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PantryPath Research · WIC Coverage Atlas

WIC in Rhode Island

73.1% coverage

Rhode Island's WIC program reaches 73.1% of eligible residents — an estimated 19,000 participants out of 26,000 who qualify. That leaves 7,000 pregnant women, infants, and young children eligible but not receiving WIC's food package or nutrition counseling.

26K

WIC eligibles

19K

Participants (FY2024 avg)

7K

Unserved eligibles

5

Counties

Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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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Rhode Island at a glance

Coverage rate

73.1%

Participants ÷ eligibles

Participation gap

26.9%

1 − coverage

Eligibles

26K

USDA FNS FY2022

Participants

19K

Monthly avg FY2024

Unserved

7K

Eligibles − participants

Kids < 6 low-income

18K

28.4% of universe

County-level hotspots

Top five counties across 5 counties in Rhode Island.

Most WIC eligibles

Estimated eligible population

  1. 1 Providence 21K
  2. 2 Kent 2K
  3. 3 Newport 1K
  4. 4 Washington 1K
  5. 5 Bristol 135

Largest unserved gap

Eligibles not receiving WIC

  1. 1 Providence 6K
  2. 2 Kent 614
  3. 3 Newport 339
  4. 4 Washington 316
  5. 5 Bristol 36

Highest child-poverty share

Children < 6 at ≤185% FPL

  1. 1 Providence 35.3%
  2. 2 Newport 20.9%
  3. 3 Kent 16.5%
  4. 4 Washington 14.5%
  5. 5 Bristol 3.8%

Every county in Rhode Island

All 5 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
Bristol 135 99 36 95 3.8%
Kent 2,281 1,667 614 1,600 16.5%
Newport 1,259 920 339 883 20.9%
Providence 21,151 15,457 5,694 14,836 35.3%
Washington 1,173 857 316 823 14.5%

Apply for WIC in Rhode Island

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

Rhode Island WIC guide

Families with children

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

Families guide

Rhode Island SNAP

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

Rhode Island SNAP guide

Find a food pantry

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

Rhode Island 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