July 2nd, 2022 Which State has the Highest SNAP Income Limit? A 50 State Ranking
Note: While our screener is often updated, these blog posts might not be, so some of this information may no longer be accurate. The infomation below is for general informational purposes and should not be relied upon for guidance about your specific SNAP situation. Please refer to official USDA materials or your state website for official SNAP information.
50 State Ranking
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While the federal government sets the federal SNAP policy rules, states can use other eligibility programs to effectively raise income limits and remove assets tests. Best case scenario, states can raise the income limit for SNAP from 130% to 200% FPL (Federal Poverty Level) and completely remove the asset test. Additionally, states can choose to remove the net income test from eligibility criteria.
The following table ranks each state on how generous their eligibility criteria is -- where you can have the most income and highest assets while still being eligible for SNAP. It's a general ranking of in which states it's easiest to get SNAP benefits, and given that one could have high income and low assets, or low income and high assets, based on an individuals situation a personalized ranking would vary.
Additionally, the table below has nothing to do with SNAP benefit amounts. In fact, the factors that determine whether one would be eligible for SNAP (like the states gross income limit and asset limit) have very little to do with the states allowable net income deductions -- what types of expenses are allowed to be deducted from your income. As SNAP benefit amounts are entirely based on net income, even states that rank highly here could give relatively lower benefit amounts for the same household -- see our 50 State Benefit Map for more information.
| Rank | State | Income Limit | Asset Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 200% | None |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 200% | None |
| 3 | Florida | 200% | None |
| 4 | Hawaii | 200% | None |
| 5 | Kentucky | 200% | None |
| 6 | Maryland | 200% | None |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 200% | None |
| 8 | Montana | 200% | None |
| 9 | Nevada | 200% | None |
| 10 | North Carolina | 200% | None |
| 11 | Oregon | 200% | None |
| 12 | Virginia | 200% | None |
| 13 | Washington | 200% | None |
| 14 | West Virginia | 200% | None |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 200% | None |
| 16 | California | 200% | None |
| 17 | Colorado | 200% | None |
| 18 | North Dakota | 200% | None |
| 19 | Michigan | 200% | $15,000 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 185% | None |
| 21 | Arizona | 185% | None |
| 22 | Connecticut | 185% | None |
| 23 | Maine | 185% | None |
| 24 | New Jersey | 185% | None |
| 25 | Vermont | 185% | None |
| 26 | New York | 200% | None |
| 27 | Virgin Islands | 175% | None |
| 28 | Illinois | 165% | None |
| 29 | Nebraska | 165% | $25,000 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | 160% | None |
| 31 | New Hampshire | 185% | None |
| 32 | Guam | 165% | None |
| 33 | Minnesota | 165% | None |
| 34 | New Mexico | 165% | None |
| 35 | Iowa | 160% | None |
| 36 | Oklahoma | 130% | None |
| 37 | Louisiana | 130% | None |
| 38 | Ohio | 130% | None |
| 39 | Alabama | 130% | None |
| 40 | Georgia | 130% | None |
| 41 | South Carolina | 130% | None |
| 42 | Texas | 165% | $5,000 |
| 43 | Indiana | 130% | $5,000 |
| 44 | Idaho | 130% | $5,000 |
| 45 | Alaska | 130% | $2,500 |
| 46 | Arkansas | 130% | $2,500 |
| 47 | Kansas | 130% | $2,500 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 130% | $2,500 |
| 49 | Missouri | 130% | $2,500 |
| 50 | South Dakota | 130% | $2,500 |
| 51 | Tennessee | 130% | $2,500 |
| 52 | Utah | 130% | $2,500 |
| 53 | Wyoming | 130% | $2,500 |
While New York and New Hampshire have high income limits for those with dependents, households without dependents must meet significantly lower income limits.
For states that are tied, whether the state has a strict net income test, more generous criteria for households that have someone who is 60+ or has a disability, or better child support treatment options was used as a tiebreaker. However, states that appear identical in the metrics listed in the chart would likely have a 99% overlap in eligibility clients in practice, with all the non-BBCE states (those with $2,500 asset limits) being essentially identical.
There may be other factors that make SNAP eligibility more limiting in some states that aren't accounted for here.
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