SNAP Income Limits 2026: Gross & Net Thresholds by Household Size

If you only need the 2026 SNAP income numbers, this page is built for you. The chart below shows every monthly threshold USDA published for FY2026.

SNAP income limits move every October 1 with the federal cost-of-living adjustment. The FY2026 numbers apply to applications filed between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.

Three numbers decide whether you qualify. The gross income test runs at 130% of the Federal Poverty Level. The net income test runs at 100% FPL after deductions.

The BBCE limit sits at 200% FPL in most states. Which one applies to you depends on where you live and who lives in your home.

This is the chart-first version of our SNAP income coverage. If you need the longer walkthrough of deductions and edge cases, the complete SNAP income limits guide covers every line in depth.

2026 SNAP Income Limits Chart (Monthly)

These are the FY2026 monthly income thresholds published by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. They cover applications submitted between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.

Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, FY 2026 SNAP Income Eligibility Standards.

If your household has a member who is 60 or older or receiving disability benefits, you only need to meet the net income test. The gross income test does not apply to you. This rule trips up many families who assume they earn too much.

What Is the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)?

The Federal Poverty Level is a set of income thresholds published every year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is also called the federal poverty guidelines.

SNAP does not invent its own income limits. The program borrows the HHS poverty guidelines and applies percentages of them.

Gross income is 130% of FPL. Net income is 100% FPL. BBCE states use 200% FPL.

The 2025 poverty guidelines apply to SNAP FY2026 because the SNAP fiscal year starts October 1, 2025. For a single person, the monthly FPL is roughly $1,305. For a household of four, it is $2,680.

Each additional person adds about $459 per month. These figures are the building blocks of every SNAP income calculation.

FPL matters beyond SNAP too. Medicaid, CHIP, LIHEAP, school meals, and many state benefit programs peg their thresholds to the same poverty guidelines.

When you memorize the FPL chart, you memorize half of the U.S. safety net.

The Three SNAP Income Tests Explained

SNAP runs your household through up to three income tests. Which ones apply depends on where you live and who lives in your home. Knowing your test is the difference between denied and approved.

Gross income test (130% FPL). Total household income before deductions must be at or below 130% of FPL.

This test applies to most households in non-BBCE states. Earned income and unearned income both count here.

Net income test (100% FPL). After applying the seven SNAP deductions, your countable income must be at or below 100% FPL. Households with a senior or disabled member skip the gross test and go straight here.

BBCE test (200% FPL). In BBCE states, the gross income limit is replaced with a 200% FPL cap. There is no separate asset test.

This is why a household of four can earn up to $5,360 a month and still qualify in most states.

The SNAP deductions cheat sheet breaks down every deduction with worked examples.

BBCE and the 200% FPL Loophole

Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility is a state option. It lets SNAP ignore the standard 130% gross test and the $3,000 asset test. Both are replaced with a 200% FPL gross test and, in most states, no resource limit at all.

States adopted BBCE to align SNAP with TANF-funded outreach services. Practically, BBCE means the income ceiling for SNAP is much higher than most people assume.

Roughly 40 states plus DC, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands operate under BBCE today. The states that have not adopted it, or have repealed it, are listed in the next section.

BBCE is why a working couple with two kids in Pennsylvania can earn $6,276 a month and still qualify for SNAP. The same family in Idaho hits the gross ceiling at $4,079. Check your state on the SNAP benefits by state page to confirm which test applies where you live.

The 7 States Without BBCE in 2026

Seven states have not adopted Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility, or have repealed it. If you live in one of these states, your SNAP application is judged on the stricter 130% FPL gross test.

The $3,000 asset limit applies to most households. The $4,500 limit applies to households containing a member who is 60 or older or receiving disability benefits.

Every other state plus DC, Guam, and the Virgin Islands operates under BBCE. If your state is not in the table above, the 200% FPL limit is the one that matters for you.

Three Real Household Examples

Numbers in a table are easier to remember when you see them attached to a real household. Here are three scenarios that cover the most common situations caseworkers see.

Example 1: Single person, employed, no dependents

Marco lives alone in Ohio and works 32 hours a week at $15 an hour. His gross monthly income is about $2,080.

Ohio is a BBCE state, so the relevant limit is the 200% FPL threshold for one person, $2,610. Marco is under the limit and qualifies.

After the standard deduction of $204 and the 20% earned income deduction of $416, his net countable income is around $1,460. That sits above the $1,305 net test, so the caseworker looks at his excess shelter deduction.

If Marco pays $900 a month in rent, his shelter deduction brings his net income under $1,305. He receives a SNAP benefit of about $135 a month. Without the deductions, he would have been denied.

Example 2: Family of four, two employed parents

James and Tanya live in Georgia with their two children. Combined gross income is $4,200 a month from warehouse jobs.

Georgia is a BBCE state, so the relevant ceiling is $5,360 for a household of four. They clear the gross test easily.

After the standard deduction of $220 and the earned income deduction of $840, their net countable income drops. The excess shelter deduction for their $1,500 rent brings it to around $2,200.

That sits under the $2,680 net test, and they receive about $460 a month in SNAP.

Without BBCE, the same family would have been judged against the 130% FPL ceiling of $3,483. They would have been denied outright.

Example 3: Senior living alone on Social Security

Gladys is 72, lives alone in Michigan, and receives $1,450 a month in Social Security. Because she is 60 or older, the gross income test does not apply to her. Only the net test matters.

Her $1,450 unearned income is reduced by the standard deduction of $204 and the medical expense deduction. Her Medicare Part B premium, dental bills, and prescriptions total around $280 a month.

After deductions, her net countable income is roughly $966. That sits well below the $1,305 net ceiling, and she receives the maximum SNAP benefit for a one-person household, $292 a month.

The SNAP benefit calculation formula page walks through the math line by line with a worksheet.

What Counts as Income for SNAP

SNAP counts almost every dollar that comes into your household. But there are exceptions. Knowing what is excluded can move you from over the limit to qualifying.

Countable income includes wages, salaries, tips, and self-employment net income. Social Security retirement and disability benefits, SSI, unemployment, and workers' compensation also count.

Child support counts before the deduction. Veterans' pension and disability payments, alimony, rental income, and most other recurring cash payments count too.

Excluded income includes federal student aid like Pell Grants and work-study. Loans you have to repay, one-time earned income tax credit payments, and federal disaster assistance also do not count.

LIHEAP energy assistance, in-kind benefits like housing vouchers, certain reimbursement payments, and most loans are excluded. The SNAP gross vs net income guide covers every line item.

SNAP Deductions That Lower Your Countable Income

Seven deductions sit between your gross income and the net income test. Most applicants miss at least one. The most common misses are the excess shelter deduction, the 20% earned income deduction, and the medical expense deduction for seniors.

1. Standard deduction. $204 for one to three person households, $220 for four person, $245 for five person, and $276 for six or more in FY2026.
2. Earned income deduction. 20% of your gross earned income. Pure unearned income like SSI does not get this deduction.
3. Medical expense deduction. Households with a member 60 or older or receiving disability benefits can deduct out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 a month.
4. Dependent care deduction. What you pay for childcare so you can work, look for work, or attend training.
5. Child support deduction. Court-ordered child support you pay out.
6. Excess shelter deduction. Rent, mortgage, property tax, insurance, and the standard utility allowance. Capped for most households but uncapped for seniors and disabled people.
7. Standard Utility Allowance. A state-set monthly amount that covers heating, cooling, electricity, gas, water, trash, and phone.

The full SNAP deductions cheat sheet shows worked examples for each deduction.

Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands

The 48 states plus DC chart does not apply to households in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. These jurisdictions have higher FPL figures because of their higher cost of living.

For FY2026, a one-person household in Alaska has a gross income limit around $2,117 a month. The BBCE 200% limit there is around $3,256 a month.

Hawaii's one-person gross limit is around $1,951 a month, with a BBCE cap near $3,002. Guam and the Virgin Islands use figures slightly above the 48-state numbers.

Exact figures are published by the USDA FNS regional offices. If you live in one of these jurisdictions, your state agency's website will have the precise chart for your area.

For most readers, the 48-state chart is the right reference. If you want to estimate eligibility before applying, the SNAP benefit calculator handles the regional figures automatically.

Seniors and Disabled Members: Special Rules

Households with at least one member who is 60 or older or receiving disability benefits get special treatment. They skip the gross income test entirely.

Only the net income test applies to them. That test is computed after the standard deduction, the medical expense deduction, and the uncapped excess shelter deduction.

This is why many seniors with $1,400 to $1,800 a month in Social Security income still qualify. Without the special rule, their gross income would fail the 130% test in some cases.

The elderly simplified application path also makes the application process easier. Seniors can skip the long interview and use a shorter form.

Asset Limits in 2026

In non-BBCE states, the SNAP asset limit is $3,000 for most households. The limit rises to $4,500 if your household contains a member who is 60 or older or disabled.

In BBCE states, there is no asset test at all. You can have $50,000 in the bank and still qualify for SNAP if your income is under the 200% FPL ceiling.

Countable assets include bank account balances, stocks, and bonds. Your primary home does not count. Retirement accounts and most vehicles do not count either.

The SNAP asset limits page explains the full list of countable and excluded resources.

How to Check Your Income Against the Chart

Start by adding up your household's gross monthly income. Include wages, Social Security, SSI, unemployment, child support, and any other recurring cash.

Look up your household size in the chart above. Find the gross limit, the net limit, and the BBCE limit for that size.

If your state uses BBCE, compare your gross income to the 200% FPL column. If you are under, you likely qualify. The caseworker will still run the net test after deductions to set your benefit amount.

If your state does not use BBCE, compare your gross income to the 130% FPL column. Then estimate your net income after the seven deductions. Both tests must pass.

The SNAP benefit calculator runs both tests for you. It uses your state, household size, income, shelter costs, and deductions to produce an estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SNAP income limit for one person in 2026?

For the 48 contiguous states and DC, the FY2026 SNAP income limit for a single-person household is $1,696 a month gross. If your state uses BBCE, the limit is $2,610 a month at 200% FPL. The net income limit after deductions is $1,305 a month.

Households with someone 60 or older or disabled skip the gross test entirely.

What is the BBCE 200% FPL limit for a family of 4 in 2026?

For FY2026, the BBCE 200% FPL limit for a household of four is $5,360 a month in most states. The standard 130% FPL gross limit is $3,483 a month, and the net limit is $2,680 a month.

Each additional household member adds $916 a month to the BBCE ceiling.

What is the federal poverty level for 2026?

The 2025 HHS poverty guidelines apply to SNAP FY2026 because the SNAP fiscal year starts October 1, 2025. The monthly FPL is roughly $1,305 for one person and $2,680 for a household of four in the 48 states and DC.

Each additional person adds about $459 a month. Alaska and Hawaii have higher FPL figures.

Does SNAP use gross or net income?

SNAP uses both. Most households must clear the gross income test at 130% FPL and the net income test at 100% FPL after deductions.

Households containing a member who is 60 or older or receiving disability benefits only need to meet the net test. BBCE states replace the gross test with a 200% FPL ceiling.

Which states have eliminated BBCE?

As of 2026, the states without Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility are Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These states apply the stricter 130% FPL gross income test and enforce the $3,000 asset limit.

For households with a senior or disabled member, the asset limit is $4,500. Every other state plus DC, Guam, and the Virgin Islands operates under BBCE.

Do seniors have to meet the SNAP gross income test?

No. Households containing at least one member who is 60 or older or receiving certain disability benefits are exempt from the 130% FPL gross income test. They only need to meet the 100% FPL net income test.

The net test is computed after the standard, medical, and excess shelter deductions. This is why many seniors with $1,400 to $1,800 a month in Social Security income still qualify.

What is the asset limit for SNAP in 2026?

In non-BBCE states, the SNAP asset limit is $3,000 for most households. The limit rises to $4,500 with a member who is 60 or older or disabled.

In BBCE states, there is no asset test at all.

Countable assets include bank account balances, stocks, and bonds. Your primary home, retirement accounts, and most vehicles do not count.

What is the SNAP income limit for a family of 4 in 2026?

For FY2026, a family of four in the 48 states and DC has a gross income limit of $3,483 a month. The net income limit is $2,680 a month after deductions.

In BBCE states, the limit is $5,360 a month at 200% FPL. Each additional person adds $596 to the gross limit and $916 to the BBCE limit.

Related SNAP Guides

• Complete SNAP income limits guide — gross vs net income, every deduction, senior and disabled exceptions explained in depth.
• SNAP deductions cheat sheet — the seven deductions that raise your monthly benefit, with examples.
• SNAP gross vs net income — what counts as income, what does not, and how caseworkers verify it.
• SNAP benefit calculator — estimate your monthly allotment based on your income and deductions.
• How SNAP benefits are calculated — the 2026 formula with a worked worksheet.
• 2026 SNAP allotment chart — maximum monthly benefit by household size.
• SNAP benefits by state — income limits, deductions, and BBCE status for every state.
• SNAP asset limits — countable resources, excluded resources, and how BBCE eliminates the test.

Sources

• USDA Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP Income Eligibility Standards
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service, FY 2026 Income Eligibility Standards
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility State Options
• HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS Poverty Guidelines
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, A Quick Guide to SNAP Eligibility and Benefits
• Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.10, SNAP Income Calculation Rules