What Is Low Income in Virginia: SNAP, Medicaid, and Housing Limits

In Virginia, there is no single dollar figure that defines low income. Each assistance program sets its own ceiling, and those ceilings run off one of two yardsticks: the Federal Poverty Level, which for 2025 is $15,650 for a single person and $32,150 for a family of four,¹ or the Area Median Income, which HUD recalculates for each metro area and county. Whether your household counts as low income depends entirely on which program you’re asking about. A family that earns too much for food stamps may still qualify for energy assistance, a housing voucher, or the state’s low-income tax credit.

The Two Yardsticks Virginia Uses

The Federal Poverty Level is a flat national figure published each year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It rises with household size but doesn’t change based on where you live in the continental United States. SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and energy assistance all express their cutoffs as a percentage of this number. A program set at 200 percent of the poverty level caps eligibility at $31,300 for one person or $64,300 for a family of four.¹

Area Median Income works differently. HUD builds it from Census Bureau household income surveys and adjusts it for each metropolitan area and county.² A family of four in Richmond faces a different set of limits than the same family in Arlington. HUD sorts households into tiers: 80 percent of AMI is “low income,” 50 percent is “very low income,” and 30 percent is “extremely low income.” Those tiers drive eligibility for public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and other federally funded rental assistance.

SNAP Food Assistance

Virginia’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program uses broad-based categorical eligibility, which sets the gross income ceiling at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level rather than the 130 percent some other states use.³ The current monthly gross income limits are:

1 person: $2,608
2 people: $3,525
3 people: $4,441
4 people: $5,358
5 people: $6,275
Each additional person: add $916

Gross income is everything your household earns before taxes or deductions. If you clear that first hurdle, you move to a net income test that subtracts allowable deductions like shelter costs and dependent care; the net limit is 100 percent of the poverty level.³

Federal legislation signed in mid-2025 expanded SNAP work requirements and narrowed eligibility for certain non-citizens. The USDA is still issuing guidance, so Virginia’s implementation of these changes may continue to shift.⁴

Medicaid for Adults

Virginia expanded Medicaid in 2019, opening coverage to adults aged 19 through 64 who earn less than 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. For 2026, the limits are:⁵

1 person: $22,025 per year ($1,836/month)
2 people: $29,864 per year ($2,489/month)
3 people: $37,702 per year ($3,142/month)
4 people: $45,540 per year ($3,795/month)

Children

Children qualify at higher income levels than adults. Virginia runs two tiers: Medicaid for Children covers lower-income families, and the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security program (FAMIS) picks up children in families that earn too much for Medicaid but can’t afford private insurance. For a family of four, Medicaid for Children reaches $48,840 a year, and FAMIS extends to $67,650.⁶

Pregnant Women

Medicaid for Pregnant Women covers household income up to 143 percent of the poverty level. FAMIS MOMS extends to 205 percent, which works out to roughly $63,960 a year for a household of four.⁷

Housing Vouchers and HUD Income Tiers

Housing assistance runs on an entirely different track. Instead of the Federal Poverty Level, the Housing Choice Voucher Program uses HUD’s Area Median Income figures.² Because AMI reflects local economic conditions, the dollar amounts that count as low income look very different across the state.

For a family of four under FY2025 limits:⁸

Richmond metro: Low income (80% AMI) = $90,800; very low income (50% AMI) = $56,750; extremely low income (30% AMI) = $34,050
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro: Low income (80% AMI) = $106,800; very low income (50% AMI) = $81,950; extremely low income (30% AMI) = $49,150

A household earning $50,000 might qualify as very low income in Northern Virginia but sit above the threshold in Richmond. Federal law requires that at least 75 percent of new voucher admissions go to families at or below 30 percent of AMI, so local housing authorities prioritize the most financially strained applicants. Wait lists in high-demand areas can run years, and many housing authorities close their lists periodically.

Energy Assistance

Virginia’s energy assistance program, funded through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), uses the more generous of two tests: 150 percent of the poverty level or 60 percent of the state median income.⁹ In Virginia, 60 percent of state median income produces the higher number, so that’s the effective ceiling.

For federal fiscal year 2026:¹⁰

1 person: $43,420
2 people: $56,780
3 people: $70,140
4 people: $83,500

Those ceilings sit well above SNAP and Medicaid levels, so a household that doesn’t qualify for food or health benefits may still get help with heating and cooling bills. Virginia offers fuel assistance for regular heating costs, crisis assistance for emergencies like a utility shutoff, and cooling assistance in summer.

Virginia’s Low-Income Tax Credit

Virginia offers a state income tax credit for low-income residents under Code section 58.1-339.8. You pick whichever of two options gives you more:¹¹

If your family’s total Virginia adjusted gross income is at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, you get a $300 credit for each person in your household (yourself, your spouse, and each dependent).
If you qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, you can instead claim a Virginia credit equal to 20 percent of your federal EITC amount.

Both are nonrefundable: they can reduce your Virginia income tax to zero but won’t generate a refund beyond that. Virginia briefly offered a refundable version for tax years 2022 through 2024, but that provision expired for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.¹¹

TANF Cash Assistance

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides direct cash payments to families with children facing severe hardship. The income ceilings are far lower than for SNAP. The State Board of Social Services sets “Standards of Assistance” that vary by household size and are further split into two locality groups to reflect regional shelter cost differences: localities with higher housing costs use one standard, those with lower costs use another.¹²¹³ Because TANF targets the most financially strained households, these ceilings typically represent a small fraction of the federal poverty level. Applicants must also have a minor child in the home and meet work participation requirements.

How to Apply and Report Changes

Virginia consolidates most benefit applications through its CommonHelp portal at commonhelp.virginia.gov.¹⁴ One application covers SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, FAMIS, child care assistance, and energy assistance. You can also check eligibility before applying, renew existing benefits, and report income or household changes.

For health coverage questions, CoverVA takes calls at (855) 242-8282. For other benefit programs, the Enterprise Call Center is (833) 522-5582. You can also walk into your local Department of Social Services office. Report income changes promptly: if your household income rises above a program’s limit, you generally have until 10 days into the following month to notify the agency, and missing that window can create overpayment debts you’ll be required to repay.

One boundary worth noting on who any of these programs reach: immigration status affects eligibility for most of them. Federal law generally limits SNAP and TANF to U.S. citizens and certain lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees, often with a five-year waiting period after a green card is issued. The 2025 federal legislation narrowed these categories further. Medicaid and FAMIS have separate non-citizen rules that tend to be broader for children and pregnant women.

1
ASPE. 2025 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States
2
HUD User. Methodology for Calculating FY 2025 Medians
3
Virginia Department of Social Services. SNAP Eligibility Standards, Volume V Part XI
4
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
5
CoverVA. Adults 19-64 Years Old
6
CoverVA. Medicaid for Children and FAMIS
7
Virginia Department of Health. Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women
8
HUD User. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Virginia
9
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories
10
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Virginia State Median Income for FFY 2026
11
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-339.8 – Income Tax Credit for Low-Income Taxpayers
12
Virginia Department of Social Services. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
13
DSS.Virginia.Gov. TANF Guidance Manual – Section 304.1 Standards of Assistance
14
Virginia CommonHelp. Virginia CommonHelp