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Free · USDA's calculation

SNAP benefit calculator: estimate your monthly food benefit.

Choose your state, enter your household and monthly income and costs, and see an estimate of your SNAP benefit using USDA's calculation for October 2026 to September 2027.
Paper food coupons in 1, 5 and 10 dollar values beside an early EBT card
Paper food coupons and the EBT card that replaced them

Tool

Estimate your SNAP benefit

Follows USDA's calculation for October 2026 to September 2027. All amounts are per month. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.

Choose your state and enter your income to see an estimate.

An estimate only. Your state may use a set amount for utilities, count income differently, or have an asset limit. Only your state SNAP agency decides whether you qualify and how much you get.

Want to go further? Our free Academy walks you through the application step by step. Open the Academy

How it works

How the numbers are worked out

SNAP expects a household to spend about 30% of its own money on food. Your benefit is the maximum for your household size minus 30% of your net income.

Net income is your gross income minus deductions: 20% of earned income, a standard deduction, child or dependent care you pay so you can work or train, medical costs over $35 a month for a member who is 60 or older or disabled, and housing costs that are more than half of your income after the other deductions.

Maximum monthly benefits for October 2026 to September 2027 in the 48 states and DC are $306 for 1 person, $562 for 2, $808 for 3, $1,023 for 4, $1,217 for 5 and $1,463 for 6.

Free lesson: how your SNAP benefit is worked out

This is an estimate, not a decision. KPCB Edge is an independent publisher, not a government agency, and only the agency that runs the program can decide whether you qualify.

Good to know

Questions about this tool

How accurate is the estimate?

It follows USDA's calculation, but states can differ. Your state may use a set amount for utilities, count income differently, or apply an asset limit. Only your state SNAP agency decides whether you qualify and how much you get.

What is the least I can get?

Households of one or two people who qualify get at least $25 a month.

Does working more reduce my benefit?

The more you earn, the less SNAP you get. Because 20% of earnings is deducted, working more almost always leaves you with more money overall.

Do Alaska and Hawaii use these numbers?

No. Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits and benefits, so a real amount there is likely higher than this estimate.

Do internet bills count as a housing cost?

Not since the 2025 law. Rent or mortgage, property taxes, heating, electricity, water and a basic phone line still count, and some states use a set utility amount instead of your actual bills.

Does SNAP have a time limit?

For some adults, yes. See our SNAP 3-month time limit checker to find out whether it applies to you.

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Benefit finderAnswer a few questions and see which of twelve programs may be worth applying for.Section 8 income limit lookupHUD's income limits for your county and household size, and where your income falls.Section 8 rent calculatorEstimate your share of the rent with a voucher, using HUD's formula.SNAP 3-month time limit checkerSee whether the time limit that changed in 2025 applies to you.

See all free tools

Sources

Where the numbers come from