Texas WIC Income Limits 2026-27: $61,050 for 4

For what WIC actually provides once you're approved, our WIC program guide covers foods, formula and breastfeeding help. The national tables for every state, including Alaska and Hawaii, are on our WIC income limits page. This page sticks to Texas.

Texas WIC Income Chart for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027

The Texas line for a family of four is $5,088 a month. Texas WIC's page shows the monthly and yearly columns; USDA's Federal Register notice of April 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab) supplies the other pay periods and sizes 7 and 8.

Source: Texas WIC, Texas WIC Income Guidelines (opens in a new tab), sizes 1 to 6, annual and monthly, checked November 9, 2026. All other cells: USDA 2026-27 notice, 48 contiguous states column, which Texas uses.

Income here means gross pay, the number before taxes come out. Texas WIC's footnote adds that income "can also be determined on a weekly or biweekly basis," which is why the extra columns matter: someone paid every Friday should compare a weekly check to the weekly column, not multiply it out and guess.

According to USDA's notice, these limits were built by multiplying the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines by 1.85 and rounding up. The 2026 poverty line for four is $33,000, so the Texas WIC line is $61,050. The chart changes every July 1; the next update will use the 2027 poverty guidelines.

How Texas WIC Counts Your Household

Texas counts every person living together as one economic unit, plus any baby on the way. The Texas income page's footnote says a pregnant woman's household "can be increased by the number of infants she is expecting." That follows the federal rule at 7 CFR 246.7(d)(2)(vii) (opens in a new tab), which counts each fetus separately and lets the larger number apply to the pregnant woman's eligible family members too.

What that looks like in Texas dollars:

• A pregnant woman living alone is a household of 2, so her monthly line is $3,337, not $2,461.
• A pregnant woman carrying twins, with a partner and a 3-year-old, is a household of 5: line of $5,964 a month.
• A grandmother raising two grandchildren under 5 is a household of 3 if the children's parents don't live there: $4,212 a month.

Partners count. If the baby's father lives with you and you share bills, his income and his body both go in the count. Leaving him out lowers both your income and your limit, so it rarely helps, and it's a red flag at certification if a pay stub or lease shows another adult.

A Texas Example: Weekly Pay, Five People

For example, a family of five in San Antonio: a mother who's breastfeeding a 4-month-old, a father who works construction and is paid weekly, a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. Specifically, the father grosses $1,320 a week, and nobody's enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP or TANF yet.

The 7-year-old doesn't get WIC food (WIC stops at age 5), but she still counts in the household of five. The mother can get WIC as a breastfeeding woman until the baby's first birthday, the infant gets WIC, and the 3-year-old qualifies as a child. If overtime pushes a single week to $1,450, the clinic may look at the family's yearly rate instead, under 7 CFR 246.7(d)(2)(i), which lets staff use the last 12 months or the current rate, whichever better fits the household.

The bigger point: the infant in this family very likely qualifies for Texas Children's Medicaid, whose line for babies under 1 (198% of poverty) sits above WIC's 185%. Our Texas Medicaid income limits page shows that chart. Once the baby is on Medicaid, the whole household is income-eligible for WIC through that enrollment, and the overtime question goes away.

Medicaid, SNAP or TANF: The Faster Route Into Texas WIC

Three programs skip the chart, per the USDA rules and the Texas page. Texas WIC's own wording: "If you or your children receive Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you already meet the income eligibility guidelines for WIC and your application can be processed faster." Federal rules at 7 CFR 246.7(d)(2)(vi) (opens in a new tab) go a step further: if a pregnant woman or an infant in your family gets Medicaid, every family member applying for WIC is treated as income-eligible.

Why this matters in Texas specifically:

• Pregnancy Medicaid reaches higher than WIC. Texas sets Medicaid for pregnancy at 198% of poverty, according to the Texas Works Handbook chart summarized on our Texas Medicaid page. A pregnant Texan between 185% and 198% fails the WIC chart but gets in through Medicaid.
• SNAP's line is lower. A Texas household on SNAP has already passed a stricter income test, so there's nothing more to prove. Our Texas food stamps guide covers the Lone Star Card side.
• CHIP isn't on the list. Texas WIC names Medicaid, SNAP and TANF. A child on CHIP alone (not Medicaid) still needs to fit the 185% chart.

Bring the proof: a Your Texas Benefits letter, a Medicaid card or a SNAP approval notice. Texas WIC says that's the document that speeds things up.

The Other Texas WIC Requirements

Income is 1 of 4 tests, and the other 3 are where people sometimes get surprised. Texas WIC's application FAQ lists who can apply: pregnant women, breastfeeding women, women who had a baby within the last six months, and parents, step-parents, guardians and foster parents of infants and children younger than 5.

Texas WIC's FAQ also spells out how long benefits last: women who are fully or partially breastfeeding get food benefits until the baby's first birthday, while women who are mostly or only formula feeding get them until the baby is 6 months old. Fathers can enroll their children and bring them to appointments like any other parent.

How to Apply for WIC in Texas and Use the Texas WIC Card

The online form takes "a few minutes," according to Texas WIC, and then a local office calls you. Here are the 3 routes:

1. Online: the Apply Online Now (opens in a new tab) referral form on the Texas WIC site. Your local office follows up to book the first appointment.
2. Phone: 800-942-3678.
3. Office locator: the Texas WIC office finder (opens in a new tab) lists local clinics, which are run by health departments, county and city agencies, community action agencies, migrant health centers and hospitals.

At the appointment, staff typically ask for proof of address, identity, income and any benefits you receive. If you qualify, you leave with food benefits and a Texas WIC Card, a PIN-protected card for WIC-approved foods at the grocery store.

Set the PIN before you shop. Texas WIC's card page offers two ways: inside the myWIC app (Account, then Card Management, then Manage PIN) or by calling the Texas WIC Card Management Line at 833-966-1382. The app also shows your balance, lets you freeze a lost card and books "Remote Reload After Online Class" appointments, so after an online nutrition class you can often reload benefits by phone instead of driving to the clinic.

What the food covers. WIC buys specific foods, not a cash amount: milk, eggs, cheese, whole grains, cereal, peanut butter, beans, infant formula or infant foods, plus a monthly dollar benefit for fruits and vegetables. USDA sets that fruit-and-vegetable amount each federal fiscal year; for fiscal 2027 it's in WIC Policy Memorandum #2026-6 (opens in a new tab), and myWIC shows your own balance.

Grantsights Analysis: Texas WIC by the Numbers

According to USDA's WIC data tables, Texas served 801,707 people a month on WIC in FY2025, the second-largest caseload in the country. Grantsights analysis of USDA's WIC data tables (total participation and average monthly benefit per person, FY2021 to FY2025, data as of October 9, 2026) puts Texas next to the national picture:

Two things stand out. Texas grew about twice as fast as WIC nationally over four years. And USDA's average monthly benefit per Texas participant, $50.49, was $14.40 below the national average in FY2025. USDA computes that figure as total annual food cost divided by average monthly participation, divided by 12, so it reflects the mix of who's enrolled and what they redeem, not a smaller food package by law. In practice, it suggests a lot of Texas WIC value goes unspent: benefits that aren't bought by the end of the month don't roll over. Checking the myWIC balance before each shopping trip is the simplest fix.

What Texas WIC Doesn't Tell You About Its Chart

Grantsights compared the Texas WIC pages with USDA's notice and the federal rules and found 5 gaps worth knowing:

1. No effective date on the chart. The Texas income box doesn't say which year it covers. The numbers match the 2026-27 USDA chart, so they're current through June 30, 2027, but a screenshot from a friend could be last year's.
2. The chart stops at 6. Larger Texas families are told to call. The limits for 7 and 8 are in the table above, from USDA.
3. Weekly and biweekly lines exist, but aren't printed. The footnote says income can be judged weekly or biweekly. Ask for the comparison that matches your pay schedule.
4. The chatbot isn't the decision. Texas WIC offers "Maya," a chat assistant, to help see if you qualify. Only the clinic certifies you.
5. A job loss changes the math right away. Under 7 CFR 246.7(d)(2)(i), families with an unemployed adult are judged on income during the period of unemployment when the lost pay drops them under the line. Don't rule yourself out based on last year's tax return.

Common Mistakes, Red Flags and Scams in Texas

A common mistake is checking the yearly column against a W-2 from a better year. WIC can look at current income, and a recent drop in hours can put you under.

Other mistakes that cost Texas families months of benefits:

• Waiting until the baby is born. Pregnant women can be certified during pregnancy, and the unborn child raises the line. Many families underestimate how early they could have started.
• Dropping off at 6 months by accident. A mother who switches from breastfeeding to mostly formula can lose her own WIC eligibility at the 6-month mark, while the baby stays on. Tell the clinic about feeding changes.
• Assuming a raise ends WIC immediately. Certification periods are set by the clinic, and income is usually rechecked at recertification.
• Letting the card PIN slip. Never share your Texas WIC Card PIN, and avoid birthdays or 1234.

Scam warning: WIC is free in Texas. No real WIC office charges to apply, and nobody legitimate texts you a link asking for your card number or PIN. If a site promises "food grants" for a fee, it's a red flag; the FTC's government grant scam guide (opens in a new tab) explains the pattern. Apply only through the Texas WIC site, the 800-942-3678 line or a clinic.

If the Texas WIC answer is no, Grantsights' free eligibility checker can point you to other official programs that fit your household. It doesn't decide eligibility or pay benefits.

FAQ: Texas WIC Income Limits

What is the WIC income limit in Texas for 2026?

Texas WIC's posted guidelines set gross household income at or below $2,461 a month ($29,526 a year) for one person, $4,212 a month ($50,542 a year) for three and $5,088 a month ($61,050 a year) for four. Those match USDA's 2026-27 chart at 185% of poverty, which runs July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Add $876 a month or $10,508 a year for each extra person.

Do I qualify for Texas WIC if I get Medicaid or SNAP?

Yes, on income. Texas WIC says that if you or your children receive Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you already meet the income guidelines and your application can be processed faster. You still need to live in Texas, fit a WIC category and have a nutrition need found at your WIC appointment.

Does Texas WIC count an unborn baby in household size?

Yes. Texas WIC's income page says a pregnant woman's household can be increased by the number of infants she's expecting. A pregnant woman with a partner and one child counts as four, and one carrying twins adds two people instead of one.

How do I apply for WIC in Texas?

Start online through the Texas WIC "Apply Online Now" form, and a team member from your local WIC office will contact you to set up your first appointment. You can also call 800-942-3678 or use the Texas WIC office locator.

What if my Texas household has more than six people?

The Texas WIC page only prints sizes 1 to 6 and tells larger households to call a local WIC clinic. USDA's 2026-27 chart sets the limit at $92,574 a year ($7,715 a month) for seven and $103,082 a year ($8,591 a month) for eight.

Does getting WIC lower my SNAP or Medicaid in Texas?

No. Texas WIC states that taking part in other benefit programs doesn't affect the amount of WIC benefits you get. The programs run separately, and many Texas families use both.

Sources

1. Texas WIC (Texas Health and Human Services), Apply for WIC and Texas WIC Income Guidelines (opens in a new tab), checked November 9, 2026.
2. Texas WIC, Texas WIC Card (opens in a new tab), checked November 9, 2026.
3. USDA, WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab), effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, checked November 9, 2026.
4. Federal Register, WIC 2026/2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines (opens in a new tab), 91 FR 23050, April 29, 2026.
5. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 246.7, Certification of participants (opens in a new tab).
6. USDA, WIC Data Tables (opens in a new tab): Total Participation and Average Monthly Benefit Per Person, FY2021 to FY2025, data as of October 9, 2026.
7. USDA, WIC Policy Memorandum #2026-6: Fiscal Year 2027 Cash-Value Voucher/Benefit Amounts (opens in a new tab).
8. USDA, WIC Eligibility (opens in a new tab).
9. Federal Trade Commission, Government Grant Scams (opens in a new tab).