SNAP Calculator: Estimate Your Monthly Benefit

Short answer: Enter your household size and monthly income below and this free calculator estimates your monthly SNAP benefit using the FY2027 federal figures (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027) for the 48 states and DC. It is an estimate, not a decision — and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.

Estimate your monthly SNAP benefit

Household size1 person2 people3 people4 people5 people6 people7 people8 people9 people10 people11 people12 people13 people14 people15 people16 people17 people18 or more people

Count the people who live together and buy and prepare food together.

Does anyone in the household count as elderly or disabled?NoYes

This means age 60 or older, or receiving disability benefits that meet the federal definition (7 CFR 271.2). It changes three things: the medical deduction, the shelter cap, and which income test applies.

Gross monthly earned income ($)

Wages, salary, and self-employment income, before tax and before any deductions.

Gross monthly unearned income ($)

Social Security, SSI, pensions, unemployment, veterans’ benefits, and similar income.

Monthly dependent care costs ($)

Care for a child or an incapacitated adult, only when it is needed so a household member can work, look for work, or take part in training or education for work.

Legally obligated child support you pay each month ($)

Only child support you are legally required to pay to someone outside your household. Do not include alimony. In some states this is deducted; in others it is excluded from income instead — your state decides.

Monthly shelter costs ($)

Rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance on the building itself, and utilities, telephone, and basic internet, added together. Many states use a set utility amount instead of your real bills, so treat this part as approximate.

We are homeless and do not get free shelter for the whole month

If you tick this, the calculator uses the homeless shelter deduction of $205.66 instead of the excess shelter deduction — never both. Whether this deduction is offered is a state option.

Estimate my benefit

Your estimate appears below, with every step shown. No information is stored or sent — the calculator runs in your browser.

Your estimate

Fill in the form above and tap “Estimate my benefit” to see your estimate here.

Step	Amount	Income left

How this estimate works

The calculator follows the same order the federal rules use (7 CFR 273.10). It works through these steps:

1. Add up gross income. Earned income plus unearned income, before deductions.
2. Take off 20% of earned income. This deduction applies to earned income only, never to unearned income.
3. Take off the standard deduction for your household size — for example $217 for 1 to 3 people, and $229 for 4 people, in FY2027.
4. Take off medical costs over $35 — only if a household member is elderly or disabled, and only the part of their out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 a month.
5. Take off dependent care costs that are needed for work, job search, training, or education for work.
6. Take off legally obligated child support paid to someone outside the household, where your state treats it as a deduction.
7. Homeless households: take off the homeless shelter deduction of $205.66 instead of the shelter step below — never both.
8. Take off excess shelter costs. Shelter costs above half of the income left are deducted, up to a cap of $769 — unless a household member is elderly or disabled, in which case there is no cap. What is left is your estimated net income.
9. Check the income tests. Most households must be within both the gross limit (130% of the poverty level) and the net limit (100%). Households with an elderly or disabled member are checked on net income only.
10. Work out the benefit. The maximum for your household size, minus 30% of your net income (rounded up). Households of 1 or 2 get at least the $25 minimum if they qualify for a smaller positive amount.

To see the figures behind the estimate, read SNAP benefit amounts by household size and SNAP income limits, explained.

Please read this before you rely on the number

This tool gives an estimate. It is simplified in the ways listed below, and your state agency’s decision is the one that counts.

• State rules vary, and the state decides. This tool shows the federal default income tests. In most states, broad-based categorical eligibility can raise the gross income limit — often to 200% of the poverty level — or waive the savings (asset) test. A household that looks over the limit here may still qualify in its state.
• Rounding may differ by $1. States choose between two federal rounding methods, both for working out net income and for the 30% step. This tool uses the round-up method shown in the federal worked example, so your state’s figure could be $1 different.
• Child support treatment is a state choice. Some states deduct legally obligated child support paid; others exclude it from income instead. The effect on your estimate is similar, but your state decides which method is used.
• The homeless shelter deduction is a state option. Not every state offers it, and it is never taken together with the excess shelter deduction.
• Utility costs are approximate. Many states use a standard utility allowance — a set amount — instead of your actual utility bills, so the shelter figure you enter may not be the figure your state uses.
• Some income is not counted by SNAP, and this tool does not model that. Federal rules exclude certain types of income, such as some energy help and some education money. If you receive income like that, this tool may under-estimate your benefit. Details it also does not model include self-employment costs, the way weekly or biweekly pay is converted to a monthly figure, and how the income of a disqualified member is counted.
• Household size is simplified to a headcount. Real rules look at who lives together and buys and prepares food together, require spouses and most people under 22 to be counted together, and sometimes let elderly or disabled members form a separate household. A headcount cannot capture all of that.
• This is a full-month estimate only. In your first month, benefits are worked out from the day you apply, and a first-month amount under $10 is not issued at all. This tool does not apply those first-month rules, expedited (emergency) processing, or suspension rules.
• Eligibility is about more than income. Work requirements, student rules, immigration eligibility, proof of information, and the interview are all outside this calculation. This tool estimates an amount if you are eligible — it does not decide eligibility.
• Deduction details are simplified. Only certain medical costs count, and only if they are not paid back to you. Dependent care must be needed for work, training, or education and must not be paid by someone else. Only certain shelter costs count — for example one telephone, basic internet, no one-time deposits, and no insurance on furniture or belongings.
• FY2027 figures only, for the 48 states and DC. These figures run from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 and change every October 1. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have their own higher tables, which this calculator does not use.

Frequently asked questions

Is this calculator official, and does it store my information?

No. Benefit Calendar USA is an unofficial help site, and this calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is stored, sent, or shared, and the calculator never asks for an EBT card number, PIN, Social Security number, or a portal password.

Why did my estimate come out at $25?

Households of 1 or 2 people who qualify for a smaller positive amount are raised to the FY2027 minimum benefit of $25 a month. Households of 3 or more do not have this minimum — if the calculation gives them $0, this estimate suggests they may not qualify on income.

Why could my state’s amount be different from this estimate?

Your state makes the final decision and may use different rules than the federal defaults shown here. Many states raise the gross income limit under broad-based categorical eligibility, states choose between two federal rounding methods that can change the result by $1, and many states use a set utility amount instead of your actual bills.

How does having an elderly or disabled household member change the estimate?

It changes three things. Medical costs over $35 a month for that member can be deducted, the $769 cap on the shelter deduction does not apply, and the household is checked against the net income limit only, instead of both the gross and net limits. Elderly means age 60 or older, and disabled follows the federal definition at 7 CFR 271.2.

Will my first month’s benefit match this estimate?

Usually not. First-month benefits are worked out from the day you apply rather than for a full month, and a first-month amount under $10 is not issued. This calculator estimates a full month only.

Can I use this calculator in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands?

No. This calculator uses the FY2027 tables for the 48 states and DC only. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands each have their own higher maximums, deductions, and limits, so an estimate from this tool would be wrong there.