In a time when the cost of groceries can put a strain on any family’s budget, understanding the resources available for support is more important than ever. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s most important program in the fight against hunger, helping millions of Americans afford the food they need for good health. Each month, about 42 million people—or 13% of the U.S. population—use SNAP to help put food on the table.
SNAP is a federal program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but it is run by individual states. This means that while the basic rules are the same everywhere, some details can change depending on where you live. The program provides eligible low-income households with a monthly benefit to purchase groceries.
You may have also heard the terms “EBT” or “food stamps.” EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer, which is the system used to deliver SNAP benefits. If you qualify for SNAP, you will receive an EBT card, which works just like a debit card at most grocery stores, convenience stores, and even some farmers’ markets. This modern system replaced the paper coupons, or “stamps,” that were used for decades, making the process of buying food more private and reducing stigma. The original Food Stamp Program began back in 1939, during the Great Depression, as a way to help both families in need and farmers with surplus crops.
Navigating the rules for SNAP can seem confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide is designed to break down the income requirements for 2025, explain how eligibility is determined, and show you how to apply. The rules are often more flexible than people think, so it’s worth learning how the program works to see if your family might be able to get help.
Your Quick Guide to SNAP Income Limits for 2025
To figure out who is eligible for SNAP, the government looks at a household’s size and its income. These income limits are updated every year on October 1st to keep up with the cost of living. The numbers in this guide are for Fiscal Year 2025, which runs from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
There are two key income numbers that SNAP agencies use:
- Gross Monthly Income: This is your household’s total income before any taxes or other costs are taken out. For most people, this is the first number the agency looks at.
- Net Monthly Income: This is the income you have left after subtracting certain allowed expenses, which are called deductions.
The table below shows the federal income limits for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. Keep in mind that Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits because the cost of living is higher there.
Table 1: Federal SNAP Income Limits (FY 2025) for the 48 Contiguous States & D.C.
Household Size | Gross Monthly Income (130% of Poverty) | Net Monthly Income (100% of Poverty) |
---|---|---|
1 | $1,632 | $1,255 |
2 | $2,215 | $1,704 |
3 | $2,798 | $2,152 |
4 | $3,380 | $2,600 |
5 | $3,963 | $3,049 |
6 | $4,546 | $3,497 |
7 | $5,129 | $3,945 |
8 | $5,712 | $4,394 |
Each additional member | +$583 | +$449 |
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
The amount of your monthly benefit depends on your household’s specific situation, but the table below shows the maximum possible benefit you could receive. Most households receive an amount less than the maximum, based on their net income.
Table 2: Maximum Monthly SNAP Benefits (FY 2025) for the 48 Contiguous States & D.C.
Household Size | Maximum Monthly Benefit |
---|---|
1 | $292 |
2 | $536 |
3 | $768 |
4 | $975 |
5 | $1,158 |
6 | $1,390 |
7 | $1,536 |
8 | $1,756 |
Each additional member | +$220 |
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
It is very important to remember that these are the standard federal guidelines. As this guide will explain in more detail, your state may have its own rules that allow you to have a higher income and still qualify for SNAP. The only way to know for sure if you are eligible is to fill out an application.
The Three Keys to Eligibility: Gross Income, Net Income, and Assets
To determine if a household qualifies for SNAP, federal rules require that it passes up to three different tests. Understanding these tests is the first step to figuring out if you might be eligible.
Gross Income Test
The first test is the Gross Monthly Income Test. Gross income includes all the money your household receives in a month from any source before taxes or any other deductions are taken out. This includes:
- Wages and salaries from jobs
- Self-employment earnings
- Social Security benefits (including disability)
- Unemployment benefits
- Child support payments received
- Cash assistance from other programs
For most households, the total gross monthly income must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty line for their household size. You can see these amounts in Table 1. This test is the initial hurdle; if your income is below this line, the agency will continue to the next step. However, if your household includes a person who is age 60 or older or has a disability, you may not have to meet this test at all and can proceed directly to the net income test.
Net Income Test
The second test is the Net Monthly Income Test. This is where many families who think they earn too much find out they can still qualify. Net income is your gross income minus certain allowed expenses, known as deductions. These deductions account for essential costs that leave you with less money to spend on food. After all your deductions are subtracted, your net income must be at or below 100% of the federal poverty line. The next section of this guide will explain these powerful deductions in detail.
Asset Test
The third and final test is the Asset Test. Assets, or resources, are things you own that could be used to buy food, such as cash on hand or money in a bank account. Under federal rules for 2025, a household’s countable assets must be at or below:
- $3,000 for most households.
- $4,500 for households with at least one member who is age 60 or older or who has a disability.
However, this test is often less of a barrier than it sounds. While these are the federal limits, most states have used options available to them to make the asset rules much more flexible. Many states have raised the limits significantly or eliminated the asset test altogether for most households. This is one of the most important reasons why you should not assume you are ineligible just because you have some money saved. You should always check your specific state’s rules, because there is a good chance that having a modest savings account will not prevent you from getting SNAP benefits.
Unlocking Eligibility: How Deductions Lower Your Countable Income
Deductions are the most important part of the SNAP eligibility puzzle. They are the reason why you should never disqualify yourself based on your gross income alone. A deduction is an expense that the SNAP office subtracts from your gross income to get your net income. The lower your net income, the more likely you are to be eligible and the higher your benefit amount may be. Here are the major deductions that can help you qualify.
Standard Deduction
This is a fixed amount that nearly every household gets to help cover basic, everyday costs. The amount depends on your household size. For Fiscal Year 2025, in the 48 states and D.C., the standard deduction is $204 for households with one to three people.
Earned Income Deduction
This deduction is designed to encourage work. If you or someone in your household has income from a job or from self-employment, you can deduct 20% of that earned income. This deduction helps account for work-related expenses like payroll taxes and transportation costs.
Dependent Care Deduction
If you pay for child care or the care of another dependent so that a household member can work, look for a job, or attend school or training, you can deduct the actual cost of that care. There is no limit on this deduction.
Child Support Deduction
If you make legally obligated child support payments to someone outside of your household, you can deduct the full amount of those payments from your income.
Medical Expense Deduction
This is a very important deduction for households with members who are age 60 or older or who have a disability. These households can deduct any out-of-pocket medical expenses that total more than $35 for the month. This can include things like health insurance premiums, medication costs, doctor visit co-pays, and transportation to get medical care. There is no limit to this deduction.
Excess Shelter Deduction
This is often the largest and most helpful deduction, but it can also be the most complicated. It covers your housing costs, which include:
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Property taxes and homeowner’s insurance
- Utility costs like electricity, heating fuel, water, and a basic phone fee
The way it works is that if your total shelter costs are more than half of your income (after all the other deductions have been taken), you can deduct the amount that is over that halfway point. For most households, this deduction is capped. In 2025, the cap is $712 in the 48 states and D.C. However, if your household includes a member who is elderly or has a disability, this cap does not apply, and you can deduct the full amount of your excess shelter costs.
Sample Calculation: Putting It All Together
Let’s see how these deductions work in a real-world example. Consider a family of three: a single parent working full-time at the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) with two children. They have monthly child care costs of $54 and their rent and utilities total $1,148 per month.
- Step 1 — Gross Income: The parent’s full-time work brings in a gross monthly income of $1,257. This is well below the gross income limit of $2,798 for a family of three, so they pass the first test.
- Step 2 — Apply Initial Deductions: Now we subtract the deductions that aren’t related to shelter.
- Gross Income: $1,257
- Minus the 20% Earned Income Deduction ($1,257 x 0.20 = $251): $1,006
- Minus the Standard Deduction for a 3-person household ($204): $802
- Minus the Dependent Care Deduction ($54): $748
- This $748 is the household’s income before the shelter deduction is calculated.
- Step 3 — Calculate the Shelter Deduction: First, we find half of the income from Step 2 ($748 / 2 = $374). The family’s shelter costs are $1,148. The “excess” amount is their total cost minus that halfway point ($1,148 – $374 = $774). Because this household does not have an elderly or disabled member, their shelter deduction is capped at $712.
- Step 4 — Calculate Final Net Income: We take the income from Step 2 and subtract the shelter deduction from Step 3.
- $748 – $712 (Shelter Deduction) = $36. This is the household’s final net monthly income for SNAP purposes. It is far below the net income limit of $2,152 for a family of three.
- Step 5 — Calculate the SNAP Benefit: SNAP expects a family to contribute about 30% of their net income toward food. So, we calculate 30% of their $36 net income, which is about $11. The final benefit is the maximum allotment for their household size minus their expected contribution.
- $768 (Max benefit for 3 people) – $11 = $757.
- This family would receive approximately $757 in SNAP benefits each month.
Table 3: Summary of Key SNAP Deductions (FY 2025)
Deduction Type | What It Is |
---|---|
Standard Deduction | A fixed amount for basic costs that almost every household receives. |
Earned Income Deduction | A deduction of 20% of income from a job or self-employment. |
Dependent Care Deduction | A deduction for the costs of child care or other dependent care needed for work or school. |
Child Support Deduction | A deduction for legally required child support payments made to someone outside the home. |
Medical Expense Deduction | For seniors and people with disabilities, a deduction for medical costs over $35 per month. |
Excess Shelter Deduction | A deduction for housing and utility costs that are more than half of the household’s income. |
Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, USDA
The Asset Test: What You Own vs. What Counts
As mentioned earlier, the asset test looks at the resources your household has available. However, many of the most valuable things a family owns are not counted toward the limit. It is crucial to understand what is excluded before you decide whether you might be eligible.
The following resources are NOT counted for the SNAP asset test:
- Your home and the lot it is on: The house you live in does not count as an asset.
- Retirement savings: Money in retirement accounts like a 401(k), IRA, or pension plan is not counted.
- Personal belongings: Your furniture, clothing, and other personal items are not counted.
- Resources of household members on other programs: If someone in your household receives benefits from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), their resources are not counted for SNAP.
- Most vehicles: The rules for cars can be complicated, but for most families, they do not prevent eligibility. States have a lot of flexibility in how they count vehicles. Generally, one vehicle per adult in the household is excluded from the asset test. Other vehicles needed for things like going to work, school, or getting medical care are also often excluded.
The main things that are counted are “liquid” resources, which means cash or things that can be easily turned into cash. This primarily includes money in checking and savings accounts.
Again, it is essential to remember that most states have used their flexibility to relax or eliminate the asset test. For example, in New York, most households applying for SNAP no longer have to pass a savings or resource test at all. This policy choice by states recognizes that families shouldn’t have to spend all of their emergency savings just to be able to afford food.
Why Your State’s Rules Matter Most: The Power of Flexibility
One of the most important things to understand about SNAP is that it is a partnership between the federal government and the states. The USDA sets the core rules and provides the funding, but each state is responsible for running its own program. This partnership gives states the flexibility to adapt the program to better meet the needs of their residents.
The most significant way states do this is through a policy called Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE). While the name is technical, the concept is simple. BBCE allows a state to make a household automatically eligible for SNAP if they qualify for another, non-cash benefit funded by the state, such as receiving an informational brochure about a state program.
The practical effect of this policy is that states using BBCE can set higher income and asset limits than the federal standards shown in Table 1. This means that in many states, you can have a higher income and more savings and still be eligible for SNAP. This has created a situation where eligibility can look very different from one state to the next. An applicant’s home state can be just as important as their income in determining whether they qualify.
For example, a family of four in Georgia, which follows the federal guidelines more closely, must have a gross monthly income at or below $3,380 to be considered for SNAP. But that same family living in Pennsylvania, a state that uses BBCE, could have a gross monthly income up to $5,200 and still be considered. This is a massive difference that highlights why you should never assume you are ineligible based on the federal rules alone.
The table below shows just how much the gross monthly income limits can vary between states for a household of four, illustrating the powerful impact of state policy choices.
Table 4: How SNAP Gross Income Limits Vary By State (FY 2025)
State | Gross Monthly Income Limit (Household of 4) |
---|---|
California | $5,200 |
Colorado | $5,200 |
New Jersey | $4,810 |
Texas | $4,125 |
Georgia | $3,380 |
Source: State agency websites and Propel analysis
Special Considerations for Different Households
While the general rules apply to most people, SNAP has special considerations for certain groups to ensure the program is fair and effective.
Households with Seniors (60+) or Members with a Disability
SNAP has several rules that are designed to help seniors and people with disabilities access food assistance. As mentioned before, these households often benefit from:
- A higher asset limit of $4,500.
- The ability to bypass the gross income test and only need to meet the net income test.
- The ability to deduct all out-of-pocket medical expenses over $35 per month.
- No cap on the excess shelter deduction, allowing them to deduct their full housing costs if they are high.
Some states have also created simplified application processes for these households. For example, Texas offers the Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP), which provides a shorter application and three years of benefits at a time instead of the usual six months.
Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs)
Most adults between the ages of 16 and 59 are expected to meet general work requirements to receive SNAP. This usually means they must register for work, not voluntarily quit a job or reduce their hours, and accept a suitable job if one is offered.
However, there is a stricter rule for a group known as Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs). This rule limits these individuals to receiving only three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period unless they are working or participating in a work or training program for at least 80 hours per month.
A recent change in federal law has expanded the age group subject to this time limit. Previously, this rule applied to people aged 18 to 50. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 phased in an increase, and as of October 2024, the ABAWD work requirement now applies to individuals up to age 54. This is a significant change that may affect individuals who were previously exempt due to their age.
There are, however, important exemptions to this time limit. People who do not have to meet this requirement include veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, young adults up to age 24 who were in foster care on their 18th birthday, and people who are pregnant or unable to work due to a physical or mental health reason.
Students
College students who are enrolled at least half-time face special eligibility rules. They can often qualify for SNAP if they meet the income limits and also meet one of the following criteria:
- Are employed for at least 20 hours per week.
- Are participating in a federal work-study program.
- Are caring for a young child.
- Are receiving cash assistance benefits (TANF).
Immigrants and Non-Citizens
Eligibility for non-citizens depends on their immigration status. Certain lawfully present immigrants are eligible for SNAP. In general, to qualify, a non-citizen must meet a specific condition, such as having lived in the United States for at least five years, receiving disability-related assistance, or being a child under the age of 18.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for SNAP
If you think you might be eligible for SNAP, the next step is to apply. The process is handled by your state, but it generally follows these steps.
Step 1: Find Your State’s Official SNAP Agency
The most important first step is to find the correct agency. Always use official government websites, which typically end in “.gov,” to ensure your information is safe. The best place to start is the USDA SNAP State Directory of Resources. This website provides a map with links to every state’s SNAP agency website, local office locator, and hotline number.
Step 2: Gather Your Information
To make the application process smoother, it helps to gather some documents and information ahead of time. You will likely need:
- Proof of identity: Such as a driver’s license or state ID.
- Proof of address: Such as a utility bill or lease agreement.
- Proof of income: Such as pay stubs, Social Security award letters, or child support orders.
- Information about assets: Such as recent bank statements (if your state has an asset test).
- Proof of expenses: Such as rent receipts, mortgage statements, utility bills, child care invoices, and records of medical expenses.
Step 3: Submit Your Application
States offer several ways to apply. The most common and often fastest way is to apply online through your state’s benefits portal. You can also typically apply in person at your local social services office, or by mailing or faxing a paper application.
Step 4: Complete the Interview
After you submit your application, you will need to complete an eligibility interview with a caseworker. This is usually done over the phone. During the interview, the worker will review the information on your application and ask questions to confirm your household’s circumstances. This is your opportunity to make sure the agency has the correct information about all of your expenses and deductions.
Your Rights as an Applicant
When you apply for SNAP, you have certain rights. These include:
- The right to receive an application on the same day you ask for one.
- The right to get free help with your application from agency staff, community organizations, or a representative you choose.
- The right to language assistance if you do not speak English.
- The right to be treated with respect and without discrimination.
Expedited (Emergency) Benefits
If your household is in urgent need of food assistance, you may be able to get expedited SNAP benefits within seven days of applying. You may qualify for this faster service if your household has very little income and cash on hand, or if your monthly housing costs are more than your monthly income and available cash.
Using Eligibility Calculators
There are many online SNAP eligibility calculators or “screeners” that can help you get an estimate of whether you might be eligible before you apply. These tools are not official and cannot guarantee your eligibility, but they can be a helpful starting point. Remember that these are only estimates; the final decision can only be made by your state SNAP agency after you submit a full application.
Conclusion: Key Takeaways for Navigating SNAP
Understanding the SNAP program is the first step toward getting the food assistance your family may need. While the rules can seem complex, they are often more flexible than they appear at first glance. As you consider applying, remember these key takeaways:
- Don’t Disqualify Yourself. The single most important message is not to assume you are ineligible based on your gross income alone. Deductions for expenses like housing, child care, and medical costs are powerful tools that can help your household qualify. The only way to be certain is to complete an application.
- Your State’s Rules Are What Matter Most. SNAP eligibility is not the same in every state. Because of state flexibility, income and asset limits can vary dramatically from one place to another. Your eligibility depends heavily on the specific rules where you live.
- Always Use Official Sources. When you are ready to apply, make sure you are using your state’s official government website. This will protect your personal information and ensure you are getting accurate guidance. The USDA’s State Directory is the best place to start.
SNAP is a vital resource that helps millions of families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities afford nutritious food. By understanding how the program works, you can take the next step toward securing the support you need.