SNAP income limit for a family of five 2027.

The FY2027 limits for a household of 5

For five people applying together, such as two adults with three children, the USDA's Food and Nutrition Administration sets the FY2027 SNAP income standards, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, at these levels: in the 48 states, DC, Guam and the Virgin Islands a household of 5 can have gross monthly income up to $4,191 and net monthly income up to $3,224. Gross income is the household's total non-excluded income before deductions; net income is what is left after allowable deductions. The gross limit is 130% of the federal poverty guideline and the net limit is 100%.

The same 130% and 100% percentages applied to the 2026 poverty guideline of $38,680 a year for a household of 5 give $4,191 and $3,224 a month. FNS says households with an elderly or disabled member do not have to meet the gross income limit under regular rules, but must meet the net income limit.

What a household of 5 can deduct and keep

The standard deduction for a household of 5 in the 48 states and DC is $268 a month. The maximum excess shelter deduction is $769 a month, the homeless shelter deduction is $205.66, and the asset limit is $3,000 for most households or $4,750 when at least one member is 60 or older or disabled. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands have their own deduction tables; the Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Virgin Islands page lists them.

Family of 5 limits by state under broad-based categorical eligibility

FNS lists 48 jurisdiction rows that use broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE): households that qualify for a non-cash TANF or state maintenance-of-effort benefit become categorically eligible for SNAP. 40 of those rows have a gross limit above the federal 130%. For a household of 5 that range runs from $4,191 where the state sits at 130% to $6,447 at 200% in the 48 states. FNS notes that BBCE cannot limit eligibility: a household the state program does not cover can still apply under regular rules.

Not on the FNS BBCE list as of its June 29, 2026 update: Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming. Those states apply the federal tests in the first table.

Worked example: a household of 5 earning $4,400 a month

$4,400 of gross monthly income is $209 over the federal 130% limit of $4,191 for a household of 5, so the household does not pass the federal gross test unless it has an elderly or disabled member. Under broad-based categorical eligibility it would be under California's 200% limit of $6,447, under New Jersey's 185% limit of $5,964, under Texas's 165% limit of $5,319, and over Alabama's 130% limit of $4,191. Passing a gross limit is only the first step: the benefit depends on net income, so run the figures through the SNAP benefit calculator.

Method

Each dollar limit is the percentage of the federal poverty guideline for the household size, divided by 12 and rounded up to the next whole dollar, which reproduces every figure in the FNS tables (for example 130% of $21,640 is $2,344.33 a month, published as $2,345). Broad-based categorical eligibility limits use the same arithmetic with the percentage FNS lists for the state. The page screens one income test; it does not apply deductions, assets or the other eligibility rules. The screening result for a household of 5 compares your gross monthly income with the federal 130% limit of $4,191 and, for the state you pick, the BBCE limit from the FNS list. For Arkansas the elderly or disabled box selects the 165% row and otherwise the 130% row; for New York the dependent care box selects the 200% row and otherwise the 150% earned income row.

Other household sizes

1 Person, 2 People, Family of 3, Family of 4, Family of 6. For every size from 1 to 8 together, see the SNAP income limits table.

What this does not cover

• Deductions, shelter costs, assets and work rules, which decide whether and how much you receive.
• State standard utility allowances and state-specific rules that your caseworker applies.
• Guam and Virgin Islands households, which share the federal limits above but use their own maximum benefits.
• Any limit for a year other than FY2027.

Figures read from the sources below on November 9, 2026. Last updated November 9, 2026.

Sources

• USDA FNS: SNAP FY 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustments (page updated November 4, 2026) (retrieved November 9, 2026)
• USDA FNS: Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (page updated June 29, 2026) (retrieved November 9, 2026)
• HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (retrieved November 9, 2026)