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California SNAP income limits 2026–2027

Short answer: In California, a household can get SNAP with gross income up to about $2,660 a month for 1 person or about $5,500 for a family of 4 (200% of the poverty line), from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. The most a family of 4 can get is $1,023 a month.

In California, SNAP is called CalFresh. Here is the full chart by household size, which limit applies to you, and how your income is counted.

California SNAP income chart

Monthly amounts, October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. We worked out the 200% amounts from the federal poverty guidelines, so California’s own chart may differ by a dollar or two.
People in household	Gross income limit (200%)	Net income limit (100%)	Most you can get
1	$2,660	$1,330	$306
2	$3,607	$1,804	$562
3	$4,554	$2,277	$808
4	$5,500	$2,750	$1,023
5	$6,447	$3,224	$1,217
6	$7,394	$3,697	$1,463
7	$8,340	$4,170	$1,616
8	$9,287	$4,644	$1,841
Each extra person	+$947	+$474	+$225

Which limit applies to you

Most households: if your gross income (before taxes) is at or under the highlighted column, you can usually qualify. California uses a rule called broad-based categorical eligibility, so there is no separate net income test. California has no limit on savings for most households.
Someone 60 or older or with a disability? If your gross income is over the limit, you can still qualify when your net income is under the net column.
How much you get depends on your net income. Near the top of the limit, some households get a small amount or nothing.

How income is counted

Gross income is all the money your household gets in a month before taxes: wages, tips, gig and self-employment earnings (after business costs), Social Security, SSI, unemployment, child support you receive, and similar income. Loans you have to pay back, most grants and scholarships used for school, and the earnings of children under 18 who are in school don’t count.

Net income is gross income minus these deductions:

20% of your earnings. If you earn $1,000 from work, $200 comes off.
A standard deduction everyone gets: $217 for 1 to 3 people, $229 for 4 people, $268 for 5 people, $308 for 6 or more people.
Child or dependent care you pay so you can work, look for work or go to school.
Child support you’re legally required to pay to someone outside your home.
Medical costs over $35 a month for anyone 60 or older or with a disability.
High housing costs. Rent or mortgage plus utilities above half your income after the other deductions, up to $769 a month. There is no cap if someone is 60 or older or has a disability.

Your benefit is the most you can get for your household size, minus 30% of your net income.

Example: one person earns $1,200 a month and pays $700 for rent and utilities. Take off 20% of earnings ($240) and the $217 standard deduction: $743 is left. Housing costs above half of that ($371.50) come off too, which is $328.50. Net income is $414.50. Thirty percent of that, rounded up, is $125, so the benefit is about $306 − $125 = $181 a month. Your state’s utility allowance and your real bills will change the number.

Income limits and the 80-hour rule

Meeting the income limit is one part of SNAP. If you’re 18–64, able to work, and don’t have a child under 14 at home, you also need 80 hours a month of work, volunteering or job training, or an exemption, or SNAP stops after 3 months in 3 years. Working 30 hours a week already exempts you from the general work rules. The 80-hour rule in California · Am I exempt?

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Questions people in California ask

What is the SNAP income limit for 1 person in California?

About $2,660 a month in gross income, before taxes, from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. If you’re 60 or older or have a disability and your income is higher, you can still qualify with net income under $1,330.

What is the food stamp income limit for a family of 4 in California?

About $5,500 a month in gross income. The most a family of 4 can get is $1,023 a month.

What are the California SNAP income limits for 2027?

The limits on this page run from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, which is the federal 2027 budget year. USDA sets new limits every October, so the next change is October 1, 2027.

Is there an asset limit for SNAP in California?

California has no limit on savings for most households. Your home and retirement accounts don’t count.

I’m over the income limit. Can I still get SNAP in California?

Maybe. If someone in your home is 60 or older or has a disability, only net income has to be under the limit, and deductions for rent, utilities, child care and medical costs can bring it down a lot. You have the right to apply even if you think you earn too much, and the state has to decide.

SNAP income limits in every state · California work requirements · Hours for food stamps

These are USDA’s SNAP limits for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, last checked October 28, 2026. State rules come from USDA’s June 2026 chart and can change. This is not legal advice and my80hours is not a government site. Your state makes the final decision, so apply if you’re not sure, and follow the notices your state sends you.

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