Texas runs the country's second-largest SNAP caseload through the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). The state also does things a little differently from the coastal states most articles describe.
The Lone Star State screens applicants at 165% of the federal poverty level. That is higher than the federal 130% standard and lower than the 200% screen most BBCE states use. Unlike most states, Texas still applies an asset test.
That combination matters for real families. A single parent in San Antonio earning $3,900 a month sits just over the family-of-three gross limit of $3,757.
Her deductions strategy matters from day one. A retired couple with $40,000 in savings passes every income test but fails the resource check. Neither outcome is obvious from national SNAP guides, which is why this page exists.
Below you will find the actual FY2027 Texas numbers. That covers income limits by household size, the $5,000 asset rule, benefit amounts, and the Lone Star Card deposit schedule.
Want a quick estimate first? The Texas SNAP calculator on this site runs your numbers in seconds. After the numbers, you get the application walkthrough for YourTexasBenefits.
Texas SNAP at a Glance
Texas screens gross income at 165% FPL ($2,195 for one person, $4,538 for four) and nets at 100% FPL. Most households face an asset test of $5,000. The maximum benefit is $1,023 for a family of four.
Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com or call 2-1-1. Texas must decide within 30 days, or 7 days for expedited cases. Benefits land monthly on the Lone Star Card.
Texas SNAP Income Limits for FY 2027
Texas HHSC publishes its gross income screen at 165% of the federal poverty guidelines. The Texas Legislature set that level to help working families while keeping the state's asset rules intact. The figures below come straight from the HHSC SNAP page and apply from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
Source: Texas HHSC and USDA FNS FY2027 standards. Households with a member who is 60+ or receiving disability benefits skip the gross screen and face only the net test.
How does 165% compare with the rest of the country? Most BBCE states screen at 200%, and Virginia's table starts at $2,608 for one person. States without expanded eligibility hold the federal 130% line of $1,729.
Texas sits deliberately in the middle. It is more generous than the strictest states, but it pairs that with a resource test most of them dropped.
The Asset Test Still Applies in Texas
This is the single biggest difference between Texas and most states. Texas does not use broad-based categorical eligibility for the general caseload, so applicants must pass a resource test. Countable assets include cash, money in checking and savings accounts, stocks, and certain vehicles.
Texas raised its standard to $5,000 for most households, more generous than the federal baseline of $3,000. Households with a member who is 60 or older or disabled fall under the federal $4,500 standard instead.
Plenty of property never counts against you. Your home and the lot it sits on are excluded, and so are retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs. The value of your primary vehicle is excluded up to its fair market value in most cases.
Personal belongings, life insurance, and burial plots do not count either. The test mostly catches liquid savings, like a tax refund that sat in the account, an inheritance, or a settlement.
That is why a family with $12,000 in the bank can be denied in Texas and approved in Virginia. The savings balance, not the family, made the difference.
Vehicle rule in plain English
Texas excludes most household vehicles from the resource count, and a second vehicle generally counts only above the federal equity threshold. Work-related vehicles get favorable treatment. Report your vehicles honestly and let the worker apply the exclusions.
Deductions: The Federal List Applies
Once you clear the gross screen, Texas applies the standard federal deduction set with no state tweaks. That starts with the 20% earned income deduction off wages and self-employment.
The standard deduction is $217 for one-to-three-person households, $229 for four, $268 for five, and $308 for six or more. Texas also allows dependent care costs and court-ordered child support paid out.
Out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 for elderly or disabled members are deductible too. So are excess shelter costs above half your adjusted income, capped at $769 unless someone is elderly or disabled.
Texas summers make the utility standard worth understanding. If you pay for heating or cooling separately from rent, the standard boosts your shelter deduction. In a state where August electric bills routinely cross $250, that single line item can raise a benefit meaningfully.
If heat is bundled into your rent, a smaller utility standard applies. Report your electric bill either way. HHSC asks for it on the application for exactly this reason.
How Much Will a Texas Household Receive?
Benefit amounts follow the federal allotment table, because Texas does not supplement the federal maximums. The formula is the same everywhere: maximum allotment minus 30% of net income. A Houston family of four with zero net income gets $1,023.
The same family with $800 net income after deductions gets about $754. One- and two-person households never fall below the $25 minimum benefit if they qualify at all.
Worked Example: Dallas Family of 3
- Earned income: $3,200 a month, which passes the $3,757 gross screen
- 20% earned deduction: minus $640, leaving $2,560
- Standard deduction: minus $217, leaving $2,343
- Childcare so mom can work: minus $450, leaving $1,893
- Excess shelter (rent and utilities above half of adjusted income): minus $450, net income near $1,443
- Benefit: $808 maximum minus 30% of $1,443, about $433, for roughly $375 a month on the Lone Star Card
How to Apply for SNAP in Texas
Texas funnels everything through one system, and the interview is mandatory. Plan for it before you start.
The Lone Star Card and Deposit Timing
Texas issues benefits on the Lone Star Card, a plastic EBT card that works like a debit card. It is accepted at grocery stores, supermarkets, and participating farmers markets. Deposits land once a month over the first 15 days.
Your exact date is tied to the last digit of your Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) case number. The schedule is published on the HHSC site, and our SNAP payment schedule guide explains the logic. Unused balances roll over month to month while your case stays open.
Check your balance through the YourTexasBenefits app, the YourTexasBenefits.com portal, or the customer service number on the back of the card. SNAP dollars buy groceries, seeds, and food-bearing plants. They do not buy hot prepared foods, alcohol, vitamins, or household supplies.
Texas does not participate in a statewide Restaurant Meals Program. The hot-food restriction has no exceptions here.
Work Rules in Texas
Texas enforces the federal ABAWD time limit for adults 18 to 64 without children under 14 at home. The limit is three months of benefits in any 36-month period. It pauses when the adult works or trains at least 80 hours a month.
The 2025 federal law widened that age band from 18-54 to 18-64. It also removed the old blanket exemptions for veterans and homeless adults. Parents with a child under 14, pregnant women, and people with documented medical conditions remain exempt.
Texas also runs its own broader work requirement for most other adults on SNAP. Expect a work-registration step during the interview even if you are not an ABAWD. If the three-month clock expires, completing an 80-hour month or joining SNAP Employment Services restores eligibility.
Report any job loss within ten days. The clock can pause before it does real damage.
Texas SNAP FAQ
Related SNAP Guides
- who qualifies for SNAP in 2026 for national eligibility rules
- how SNAP eligibility is determined, the three tests explained
- California food stamp calculator guide for how a 200% state compares
- Other big states: the Florida SNAP calculator and the New York SNAP calculator
- Browse every state on the all states page
Texas's 165% screen is more forgiving than it looks on paper, especially for working families with childcare and utility bills. The asset test still catches people napping.
Run your numbers through the Texas SNAP calculator, gather your documents, and file at YourTexasBenefits. The application date starts the retroactive clock, so the best week to apply is always this one.
