SNAP Income Limits 2026: Food Stamp Income Limit by State (Official USDA Figures)

Quick answer: The 2026 SNAP income limit is $1,729 a month gross for one person and $3,575 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. That’s the federal floor, set at 130% of the poverty level. Your net income, after deductions, has to fall under $1,330 (one person) or $2,750 (family of four).

Updated October 2026: This page reflects FY2027 SNAP benefit amounts effective October 1, 2026.

That’s the federal number. It probably isn’t your number. Forty-three states raise the food stamp income limit above the federal floor, some as high as 200% of poverty. Depending on where you live, a family of four could qualify at $5,360 a month. Skip to your state.

Before you trust any SNAP income chart, read this

We checked the food stamp income limits published by the highest-ranking sites on this topic against the USDA’s own tables. Most of them are wrong.

One popular site lists the gross limit for a single person as $1,580. Another says $1,632. The actual USDA figure is $1,729. Maximum benefit for a family of four gets published as $973, or $1,023. The real number is $1,023. The standard deduction shows up as $198. It’s $217.

And nearly every one of them repeats a claim that could cost you real money: that any state with broad-based categorical eligibility has a 200% income limit. That is not true. Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina all keep the gross limit at 130%. If you live in Ohio and you’ve read that your SNAP income limit is 200% of poverty, you’ve been misinformed, and you may be about to make a decision based on it.

Every number on this page comes from the USDA Food and Nutrition Administration’s published FY2027 tables and its official state eligibility chart. Both are linked at the bottom. Verified July 13, 2026.

How the SNAP income limit actually works

Food stamps run two separate income tests, and most households have to clear both.

The gross income test. This is everything coming in before a single deduction: wages before taxes, self-employment income, Social Security, unemployment, child support you receive, pensions, veterans benefits, workers’ comp. Federally, that total has to sit at or below 130% of the federal poverty level.

The net income test. After SNAP subtracts your allowable deductions, whatever’s left has to fall at or below 100% of poverty. This is the test that decides most cases, and it’s the one people consistently misunderstand, because the deductions are bigger than they expect.

Two exceptions matter enormously, and both work in your favor:

• If anyone in your household is 60 or older, or has a disability, you skip the gross income test entirely. Only net income counts. This single rule is why so many seniors who are certain they earn too much turn out to qualify.
• If everyone in the household receives SSI, TANF, or certain other assistance, you’re categorically eligible and generally bypass the income tests altogether.

SNAP gross income limits 2026 (130% of poverty)

These are the USDA’s published figures for federal fiscal year 2027, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. They apply in states that use the standard federal limit. If your state raises it, jump to the state table.

Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands use the same figures as the 48 states.

SNAP net income limits 2026 (100% of poverty)

This is your income after deductions. Every household has to pass this test, in every state, no exceptions. State BBCE rules don’t touch it.

What actually counts as income

People get tripped up here constantly, and it usually costs them.

Counts as income: wages and salary before taxes, self-employment income (net of business costs), tips, commissions, Social Security retirement and SSDI, SSI, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, pensions and retirement withdrawals, veterans benefits, child support you receive, alimony you receive, rental income, and regular cash gifts from people outside the household.

Does not count: the SNAP benefits themselves, most federal tax refunds including the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, most student financial aid used for tuition and required fees, loans that have to be repaid, reimbursements for expenses, irregular one-off gifts, most disaster assistance, and income earned by a child under 18 who is in school.

The last one on that list surprises people. If your teenager works a part-time job while still in school, their earnings do not count against the household’s SNAP income limit.

Self-employed? SNAP counts your net income, not your gross receipts. Business expenses come off first. Keep records, because a caseworker will ask for them, and the difference between gross and net can be the difference between qualifying and not.

Food stamp income limits by state, 2026

This is the part that decides your case, and the part nearly every other guide gets wrong.

Under a federal option called broad-based categorical eligibility, usually shortened to BBCE, states can lift the SNAP gross income limit above 130% of poverty, up to a legal ceiling of 200%, and can raise or eliminate the asset test. Forty-three states, plus D.C., Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, use it.

But BBCE is not a synonym for 200%. Every state picks its own number. Several BBCE states leave the gross limit sitting exactly at the federal floor of 130% and simply drop the asset test instead. That distinction is the single most misreported fact in this entire topic.

The table below is taken directly from the USDA’s official BBCE chart.

* Arkansas allows a $5,500 resource limit for one 12-month period, available once every five years. Outside that window, the standard $4,500 (elderly or disabled) or $3,000 limit applies.
** Texas excludes one vehicle worth up to $22,000; value above that counts toward the $5,000 asset limit.

For a closer look at what approved households actually receive, see our breakdown of SNAP benefit amounts in Virginia.

What your state’s percentage means in dollars

Find your state above, then read across this table. The 130% and 165% columns are USDA’s published figures. The rest are calculated from the FY2027 federal poverty guidelines, so treat them as close estimates and confirm with your state agency before you make any decisions.

SNAP income limits in the biggest states

These are the states people ask about most. Each one has a quirk worth knowing.

Texas SNAP income limits 2026

Texas is neither of the two things you’ve probably read. It is not a plain 130% state, and it is not a 200% state. The Texas SNAP income limit sits at 165% of poverty, which works out to roughly $2,152 a month for one person and $4,421 for a family of four.

Texas also keeps an asset test, which most BBCE states have dropped. The limit is $5,000, but one vehicle worth up to $22,000 is excluded, so an ordinary car won’t disqualify you. Value above that threshold counts. Texans apply through YourTexasBenefits.com or by calling 2-1-1.

Florida food stamp income limits 2026

Florida runs a full 200% limit with no asset test at all, which makes it one of the more generous states on paper. A single person can earn about $2,610 a month and still qualify. A family of four can earn roughly $5,360.

That is about 54% above the federal floor, and it means large numbers of working Florida households qualify who have simply never applied because they assumed they earned too much. Applications go through ACCESS Florida.

Pennsylvania SNAP income limits 2026

Pennsylvania also uses 200%, with no asset limit. One person: about $2,610 a month. Family of four: about $5,360. Pennsylvanians apply through COMPASS, and the same application screens you for Medicaid and LIHEAP at the same time, so it’s worth doing in one sitting.

Illinois SNAP income limits 2026

Illinois sets its gross limit at 165% with no asset test. That’s roughly $2,152 for one person and $4,421 for a family of four. Illinois applications run through the ABE portal at abe.illinois.gov.

Georgia food stamp income limits 2026

Georgia is where the misinformation does real damage. Georgia has BBCE, and dozens of websites will therefore tell you the Georgia food stamp income limit is 200% of poverty. It is not. Georgia uses BBCE to eliminate the asset test while keeping the gross income limit at 130% — $1,729 for one person, $3,575 for a family of four.

If you’re in Georgia and you were told you could earn $5,000 a month and still get food stamps, you were told wrong. Georgia applies through Georgia Gateway.

Ohio food stamp income limits 2026

Ohio is in exactly the same position as Georgia. BBCE, no asset test, but the gross income limit stays at 130% — $1,729 for a single person, $3,575 for a household of four. Ohio applies through benefits.ohio.gov.

South Carolina SNAP income limits 2026

South Carolina holds at 130% with no asset test. Same figures: $1,729 single, $3,575 for four.

California SNAP income limits 2026 (CalFresh)

In California the program is called CalFresh, and the state uses a 200% gross limit with no asset test — roughly $2,610 a month for one person and $5,360 for a family of four. California also has no asset test for most households, so savings won’t disqualify you. Apply at GetCalFresh.org or through your county.

New York SNAP income limits 2026

New York is genuinely the most complicated state in the country on this, and no other guide we found gets it right. New York runs two different thresholds:

• 200% of poverty if your household has dependent care costs (about $2,610 for one person, $5,360 for a family of four)
• 150% of poverty if your household has earned income (about $1,958 for one person, $4,020 for four)

Neither has an asset test. Which one applies to you depends on your circumstances, and it can absolutely decide your case. New York City residents apply through ACCESS HRA.

North Carolina, Michigan, Louisiana, Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado and Washington

All seven use the full 200% limit with no asset test. One person: about $2,610 a month. Family of four: about $5,360. In Washington the program is called Basic Food, and in Michigan it’s the Food Assistance Program, but the income rules are as listed.

Maryland and Wisconsin SNAP income limits 2026

Both run the full 200% gross limit with no asset test, so roughly $2,610 a month for one person and $5,360 for a family of four. Wisconsin calls its program FoodShare. Maryland applies through myMDTHINK.

Arizona and New Jersey SNAP income limits 2026

Arizona and New Jersey both sit at an unusual 185% of poverty, with no asset test. That’s about $2,414 a month for one person and $4,958 for a family of four — higher than the federal floor, but not the full 200% you’ll see quoted on sites that assume every BBCE state maxes out.

Indiana SNAP income limits 2026

Indiana is one of the counterintuitive ones. It has BBCE, which most guides read as good news, but Indiana uses it very conservatively: the gross income limit stays at 130% ($1,729 for one person, $3,575 for four) and Indiana keeps a $5,000 asset limit.

So Indiana is a BBCE state that is stricter than many non-BBCE states on income. If you’ve read that Indiana’s food stamp income limit is 200%, that is wrong.

Missouri food stamp income limits 2026

Missouri is one of the seven states with no BBCE at all. The strict federal rules apply in full: gross income at or below 130% of poverty ($1,729 single, $3,575 for a family of four), plus a hard asset limit of $3,000, or $4,500 if someone in the household is 60 or older or has a disability.

In Missouri, savings genuinely can disqualify you even when your income is low. That’s not true in most of the country any more, and it catches people out.

The seven states with no BBCE

Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming never adopted BBCE. In these seven, the strict federal rules apply in full: gross income at or below 130% of poverty, and a countable asset limit of $3,000, or $4,500 if someone in the household is 60 or older or has a disability.

If you live in one of these states, the asset test is real and it matters. Money in a savings account can disqualify you even when your income is low.

Deductions: where people actually become eligible

This is the section most food stamp guides skip entirely, and it’s the one that changes outcomes. Your gross income can sit above the line and you can still qualify, because SNAP subtracts a series of deductions before applying the net income test.

Standard deduction (FY2027, 48 states and D.C.):

• 1 to 3 people: $217
• 4 people: $229
• 5 people: $268
• 6 or more: $308

Earned income deduction. Twenty percent of your earned income comes straight off the top. It’s automatic. If you work, this applies to you.

Dependent care deduction. What you pay for childcare, or care for a disabled adult, so that you can work, look for work, or attend training. There is no cap on this.

Medical expense deduction. If a household member is 60 or older or has a disability, out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 a month are deductible. That includes prescriptions, doctor and dental visits, hearing aids and batteries, glasses, transportation to appointments, and health insurance premiums. Enormous numbers of older adults never claim this, and it costs them benefits every single month.

Excess shelter deduction. Shelter costs — rent or mortgage, property taxes, and utilities — above half of your remaining income are deductible, capped at $769 a month in the 48 states and D.C. Households with an elderly or disabled member have no cap at all, which for someone paying high rent on a fixed income can be worth hundreds of dollars.

Homeless shelter deduction: $198.99 for FY2027.

How to calculate your SNAP benefit: a worked example

Let’s take a real situation and run it all the way through.

A single mother in Ohio with two children. She earns $2,700 a month before taxes. She pays $1,100 in rent and $250 in utilities, and $300 a month in childcare so she can work.

Ohio’s gross limit is 130% of poverty. For a household of three, that’s $2,960. She’s at $2,700, so she clears the gross test.

1. Gross monthly income: $2,700
2. Earned income deduction (20% of $2,700): minus $540 → $2,160
3. Standard deduction (household of 3): minus $217 → $1,951
4. Dependent care deduction: minus $300 → $1,651
5. Excess shelter: her shelter costs total $1,350. Half her remaining income is $825.50. The excess is $524.50, which is under the $769 cap, so all of it deducts: minus $524.50 → net monthly income: $1,126.50

The net income limit for three people is $2,277. She’s well under it. She qualifies.

Now her benefit. The maximum allotment for a household of three is $808. SNAP subtracts 30% of net income: $1,126.50 × 0.30 = $337.95.

$808 − $338 = about $447 a month in food stamps.

Sit with what just happened there. Her gross income was $2,700 a month, a number that makes most people assume they’re far too well off for food assistance. Her countable income, after the deductions she is legally entitled to, was $1,126. That gap is the entire reason you should apply even when you’re convinced you’ll be turned down.

Maximum SNAP benefit amounts 2026

These are the maximum monthly allotments, paid to households with essentially no net income. Most people receive less than the maximum.

Alaska runs three separate regional tiers because of how much food costs vary there. Urban Alaska ranges from $385 for one person up to $2,314 for eight. The Rural 2 tier, covering the most remote communities, runs from $598 up to $3,591.

The minimum benefit for eligible one- and two-person households is $24 a month in the 48 states and D.C.

The formula, in plain terms: maximum allotment minus 30% of your net monthly income equals your benefit. SNAP assumes a household spends roughly 30% of its net income on food, and covers the gap.

SNAP asset limits 2026

Under federal rules, countable assets can’t exceed $3,000, or $4,500 if a household member is 60 or older or has a disability.

But look again at the state table. Most BBCE states have scrapped the asset test entirely. It survives in the seven non-BBCE states, and in a handful of states that set their own: Idaho and Indiana at $5,000, Texas at $5,000 with the vehicle exclusion, Arkansas at $5,500 under a time-limited rule, and Nebraska at $25,000 in liquid assets.

Where an asset test does apply, plenty of things don’t count. Your home doesn’t count. Retirement accounts don’t count. Most personal property doesn’t count. Vehicle rules vary by state, and in many states one vehicle is fully excluded.

SNAP work requirements in 2026: what changed, and why it matters more than the income limit

You can meet every income limit on this page and still lose your benefits. In 2026, work requirements are the single biggest reason people are being cut off.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, made the largest changes to SNAP work rules in nearly thirty years. Most states began enforcing them in early 2026, and the first month anyone could actually lose benefits under the new rules was June 2026. That’s now.

One thing to be aware of before you go looking this up elsewhere: the USDA’s own work-requirements page still displays the old age range of 18 to 54, with a note saying updated guidance is still being written. The law changed anyway. If you read the USDA page and conclude the rules don’t apply to you because you’re 58, you would be making a mistake.

What the ABAWD rules require

SNAP has two sets of work rules. The general work requirements apply to most able adults aged 16 to 59. The stricter set, known as ABAWD rules (able-bodied adults without dependents), carry a hard time limit.

If ABAWD rules apply to you, you can receive SNAP for only three months in any 36-month period unless you’re doing at least 80 hours a month of qualifying activity. That’s about 20 hours a week. It can be paid work, self-employment, unpaid work, volunteering with a verified organization, an approved training program, SNAP Employment and Training, or any combination adding up to 80 hours.

Job searching on your own does not count. That catches people out.

What changed in 2026

• The age range went from 18–54 up to 18–64. Roughly a million adults aged 55 to 64, who were completely exempt before, are now subject to the time limit.
• The parent exemption narrowed sharply. Previously, having any dependent child under 18 exempted you. Now the exemption only applies if your youngest child is under 14.
• Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth lost their automatic exemptions. These protections were added in 2023 and eliminated by the 2025 law.
• Geographic waivers were terminated, then partially reinstated by the courts. States used to be able to waive ABAWD rules in areas with high unemployment. USDA terminated 18 states’ waivers on November 2, 2025 — but on February 26, 2026, following an order from the District Court of Rhode Island, USDA reversed course and reinstated those waivers through their original expiration dates. If you were told your area’s waiver ended, check again. Nevada, for example, cut off more than 25,000 people on March 1 and then had to restore roughly $7.3 million in benefits. The threshold for new waivers is now around 10% unemployment, and the situation remains in active litigation.

Who is still exempt

You are excused from the ABAWD time limit if you are: unable to work due to a physical or mental limitation; pregnant; caring for a child under 14 in your household; caring for an incapacitated person; 65 or older; already working 80+ hours a month; enrolled in an approved training program; receiving unemployment compensation; in treatment for substance use; a student enrolled at least half-time; or an enrolled tribal member or Alaska Native.

One trap worth naming. Adults aged 60 to 64 are exempt from the general work requirements but are now subject to the ABAWD time limit. That distinction is subtle, it is not obvious, and it is going to cost people their benefits if they don’t know about it.

If you receive a letter about work requirements, don’t ignore it. Contact your SNAP office, ask about exemptions, and ask to be enrolled in Employment and Training if you need help meeting the hours.

SNAP eligibility for students

College students face extra rules, and most assume they can’t get food stamps at all. Often they can.

If you’re enrolled at least half-time in a college or university, you generally must also meet one of several exemptions: working at least 20 hours a week, participating in a state or federally financed work-study program, caring for a child under 6, caring for a child aged 6 to 11 without adequate childcare, being a single parent enrolled full-time with a child under 12, receiving TANF, or being unable to work due to a disability.

Note the good news buried in the income rules: most student financial aid used for tuition and fees does not count as income. Grants, scholarships and loans applied to educational costs are excluded. A student living on aid and a small part-time income may look far poorer to SNAP than they expect.

Over the income limit? Read this before you give up

People talk themselves out of applying every single day, and it is the most expensive mistake in this entire system.

• Check your state’s real limit, not the federal one. In a 200% state, your ceiling is roughly 54% higher than the number most websites will quote you.
• Run the deductions. Gross income is not the number that decides your case. Rent, utilities, childcare and medical costs move it a very long way down.
• If anyone in your home is 60 or older or has a disability, the gross test does not apply to you at all. Only net income counts, medical expenses over $35 deduct, and the shelter deduction is uncapped.
• Apply anyway. There is no penalty for applying and being denied. A caseworker applies every deduction you’re entitled to and calculates the real figure. People who were certain they’d be rejected are approved every day.

Once you’ve checked your numbers, here’s how to apply for SNAP benefits step by step, and what to expect for SNAP benefit amounts if you’re approved. If you already receive benefits, don’t miss your SNAP recertification, because failing to return the paperwork is one of the most common reasons people lose coverage they still qualify for.

When these numbers change

SNAP figures are updated every year on October 1, the start of the federal fiscal year. Everything on this page is the FY2027 standard, in effect from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

New FY2027 figures take effect October 1, 2026. If you’re reading this after that date and the page hasn’t been updated yet, check the USDA source linked below for the current numbers before relying on anything here.

One more piece of housekeeping: as of June 1, 2026, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) was renamed the Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA). Same agency, same rules, new name and new web address. You’ll see both names in circulation for a while.

Frequently asked questions

What is the income limit for food stamps?

Federally, $1,729 a month gross for one person and $3,575 for a family of four (130% of poverty). After deductions, net income must fall below $1,330 (one person) or $2,750 (family of four). Most states raise the gross limit above the federal floor — check the state table above for yours.

What are the income limits for SNAP in 2026?

FY2027 gross limits are $1,729 (1 person), $2,345 (2), $2,960 (3) and $3,575 (4), rising by $616 per additional person. Net limits are $1,330, $1,804, $2,277 and $2,750, rising by $474 each.

What is the household income limit for SNAP?

It depends on your household size and your state. Federally it’s 130% of poverty gross, but 43 states raise it, in some cases to 200% — around $5,360 a month for a family of four.

Do all BBCE states have a 200% income limit?

No, and this is the most common error published on this topic. BBCE states set their own limit up to 200%. Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Idaho and Indiana all keep the 130% limit. Texas uses 165%. Iowa uses 160%. New York uses either 200% or 150% depending on your circumstances.

What is the SNAP gross income limit versus the net income limit?

Gross is your income before deductions (130% of poverty federally). Net is what’s left after deductions (100% of poverty). Most households must pass both tests. Households with a member aged 60 or older, or with a disability, only have to pass the net test.

Can I get food stamps if I work?

Yes. Most SNAP households include someone who works. Employment doesn’t disqualify you, and 20% of your earned income is deducted automatically before the net income test is applied.

What is the maximum food stamp benefit for a family of 4?

$1,023 a month for FY2027 in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. That’s the maximum, paid to a household with no net income. Your actual benefit is the maximum minus 30% of your net monthly income.

Does Social Security count as income for food stamps?

Yes, Social Security counts as gross income. But if you’re 60 or older you skip the gross income test entirely, medical expenses over $35 a month are deductible, and the shelter deduction has no cap. Many seniors living on Social Security do qualify.

What is the SNAP asset limit in 2026?

$3,000 federally, or $4,500 if a household member is 60 or older or has a disability. Most states have eliminated the asset test. It still applies in Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming, and a few states set their own limits (Idaho and Indiana $5,000, Texas $5,000, Nebraska $25,000 in liquid assets).

What are the SNAP work requirements in 2026?

Able-bodied adults without dependents aged 18 to 64 must complete 80 hours a month of work, volunteering or approved training to receive SNAP for more than three months in any 36-month period. The age ceiling rose from 54 to 64 in 2025, the parent exemption now requires a child under 14, and veterans, homeless individuals and former foster youth lost their automatic exemptions.

My income is over the limit. Should I still apply?

Yes. Deductions for rent, utilities, childcare and medical costs frequently bring countable income below the net limit even when gross income looks too high. There is no penalty for applying and being denied.

Sources

Every figure on this page was taken directly from these official USDA publications and verified on July 13, 2026:

• USDA Food and Nutrition Administration — SNAP FY2027 income eligibility standards, maximum allotments and deductions
• USDA — Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility state chart
• USDA — SNAP work requirements

Dollar amounts for the 150%, 160%, 175%, 185% and 200% tiers are calculated from the FY2027 federal poverty guidelines that USDA publishes; the 130% and 165% tables are USDA’s own published figures. Work-requirement changes reflect the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025; USDA’s implementation guidance was still being issued at the time of writing, and state enforcement timelines vary. State rules can change between USDA updates, so confirm with your state SNAP agency before making any decision.

Last verified against USDA sources: July 13, 2026. Next scheduled update: October 1, 2026, when FY2027 figures take effect. US Benefit Guide is an independent resource and is not affiliated with any government agency.