Texas Food Stamp Income Limits: Household Size, Deductions, and Benefits

Most Texas households qualify for SNAP food benefits if their gross monthly income is at or below 165% of the federal poverty level. That works out to $2,152 a month for a single person and $4,421 for a family of four under the Texas food stamp income limits in effect from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.¹ Texas sets this ceiling higher than the standard federal threshold because it uses broad-based categorical eligibility, which also removes the asset test for most applicants.

Gross Monthly Income Limits by Household Size

Texas measures your household’s total income before taxes and deductions against the table below. These figures reflect 165% of the federal poverty level, the threshold Texas applies to most households through categorical eligibility.²

1 person: $2,152
2 people: $2,909
3 people: $3,665
4 people: $4,421
5 people: $5,177
6 people: $5,934
7 people: $6,690
8 people: $7,446
Each additional person: add $757

When the Lower Federal Limit Applies Instead

You may see a lower SNAP gross income limit quoted elsewhere: 130% of the poverty level, which comes to $1,696 for one person and $3,483 for a family of four.³ That threshold applies in states that don’t use broad-based categorical eligibility, and it does not apply to most Texas applicants. It does apply, though, if your household includes someone disqualified from SNAP for an intentional program violation, or a primary wage earner who quit a job without good cause. Those households must pass both the 130% gross income test and a 100% net income test.²

Elderly and Disabled Households

If your household includes someone age 60 or older or a person with a qualifying disability, the rules are more flexible. These households can exceed the gross income limit and still qualify by passing only the net income test at 100% of the federal poverty level.⁴ Net income is what’s left after allowable deductions. The monthly net limits 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

⁵

Net income also determines how much benefit you receive each month, even when you don’t have to pass the net test to qualify. Lower net income means a larger monthly allotment.

Who Counts as Part of Your Household

The income limit applies to your whole household, not just you, so getting the household composition right matters. Texas follows the federal definition: a household is everyone living under the same roof who buys and prepares food together. Two roommates who cook entirely separate meals can be counted as separate households.

Some family members are grouped together no matter how meals are handled. Spouses living together are always one household, and a child under 22 living with a parent or stepparent is part of that parent’s household even if the child buys groceries separately.⁶

What Counts as Income

Texas divides income into two categories. Earned income is money from work: gross wages, salary, commissions, tips, and net self-employment earnings. Unearned income is everything else that comes in on a regular basis, including Social Security, unemployment, pensions, and child support received. The state follows the federal rules at 7 CFR 273.9 to decide what counts.⁷

Some money is excluded entirely. Energy assistance payments like LIHEAP, educational loans and grants used for tuition, and several other restricted funds don’t count toward your income, because money you can’t freely spend on food shouldn’t count against you when you’re applying for food help.

Deductions That Lower Your Countable Income

A gross income figure that looks too high can drop well below the limit once deductions are applied. Deductions matter most for elderly and disabled households that need to pass the net income test, but they also determine how large every household’s monthly benefit will be. SNAP allows these deductions:⁵

Standard deduction: $209 per month for households of one to three, $223 for four, $261 for five, and $299 for six or more.³
Earned income deduction: 20% of all earned income is subtracted automatically. On $2,000 in wages, that’s $400 off before the net income calculation.
Dependent care costs: Out-of-pocket childcare or care for a disabled adult that you pay so you can work, train, or attend school.
Medical expenses for elderly or disabled members: Unreimbursed costs over $35 a month for household members age 60 or older or with a disability.⁸
Excess shelter costs: If rent or mortgage, property taxes, utilities, and insurance combined exceed half your income after the other deductions, the excess is deductible up to $744 a month. Households with an elderly or disabled member have no cap.⁵
Legally owed child support: Payments you make toward court-ordered child support.

These add up quickly. A working single parent earning $2,500 a month with $1,200 in rent and $300 in childcare can see net income drop well below $2,500 once the standard deduction, 20% earned income deduction, dependent care, and excess shelter costs are all subtracted.

How Much You’ll Receive Each Month

Benefits are loaded onto a Lone Star Card (Texas’s EBT card) each month. The maximum your household can receive depends on size, though most families get less because the benefit formula reduces the allotment based on net income. The maximums for fiscal year 2026:³

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

Your actual benefit equals the maximum for your household size minus 30% of your net monthly income. The formula assumes you can spend about 30% of your own income on food, and SNAP fills the gap. A single person with $800 in net monthly income would receive roughly $298 minus $240, or about $58 per month.

Asset and Resource Rules

Because Texas uses broad-based categorical eligibility, most households face no formal asset test. A savings account, a car, or a retirement fund generally won’t disqualify you.² The categorical eligibility policy itself does require combined liquid assets and excess vehicle value to stay under $5,000, but this is far more generous than the standard federal SNAP resource limit and won’t affect most applicants.

Households that don’t qualify for categorical eligibility face the standard federal resource limits: $2,750 in countable assets, or $4,250 if the household includes someone who is elderly or disabled.⁵

How To Apply

The fastest way to apply is online at YourTexasBenefits.com, where you can fill out the application and upload documents.¹ You can also drop your application at a local HHSC benefits office or mail or fax it to the document processing center.⁹ Have these ready before you start:

Photo ID for the head of household (driver’s license, state ID, or other government-issued ID).
Proof of Texas residency, such as a utility bill, rent receipt, or landlord letter.
Income verification: your last two pay stubs, an employer statement, or Social Security or SSI award letters.
Business records showing net earnings if you’re self-employed.
Social Security numbers for every person in the household.

After HHSC receives your application, a caseworker will schedule an interview, usually by phone, to verify your information.¹⁰ HHSC must make an eligibility determination within 30 days of your application date under normal processing.

If your situation is urgent, you may qualify for expedited benefits within seven days. Fast-tracked processing is available when your household has less than $150 in gross monthly income and less than $100 in liquid resources, or when your combined income and liquid resources are less than your monthly rent and utilities.⁵ Texas aims to issue expedited benefits the same day you apply, or by the next business day.¹¹

1
Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Food Benefits
2
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook – B-470, Categorically Eligible Households
3
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
4
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook – C-120, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
6
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.1 – Household Concept
7
Legal Information Institute. 1 Texas Administrative Code 372-406 – Countable and Excluded Income
8
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Medical Expenses Handbook
9
Texas Health and Human Services. Benefits Application Next Steps
10
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook – A-130, Interview Procedures
11
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook – A-140, Expedited Service