Access to WIC-Authorized Vendors and High-speed Internet Services in Urban and Rural Areas

Low-income and nutritionally at-risk women, infants, and children up to age 5 are eligible for the USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program of Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC supports a healthy diet by providing supplemental foods that are high in nutrients that are determined to be beneficial for these population groups. Most WIC participants obtain their prescribed foods at a WIC-authorized vendor (a retail food store that accepts WIC benefits); however, WIC State agencies have begun to pilot online shopping options for WIC participants to increase participants’ access to prescribed foods. To better understand the ability of WIC participants to take advantage of online shopping options, this report describes the availability of fixed and mobile high-speed internet services across census tract—a proxy for neighborhoods. The report considers whether census tracts have adequate internet infrastructure to support the use of online options when there is limited physical access to WIC-authorized vendors. It also estimates the shares of WIC-eligible families without internet subscriptions across census tracts characterized by low or adequate physical access to WIC-authorized vendors and low or adequate availability of fixed and mobile high-speed internet services.