Pregnant or postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 are eligible. They must meet income guidelines, a State residency requirement, and be individually determined to be at "nutritional risk" by a health professional.

To be eligible on the basis of income, applicants' gross income (i.e. before taxes are withheld) must fall at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines:

WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines (Effective from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009)
Family Size	Monthly (Approximate)	Annually
1	$1,603	$19,240
2	$2,158	$25,900
3	$2,713	$32,560
4	$3,268	$39,220
5	$3,823	$45,880
6	$4,378	$52,540
7	$4,933	$59,200
8	$5,488	$65,860