San Diego Food Stamps Income Limits by Household Size

In San Diego County, most CalFresh households qualify if their gross monthly income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, which works out to $2,610 for one person and climbs with household size.¹ San Diego food stamps income limits also include a second test on net income after deductions, and both have to be met. The figures below apply from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.

Gross Monthly Income Limits by Household Size

Gross income is everything your household brings in before taxes or any deductions. California uses a policy called Modified Categorical Eligibility to raise the ceiling from the federal baseline of 130% of poverty to 200% for most CalFresh households.² The gross monthly limits are:¹

1 person: $2,610
2 people: $3,526
3 people: $4,442
4 people: $5,360
5 people: $6,276
6 people: $7,192
7 people: $8,110
8 people: $9,026
Each additional person: add $918

Who counts as your “household” matters here. CalFresh defines a household as the people who live together and regularly buy and prepare food together. Roommates who keep groceries entirely separate can sometimes apply as separate households, which puts each one against the smaller-household limit rather than a combined figure.

Net Monthly Income Limits

Passing the gross test is only the first gate. Your household’s net monthly income, meaning what remains after the county subtracts allowable deductions, must also fall at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level.³ The net ceilings for 2026 are:

1 person: $1,305
2 people: $1,763
3 people: $2,221
4 people: $2,680
5 people: $3,138
6 people: $3,596
7 people: $4,055
8 people: $4,513
Each additional person: add $459

Those numbers look much lower than the gross limits, and that gap is where deductions do their work. A three-person household earning $4,000 gross looks far above the $2,221 net ceiling at first glance, but once shelter costs, the standard deduction, and other qualifying expenses are subtracted, the countable number can land well under the limit.

Deductions That Lower Your Countable Income

Every dollar in deductions pushes your net income down and your benefit amount up. The main deductions the county applies are below.

Standard Deduction

Every household automatically gets one, based on size:³

1 to 3 people: $209
4 people: $223
5 people: $261
6 or more: $299

Earned Income Deduction

Only 80 cents of every dollar you earn from a job counts. The county automatically subtracts 20% of earned income before anything else.

Shelter and Utilities

Rent, mortgage payments, property taxes, and renter’s insurance all count toward the shelter deduction. The county totals those costs, subtracts half of your income after other deductions, and the remainder becomes your excess shelter deduction, capped at $744 per month for most households.³ Households that include a member who is elderly or has a disability face no cap.

Utility bills can trigger the Standard Utility Allowance of $663 per month, added to your shelter costs for a larger deduction.³ A rule change took effect on November 1, 2025: households without someone age 60 or older or with a disability now must pay heating or cooling costs separately from their rent to claim the full allowance.⁴ If your utilities are bundled into rent and you don’t meet the exception, you cannot claim the $663 figure. Households with only a phone bill may instead claim a $20 Telephone Utility Allowance.

Dependent Care and Child Support

Child care and adult dependent care costs paid so that a household member can work or attend training are fully deductible. Legally obligated child support payments made by anyone in the household also qualify.

Medical Expenses for Elderly or Disabled Members

Households with a member who is 60 or older or who has a disability can deduct out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 per month. If those expenses fall between $35.01 and $185, the county applies a flat $150 standard medical deduction without receipts. For costs above $185, you need to document the actual amount and get a deduction for the full verified total.

How Your Monthly Benefit Is Calculated

Once you qualify, the county uses a simple formula: the maximum allotment for your household size, minus 30% of your net income.⁵ The 2026 maximums are:

1 person: $298
2 people: $546
3 people: $785
4 people: $994
5 people: $1,183
6 people: $1,421
7 people: $1,571
8 people: $1,789
Each additional person: add $218

A three-person household with $500 in net monthly income would see 30% of that ($150) subtracted from the $785 maximum, for a monthly benefit of $635. A household with zero net income after deductions receives the full maximum. One- and two-person households receive at least $24 per month even if the formula would produce a lower number.³

When Assets or Resources Count

For most San Diego applicants, Modified Categorical Eligibility removes the traditional asset test. The value of your car, bank balance, and personal property has no effect on your application, and you do not need to spend down a savings account to qualify.

The exception involves certain households with an elderly or disabled member whose gross income exceeds the standard limits and who fall outside Modified Categorical Eligibility. Those households face a countable resource limit of $4,500.³ Countable resources mean cash, checking and savings accounts, and similar liquid assets. The home you live in is always excluded.

Household Situations That Change Who the Limits Apply To

Meeting the income numbers above is not enough on its own for a few groups. The following situations add their own eligibility rules on top.

College Students

Students enrolled at least half-time are generally ineligible for CalFresh unless they meet a specific exemption. The most common ones:

Working an average of 20 hours per week
Participating in a federal or state work-study program, even if no work assignment has started
Caring for a child under age 6, or a child between 6 and 12 when adequate childcare is unavailable
Receiving CalWORKs benefits
Being enrolled in a qualifying employment and training program or workforce development program

A full-time student living on financial aid alone, with no job and no exemption, will not qualify no matter how low the income figure.

Adults 18 to 54 Without Dependents

Adults in this age range who are not disabled and have no dependents must work, volunteer, or participate in a training program for at least 80 hours per month, roughly 20 hours per week, to keep receiving benefits beyond three months out of every three-year period.⁶ Exemptions cover people who are pregnant, physically or mentally unable to work, or caring for a household member who is incapacitated.

Immigration Status

U.S. citizens and certain lawfully present noncitizens qualify. Refugees, asylees, and Cuban or Haitian entrants are eligible for up to seven years after obtaining that status.⁷ Lawful permanent residents who have 40 qualifying work quarters, roughly ten years, also qualify. Veterans and active-duty service members with an honorable discharge qualify regardless of how long they have held their immigration status. Undocumented residents do not qualify, but a mixed-status household can still apply for its eligible members; the ineligible members’ income is partially counted when calculating the benefit, and you will not be asked about the status of household members who are not seeking benefits.

Expedited Benefits for Urgent Need

If your situation is urgent, San Diego County must issue CalFresh benefits within three calendar days of application when any of these apply:

Gross monthly income under $150 and liquid resources under $100
Combined monthly income and liquid resources less than your monthly rent and utility costs
Migrant or seasonal farmworker status with liquid resources of $100 or less

Federal rules back up the state deadline with a seven-calendar-day outer limit for expedited cases.⁸ Even if you cannot gather all your documents in time, the county must still process an expedited application and verify details afterward.

1
San Diego County. Income Limits
2
California Department of Social Services. CalFresh Modified Categorical Eligibility
3
California Department of Social Services. All County Information Notice I-46-25
4
California Department of Social Services. H.R. 1 and CalFresh Frequently Asked Questions
5
USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
6
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.24 – Time Limit for Able-Bodied Adults
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1612 – Limited Eligibility of Qualified Aliens for Certain Federal Programs
8
USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Application Processing Timeliness