
the 12-month certification period for children.
The State-specific factors used for the 2013 estimates are shown in table E.1. In
order to understand how these factors were calculated, it is important to understand how
the “non-retroactive” nature of the option affects its impact on eligibility in any given year.
Not being retroactive means that when a State adopts the longer certification period, it
will cause the certification period to go from 6 months to 12 months only for those
children who first became eligible after the extension’s adoption. For 2013 this means
that 12-month certification will only impact WIC eligibility in 2013 if it was adopted
before July 2013. If adopted after that, any child covered by the new 12-month period
(i.e. a child first becoming eligible in July 2013 or later) would have been certified eligible
for the remainder of the year regardless of whether 6-month or 12-month certification was
in place at the time he/she became eligible.
The fact that the new policy is not applied retroactively also means that, even if
adopted before July 2013, not all months of the year may be fully affected by the longer
certification period. Specifically, only if adopted by February of the prior year will
eligibility in all months of the year be fully affected. While adoption as late as July of the
prior year would cause eligibility to increase somewhat in each month of the following
year (compared to what eligibility would be if certification was only for 6 months), the
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page E-1
increase would not be as high as it would be if 12-month certification had been in place in
February of the prior year.
Table E.1: State-Level Annual-to-Monthly Adjustment Factors Used for the
2013 Estimates of WIC-Eligible Children
Alabama
Implementation date of 12Month Certification for Children
Annual-to-Monthly factor
used for 2013 estimates
NA
1.000
Alaska
December 1, 2013
1.000
Arizona
October 1, 2015
1.000
Arkansas
NA
1.000
California
March 1, 2012
1.038
Colorado
August 26, 2013
1.000
Connecticut
October 1, 2012
1.021
Delaware
January 14, 2013
1.014
D.C.
October 1, 2013
1.000
Florida
October 1, 2011
1.040
Georgia
October 1, 2012
1.021
Hawaii
NA
1.000
Idaho
July 1, 2014
1.000
Illinois
July 1, 2012
1.028
Indiana
NA
1.000
July 1, 2012
1.028
Kansas
NA
1.000
Kentucky
NA
1.000
Louisiana
NA
1.000
January 1, 2012 or earlier
1.040
October 1, 2012
1.021
January 1, 2012 or earlier
1.040
April 1, 2013
1.007
Minnesota
November 1, 2012
1.019
Mississippi
March 1, 2014
1.000
Missouri
December 1, 2013
1.000
Montana
October 1, 2011
1.040
Nebraska
NA
1.000
July 1, 2012
1.028
late 2014
1.000
New Jersey
NA
1.000
New Mexico
October 1, 2012
1.021
January 1, 2012 or earlier
1.040
North Carolina
October 1, 2011
1.040
North Dakota
January 1, 2011
1.040
NA
1.000
October 1, 2012
1.021
NA
1.000
Pennsylvania
September 1, 2013
1.000
Rhode Island
NA
1.000
South Carolina
NA
1.000
South Dakota
April 1, 2011
1.040
October 1, 2013
1.000
March 1, 2012
1.038
Utah
NA
1.000
Vermont
NA
1.000
Virginia
January 1, 2013
1.014
November 1, 2011
1.040
NA
1.000
Wisconsin
October 1, 2013
1.000
Wyoming
NA
1.000
Iowa
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Tennessee
Texas
Washington
West Virginia
NOTE: Implementation dates were provided by FNS. If no date is listed, it means
the state does not plan to adopt 12 month certification, or that the date was not
available at the time these factors were calculated.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page E-2
For example, assume that in a State with 6-month certification, 1,000 children
become newly eligible in each month of 2012, but 250 of each month’s newly-eligible
children will not continue to meet eligibility requirements when their 6-month
certification period ends. If the State adopts 12-month certification in July of 2012, the
population of eligible children in January of 2013 will increase by 250 over what it would
have been under 6-month certification due to the addition of those 250 children who
initially became eligible in July; the longer certification period means they now remain
eligible in January of 2013. However, if the State adopts 12-month certification in
February of 2012, the January 2013 eligible population would increase not just by those
250 children initially eligible in July 2012, but also due to children initially eligible in each
of the months from January through June of 2012, adding an additional 1500 children (6 *
250) to the January 2013 population of eligible children.
With this understanding of how the timing of adoption of 12-month certification
affects eligibility, the adjustment factors in table E.1 can be explained as follows:

21 States had not adopted 12-month certification period by the end of 2013. For
these States the factor used this year is the same as the national factor used for the
last several years’ estimates (1.0) which was estimated under the assumption that
all States have a 6-month certification period for children.

6 States (plus D.C.), although adopting 12-month certification in 2013, had not
adopted it early enough for it to have an impact on eligibility in 2013 (i.e. it was
adopted in July or later). For these States the 1.0 factor was also used.

9 States had adopted 12-month certification early enough that eligibility in all
months of 2013 were fully affected (i.e. it was adopted in February of 2012 or
earlier). For these States a factor of 1.04 was used. This factor is based on work
from a prior task in which an alternative annual-to-monthly adjustment factor was
calculated for children. Rather than assuming that 6-month certification was in
effect in all States, it was assumed that all States had adopted 12-month
certification (and early enough that eligibility was fully affected in all months).
Whereas the 6-month assumption had resulted in a factor of 1.0, this alternative
produced a factor of 1.04. (For more information, see Appendix E in ”National and
State-Level Estimates of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) Eligibles and Program Reach, 2011”.)

The remaining 14 States adopted 12-month certification early enough to affect
eligibility in 2013 but not early enough to fully affect all months (i.e. it was adopted
between March 2012 and June 2013). For these States it was assumed that the
appropriate factor varies linearly between 1.0 and 1.04, based on the
implementation month, as follows:
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page E-3
Annual-to-Monthly Factor for Children for the 2013 Estimates, for States Adopting 12Month Certification between March 2012 and June 2013
Implementation Month:
2012
2013
March
1.038
April
1.035
May
1.033
June
1.031
July
1.028
August
1.026
September
1.024
October
1.021
November
1.019
December
1.016
January
1.014
February
1.012
March
1.009
April
1.007
May
1.005
June
1.002
After calculating appropriate factors for each State, it was also necessary to
estimate a national-level factor. As described in Volume I of this report, the State-level
eligibility estimates are not calculated directly from the CPS-ASEC data. Instead, the
national estimates calculated using CPS-ASEC data are apportioned to States based on
State shares calculated using ACS data. While the State-specific factors described above
were applied to each State when processing the ACS data, a national-level factor was
required when using the CPS-ASEC. In order to do this, a weighted average of the Statespecific factors was developed, where each State’s factor was weighted by its share of
eligibles, before applying any annual-to-monthly adjustment factor. This resulted in a
national annual-to-monthly adjustment factor for children of 1.02 (see table E.2).
We also considered this issue for purposes of estimating children’s WIC eligibility
in Puerto Rico and in the other island territories. However, neither Puerto Rico nor any of
the other territories implemented 12-month certification any earlier than January 2015;
thus, the annual-to-monthly factor for children for the territorial estimates remained at
1.0.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page E-4
Table E.2: Calculation of the National-Level Annual-To-Monthly Adjustment Factor Used for the
National 2013 Estimates of WIC-Eligible Children
State-specific annual-tomonthly adjustment factors
State share of national
estimate of WIC-eligible
children
Annual-to-monthly
factors weighted by
share
Alabama
1.000
0.017
0.017
Alaska
1.000
0.002
0.002
Arizona
1.000
0.023
0.023
Arkansas
1.000
0.011
0.011
California
1.038
0.131
0.135
Colorado
1.000
0.014
0.014
Connecticut
1.021
0.008
0.008
Delaware
1.014
0.003
0.003
D.C.
1.000
0.002
0.002
Florida
1.040
0.062
0.065
Georgia
1.021
0.037
0.038
Hawaii
1.000
0.004
0.004
Idaho
1.000
0.006
0.006
Illinois
1.028
0.039
0.040
Indiana
1.000
0.022
0.022
Iowa
1.028
0.008
0.009
Kansas
1.000
0.009
0.009
Kentucky
1.000
0.014
0.014
Louisiana
1.000
0.018
0.018
Maine
1.040
0.003
0.003
Maryland
1.021
0.016
0.016
Massachusetts
1.040
0.014
0.015
Michigan
1.007
0.030
0.030
Minnesota
1.019
0.013
0.013
Mississippi
1.000
0.013
0.013
Missouri
1.000
0.018
0.018
Montana
1.040
0.003
0.003
Nebraska
1.000
0.006
0.006
Nevada
1.028
0.009
0.009
New Hampshire
1.000
0.003
0.003
New Jersey
1.000
0.022
0.022
New Mexico
1.021
0.009
0.009
New York
1.040
0.057
0.060
North Carolina
1.040
0.034
0.035
North Dakota
1.040
0.002
0.002
Ohio
1.000
0.034
0.034
Oklahoma
1.021
0.016
0.016
Oregon
1.000
0.012
0.012
Pennsylvania
1.000
0.033
0.033
Rhode Island
1.000
0.003
0.003
South Carolina
1.000
0.017
0.017
South Dakota
1.040
0.003
0.003
Tennessee
1.000
0.022
0.022
Texas
1.038
0.105
0.109
Utah
1.000
0.011
0.011
Vermont
1.000
0.002
0.002
Virginia
1.014
0.020
0.020
Washington
1.040
0.021
0.022
West Virginia
1.000
0.006
0.006
Wisconsin
1.000
0.015
0.015
Wyoming
1.000
0.002
0.002
Weighted average factor used for national-level estimates:
1.02
Note: State shares are based on State eligibility estimates before applying the
annual-to-monthly adjustment factors.
National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibles and Program Reach: Appendices
Page E-5