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PantryPath Research · WIC Coverage Atlas

WIC in Massachusetts

73.1% coverage

Massachusetts's WIC program reaches 73.1% of eligible residents — an estimated 106,000 participants out of 145,000 who qualify. That leaves 39,000 pregnant women, infants, and young children eligible but not receiving WIC's food package or nutrition counseling.

145K

WIC eligibles

106K

Participants (FY2024 avg)

39K

Unserved eligibles

14

Counties

Massachusetts by county

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Toggle between estimated WIC eligibles, unserved gap, low-income child counts, and child-poverty share. Hover a county for its exact value.

Note: USDA does not publish sub-state WIC participation, so every county in Massachusetts inherits the state's 73.1% coverage rate. County-level eligibles are allocated from state totals in proportion to the county's share of low-income children under 6 (ACS B17024). See methodology.

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Massachusetts at a glance

Coverage rate

73.1%

Participants ÷ eligibles

Participation gap

26.9%

1 − coverage

Eligibles

145K

USDA FNS FY2022

Participants

106K

Monthly avg FY2024

Unserved

39K

Eligibles − participants

Kids < 6 low-income

96K

23.2% of universe

County-level hotspots

Top five counties across 14 counties in Massachusetts.

Most WIC eligibles

Estimated eligible population

  1. 1 Middlesex 23K
  2. 2 Suffolk 22K
  3. 3 Worcester 21K
  4. 4 Essex 20K
  5. 5 Hampden 17K

Largest unserved gap

Eligibles not receiving WIC

  1. 1 Middlesex 6K
  2. 2 Suffolk 6K
  3. 3 Worcester 6K
  4. 4 Essex 5K
  5. 5 Hampden 5K

Highest child-poverty share

Children < 6 at ≤185% FPL

  1. 1 Hampden 39.7%
  2. 2 Suffolk 32.9%
  3. 3 Franklin 32.3%
  4. 4 Bristol 31.4%
  5. 5 Berkshire 27.9%

Every county in Massachusetts

All 14 counties with WIC eligibility estimates, unserved gap, and ACS child-poverty context.

County Eligibles est. Participants est. Unserved est. Kids < 6 low-income Poverty share
Barnstable 2,980 2,179 801 1,969 20.1%
Berkshire 2,478 1,811 667 1,637 27.9%
Bristol 16,755 12,248 4,507 11,070 31.4%
Dukes 168 123 45 111 14.6%
Essex 20,047 14,655 5,392 13,245 25.7%
Franklin 1,577 1,153 424 1,042 32.3%
Hampden 17,159 12,544 4,615 11,337 39.7%
Hampshire 2,186 1,598 588 1,444 24.0%
Middlesex 23,184 16,948 6,236 15,318 15.6%
Nantucket 295 216 79 195 23.3%
Norfolk 6,828 4,991 1,837 4,511 10.3%
Plymouth 9,051 6,616 2,435 5,980 18.3%
Suffolk 21,512 15,726 5,786 14,213 32.9%
Worcester 20,782 15,192 5,590 13,731 26.1%

Apply for WIC in Massachusetts

Income limits, food-package rules, clinic locator, and application instructions specific to Massachusetts's WIC agency.

Massachusetts WIC guide

Families with children

Our population-specific guide: WIC, SNAP, school meals, Summer EBT, and pantry programs for families with kids in Massachusetts.

Families guide

Massachusetts SNAP

SNAP recipients are automatically income-eligible for WIC through adjunctive eligibility — often the fastest path to enrollment.

Massachusetts SNAP guide

Find a food pantry

Search Massachusetts's verified pantries — many partner with WIC clinics and distribute infant formula, baby food, and diapers.

Massachusetts food pantries

WIC methodology

How we estimated county-level eligibles, why state coverage rates can't be disaggregated, and which data sources we used.

Full methodology