SNAP Income Limits 2026–27, Explained

Short answer

For a household of four, the gross monthly income limit is $3,575.

The net monthly income limit for four is $2,750.

Gross is your income before deductions. Net is what remains after deductions.

These limits run from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Many states set higher gross limits, so always check your own state too.

SNAP income limits, FY2027

This table is the USDA table for 48 states, DC, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Alaska and Hawaii have their own, separate income tables, explained below.

Household size	Gross monthly limit, 130%	Net monthly limit, 100%	Gross monthly limit where elderly/disabled members are a separate household, 165%
1	$1,729	$1,330	$2,195
2	$2,345	$1,804	$2,976
3	$2,960	$2,277	$3,757
4	$3,575	$2,750	$4,538
5	$4,191	$3,224	$5,319
6	$4,806	$3,697	$6,100
7	$5,421	$4,170	$6,881
8	$6,037	$4,644	$7,662
Each additional person	+$616	+$474	+$781

Source & Last Checked

Last checked: October 24, 2026 against USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment information, FY2027.

These figures apply from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Gross and net, in plain English

Think of the two limits as two gates, one after the other.

The first gate uses your gross monthly income, before deductions.

The second gate uses your net monthly income, after deductions.

USDA sets the gross limit at 130% of the federal poverty level.

USDA sets the net limit at 100% of the federal poverty level.

Those percentages are how USDA labels the two columns above.

They are not percentages of your wages, and they are not tax rates.

For one person, the gates are $1,729 gross and $1,330 net.

For four people, the gates are $3,575 gross and $2,750 net.

Your household size decides which row of the table applies to you.

A bigger household has a higher limit, because it has more mouths.

That is why each extra person adds $616 to the gross limit.

Each extra person also adds $474 to the net limit.

Why deductions matter so much

Deductions are amounts taken off your gross income before the net test.

They are the bridge between the gross figure and the net figure.

A household can be over the net limit before deductions, then under after.

That is completely normal, and it happens in many real cases.

It is also why you should never judge eligibility on gross income alone.

Only a full calculation, with your deductions, gives a fair picture.

Your state agency does that full calculation when you apply.

This page explains the deductions USDA lists for FY2027 below.

It does not list every deduction that might apply to you personally.

For your own case, the agency’s calculation is the one that counts.

The standard deduction

Every household in this table gets a standard deduction first.

The amount depends only on your household size, nothing else.

Household size	Standard deduction, FY2027
1	$217
2	$217
3	$217
4	$229
5	$268
6 or more	$308

Households of one, two and three all share the same $217.

From four people upward, the standard deduction rises with size.

A household of six or more receives a $308 standard deduction.

These figures are for the 48 states and DC table.

Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands have different deduction amounts.

Do not use the mainland deduction figures if you live in those places.

The shelter deduction and its cap

Shelter costs can also bring income down before the net test.

USDA lists a maximum excess shelter deduction for FY2027.

For the 48 states and DC, that maximum is $769 a month.

In other words, the shelter part of the calculation is capped there.

The cap is different in the other places USDA lists separately.

Alaska’s cap is $1,229, Guam’s is $903, and Hawaii’s is $1,306.

The U.S. Virgin Islands cap is lower, at $606 a month.

USDA also lists a separate homeless shelter deduction for FY2027.

That homeless shelter deduction is $205.66 a month.

Unlike the main cap, $205.66 is the same in every jurisdiction.

If your housing situation is complicated, do not try to guess this part.

Give the agency your real housing costs, and let it calculate.

The 165% column, explained carefully

The third column of the first table is often misunderstood online.

Read its full USDA heading before you use the figures in it.

USDA calls it the gross monthly income limit for one situation only.

That situation is where elderly or disabled members are a separate household.

In plain words, some older or disabled members are counted separately.

When that happens, USDA uses this 165% gross limit for that household.

For one person, that limit is $2,195 a month gross.

For four people, that limit is $4,538 a month gross.

Each additional person adds $781 to that column’s limit.

This column is not a general limit for everyone else.

It is also not a limit that every household can choose to use.

Whether members count as a separate household is an agency decision.

It depends on the household’s real living and eating arrangements.

If you think it might apply to your family, ask your agency.

Do not apply the 165% column to yourself without that confirmation.

Who these limits do not fit in the same way

Alaska and Hawaii households.

Alaska and Hawaii have their own income tables on the USDA page.

Their limits are separate, and higher, than the mainland figures here.

Never test an Alaska or Hawaii income against this page’s table.

Households with elderly or disabled members counted separately.

As explained above, USDA uses the 165% gross column there instead.

The ordinary 130% gross column may not be the right test.

Households in states with higher gross limits.

Many states set higher gross limits under their own rules.

USDA’s 130% column is the federal table, not every state’s ceiling.

So failing the 130% gross test here does not end the story everywhere.

Your state may still consider you under its own gross limit.

But this page will not print a higher figure for your state.

That figure must come from your own state agency’s current page.

Always check your state before deciding you earn too much.

Households whose size has just changed.

A new baby, a move, or a death can change your row.

The limit that fitted last month may not fit this month.

Tell your agency about the change, then use the new row.

A worked example, step by step

This example uses one made-up household, and only confirmed figures.

It is simplified on purpose, so the steps are easy to follow.

Your own calculation may include more steps than these four.

Meet the example household.

Four people, living in one of the 48 mainland states.

Their gross monthly income is $3,000 a month, before deductions.

Step 1: Test the gross income.

The gross limit for four people is $3,575 a month.

Their $3,000 gross income is below $3,575, so they pass step one.

Step 2: Take off the standard deduction.

The standard deduction for four people is $229 a month.

$3,000 minus $229 leaves $2,771 a month.

Step 3: Take off a shelter deduction.

Suppose their excess shelter deduction works out at $400 a month.

$400 is below the $769 cap, so the full $400 counts here.

$2,771 minus $400 leaves $2,371 a month.

Treat $2,371 as this example’s net monthly income figure.

Step 4: Test the net income.

The net limit for four people is $2,750 a month.

Their $2,371 net figure is below $2,750, so they pass step four.

In this simplified example, the household passes both income tests.

That still does not guarantee benefits, or any particular amount.

Other rules also apply, and the agency checks the whole case.

Use this example to understand the method, not to judge your case.

Income is not the only test

Passing the income limits does not, on its own, mean you qualify.

USDA also lists maximum asset limits in its FY2027 tables.

For most households, that asset limit is $3,000.

For households with a member aged 60 or older, it is higher.

For households with a disabled member, it is also that higher figure.

That higher asset limit is $4,750 for FY2027.

Assets and income are separate tests, with separate figures.

Do not mix an asset figure into an income calculation.

Your state agency can explain how assets are counted in your case.

Some households may also face other program rules beyond these figures.

This page covers income only, so read your agency’s decision carefully.

What to do with this information

First, find your household size row in the main table.

Second, compare your gross monthly income with the gross limit.

Third, think about deductions before judging the net test at all.

If you are close to a limit, applying is usually worth considering.

A close call is exactly what the agency calculation exists for.

You can also estimate your possible amount before you apply.

See the maximum amounts in SNAP benefit amounts.

Then try the SNAP calculator for an estimate.

When you are ready, follow how to apply for SNAP.

Only ever apply through your official state portal or office.

Never give EBT details, passwords, or personal codes to any other site.

Benefit Calendar USA will never ask you for those details, ever.

Common mistakes with income limits

Mistake one: deciding on gross income alone.

Net income, after deductions, is the second and decisive test.

Many households over the net line before deductions are under after.

Mistake two: using the 165% column for a normal household.

That column is only for elderly or disabled separate households.

USDA labels it that way, and this page follows that label exactly.

Mistake three: using mainland limits in Alaska or Hawaii.

Both states have their own USDA income tables, not these figures.

Guam and the Virgin Islands, by contrast, share this page’s table.

Mistake four: giving up after the 130% gross test.

Many states set higher gross limits under their own rules.

Check your own state before you assume you cannot qualify.

Mistake five: using last year’s limits after October 1.

These FY2027 limits started on October 1, 2026.

They run until September 30, 2027, unless USDA corrects them.

Frequently asked questions

Unofficial Disclaimer

Benefit Calendar USA is an unofficial help site.

We are not affiliated with USDA, SNAP or any state agency.

Figures here are general information, checked against official sources.

Always confirm your own eligibility with your official state agency.