There is no single answer to what is considered low income in Texas. The cutoff depends on your household size, the county you live in, and which program you’re applying for. The federal poverty guideline for a single person in 2026 is $15,960 a year, but most assistance programs set their limits well above the poverty line, and housing programs use a different measure tied to local wages altogether. A family of four at the poverty line earns $33,000, yet the same family can still count as “low income” for housing in Houston at more than $80,000.
The 2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines
Most Texas benefit programs build their income rules on top of the federal poverty guidelines that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updates each January.1Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines For the 48 contiguous states in 2026:
- 1 person: $15,960
- 2 people: $21,640
- 3 people: $27,320
- 4 people: $33,000
- 5 people: $38,680
- 6 people: $44,360
- 7 people: $50,040
- 8 people: $55,720
Add $5,680 for each additional person beyond eight.1Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines These numbers represent 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, or FPL. When a program sets its ceiling at “150% of FPL,” multiply the figure for your household size by 1.5. For a family of four, 150% of FPL comes out to $49,500.
Housing Uses a Different Measure
Housing assistance in Texas does not use the poverty guidelines. It uses Area Median Income, or AMI, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calculates separately for each metropolitan area and non-metropolitan county based on American Community Survey data.2HUD User. Income Limits Because wages differ by region, “low income” for housing varies across the state.
HUD sorts eligibility into three tiers:
- Low income: up to 80% of AMI
- Very low income: up to 50% of AMI
- Extremely low income: up to 30% of AMI, or the poverty guideline, whichever is higher
These tiers govern public housing, Section 8 vouchers, and other HUD-assisted housing.2HUD User. Income Limits Under the FY2025 income limits that took effect June 1, 2025, a single person qualifies as low income at 80% AMI with $56,650 in Houston and $65,700 in Dallas. For a four-person household, the Houston ceiling is $80,900 and the Dallas ceiling is $93,850.3U.S. Department of HUD. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – State: Texas Rural counties with lower median wages often have significantly lower limits. If housing is what you need, look up the current figure for your specific HUD area rather than relying on a statewide number.
SNAP Food Benefits
SNAP is the most widely used safety-net program in Texas, and its income test has two layers. Under broad-based categorical eligibility, your household’s gross monthly income must sit below 165% of the federal poverty level, and your net income after allowed deductions for shelter, dependent care, and other items must be at or below 100% of FPL.4Texas Health and Human Services. A-1340, Income Limits
For a single person in 2026, 165% of the poverty guideline works out to roughly $2,194 per month in gross income. Texas Health and Human Services posts a monthly income chart by household size on its SNAP page.5Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Food Benefits The dollar figures on that chart update on a slightly different schedule than the poverty guidelines, so check the current numbers before you apply.
Medicaid and CHIP
Texas has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and that limits adult eligibility sharply. There is no general Medicaid category for low-income adults without children in Texas. Parents and caretaker relatives can qualify, but the TANF-linked income standards that apply to them sit far below 100% of the poverty line.6Medicaid.gov. Texas Pregnant women, people with disabilities receiving SSI, and other narrow groups have separate pathways with somewhat higher thresholds.
Children have broader access. Texas Medicaid covers infants up to 210% of FPL, and older children can get coverage through CHIP at income levels up to roughly 200% of FPL depending on age. For a family of three in 2026, 200% of FPL is about $54,640. CHIP charges modest premiums and copays on a sliding scale.
Because Medicaid wasn’t expanded, many Texas adults land in a coverage gap: too much income for Medicaid, too little for marketplace subsidies. Community health centers and charity care are often the only options for people in that gap.
TANF, Energy Help, WIC, School Meals, Childcare, and Legal Aid
Beyond SNAP and Medicaid, Texas runs a patchwork of programs with their own income ceilings.
TANF Cash Assistance
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is one of the most restrictive programs in the country. The income limit in Texas is pegged at roughly 17% of the federal poverty level, meaning only families with almost no income qualify.4Texas Health and Human Services. A-1340, Income Limits
LIHEAP Energy Assistance
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps cover heating and cooling bills, and in Texas households earning up to 150% of the federal poverty guidelines qualify.7The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories A family of four hits that ceiling at $49,500 in 2026. LIHEAP also covers crisis situations like a shutoff or a broken furnace.
WIC and School Meals
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children uses 185% of the federal poverty guidelines, about $61,050 for a family of four in 2026. School meals follow a similar pattern: children in households at or below 130% of FPL qualify for free meals, and those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price meals.8Food and Nutrition Service. Child Nutrition Programs – Income Eligibility Guidelines (2025-2026) For a family of four, the free-meal cutoff is about $42,900 and the reduced-price cutoff is about $61,050.
Childcare Subsidies
Texas childcare assistance through the Texas Workforce Commission uses yet another benchmark: 85% of State Median Income. For the contract year ending September 2025, a family of three qualifies with annual income up to $73,694, and a family of four up to $87,731.9Texas Workforce Commission. Board Contract Year 2025 Income Limit Eligibility Code Card for Child Care Services The parent’s share of cost is capped at 7% of family income regardless of how many children are in care.10Texas Workforce Commission. WD Letter 11-25
Legal Aid
Legal Services Corporation-funded organizations in Texas set their income ceiling at 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for civil legal help.11eCFR. Part 1611 – Financial Eligibility For a single person in 2026, that’s $19,950; for a family of four, $41,250. Legal aid covers civil matters such as eviction defense, family law, and benefit denials. Criminal cases go through the public defender or appointed-counsel system instead.
Asset Limits
Income is not the only test. Several programs cap how much you can hold in countable assets. Supplemental Security Income limits countable resources to $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple in 2026.12Social Security Administration. 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet SNAP allows $3,000 in countable resources for most households, rising to $4,500 when at least one member is 60 or older or has a disability.13Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Special Rules for the Elderly or Disabled
Your home, most retirement accounts, and SSI or TANF resources don’t count toward these caps. The SSI resource limits have not been adjusted for inflation in decades, so modest savings can disqualify people who otherwise meet the income test. If you’re near the line, map out which of your assets count before you apply.
Federal Tax Credits Worth Claiming
Texas has no state income tax, so federal tax credits are where low-income Texans can see real money back. Two credits matter most.
The Earned Income Tax Credit is refundable and phases out as income rises. For 2026, the maximum credit ranges from $664 for workers without children up to $8,231 for families with three or more children. A single parent with two children can earn up to $58,629 and still receive a partial credit; married joint filers with two children can earn up to $65,899. Childless workers face a much tighter window and lose eligibility above $19,540 for single filers.
The Child Tax Credit provides up to $2,000 per qualifying child under 17, with phase-outs starting at $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for joint filers.14Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit The refundable portion is smaller, but even families that owe little or no tax can still receive some benefit. Many Texans who qualify as low income for assistance programs also qualify for both credits, and filing a return to claim them is worth doing even if you aren’t otherwise required to file.
How the Numbers Compare for a Family of Four
The ceilings for a family of four in 2026 across the main programs:
- TANF cash assistance: roughly 17% of FPL, about $5,610
- Legal aid: 125% of FPL, $41,250
- Free school meals: 130% of FPL, about $42,900
- LIHEAP energy assistance: 150% of FPL, $49,500
- SNAP food benefits: 165% of FPL gross income, about $54,450
- WIC and reduced-price meals: 185% of FPL, about $61,050
- HUD low income in Houston: 80% of AMI, $80,900
- Childcare subsidy: 85% of State Median Income, $87,731
The spread is wide. A four-person household earning $50,000 would qualify as low income for housing and childcare help, would be eligible for SNAP and LIHEAP, and would get free school meals for the children, but would sit well above the ceiling for TANF or legal aid. No single number defines low income in Texas. The answer always depends on which door you’re knocking on.