AK · benefits by state
Alaska benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
Alaska has its own poverty guideline, three SNAP allotment zones and six utility regions, so the same paycheck buys very different help in Anchorage and in a village off the road system.
Federal and Alaska figures read on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- SNAP maximum, 4 people
- $1,306
- FY 2027, from October 1, 2026 (urban Alaska)
- SNAP gross income limit, 3 people
- $5,692/mo
- 200% of poverty (BBCE)
- Medicaid, single adult
- $2,294/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $5,919/mo
- 208% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $52,950 to $73,100
- 30 counties or towns, FY 2026
Alaska does not use the poverty guideline of the other states: HHS sets a higher one, $41,250 a year for four people in 2026 against $33,000 elsewhere, and every Alaska figure is built on it. SNAP, run by the Division of Public Assistance, tests gross income at 200% of that line, $6,875 a month for four in fiscal year 2027, with no asset limit. The maximum allotment for four is $1,306 in urban areas and climbs to $2,027 in rural 2 areas. A family of four earning $3,800 with $1,100 rent would get about $612 in Anchorage and $1,475 in a rural 2 village of the Southwest utility region. Alaska expanded Medicaid: a single adult qualifies up to $2,294 a month, and Denali KidCare covers children up to 208% of poverty, $5,919 a month for a family of three.
Household income in Alaska
84% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $34,150 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $591 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$842/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsAlaska: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,927/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 208% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $5,919/mo
- Marketplace premium tax creditAmount depends on the benchmark premium where you liveMedicaid comes first86% of 2025 FPL
- Earned income tax credit (2026)2 qualifying children, single or head of householdCredit at tax time$6,282/yr
- WIC (pregnancy or a child under 5)Nutrition risk is assessed at the WIC clinicWithin 185% of povertylimit $50,542/yr
- Section 8 housing voucherLimits are set by county: check yours in the Section 8 lookup.
A first screening under each program's published 2026 rules; every agency counts income and household its own way and decides on your application. How this is calculated.
Three allotment zones and a larger deduction
The USDA publishes separate SNAP figures for urban Alaska, rural 1 and rural 2 (FY 2027 COLA memo). For four people the monthly maximum runs $1,306, $1,666 and $2,027, the higher two applying to more remote communities. Deductions are Alaskan too: the standard deduction is $371 for a household of four instead of $229 in the lower 48, and the cap on the excess shelter deduction is $1,229. The Division of Public Assistance decides which zone your community belongs to; this page does not assign villages.
Six utility regions, from $517 to $1,107
Most states have a single heating and cooling allowance. Alaska's table has six regional rows (USDA SUA table): Central $625, Northern $825, Northwest $1,107, Southcentral $591, Southeast $517, Southwest $1,064. The Northwest figure is 2.1 times the Southeast one. The allowance enters the shelter deduction, so each extra dollar of it adds about 30 cents of SNAP once shelter costs pass half of adjusted income, as long as the deduction stays under its cap.
Here is how far apart two identical families land. Each has $3,800 of wages, four members and $1,100 of rent. In Anchorage, Southcentral utilities of $591 bring shelter costs to $1,691, the shelter deduction is $357, net income $2,313, and the urban maximum of $1,306 minus $694 leaves $612. In the rural 2 village with the Southwest allowance of $1,064, the deduction grows to $830, net income falls to $1,840, and the $2,027 maximum yields $1,475: $863 more per month for the same paycheck. Both pass the 200% gross line of $6,875 easily. Our SNAP calculator lets you pick the zone.
Medicaid on the Alaska guideline
Alaska covers expansion adults at the usual 133% plus the 5% disregard, but on the Alaska guideline that means $2,294 a month for one person, against $1,835 for the same percentage in Arizona. A deckhand earning $2,500 a month is at 150% of poverty, just above the adult group, and would look at the premium tax credit on HealthCare.gov instead. Children up to 19 stay on Medicaid itself, under the Denali KidCare name, to 208% of poverty; pregnant women qualify to 205%, $4,621 a month counted as two (Denali KidCare).
208% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
208% of poverty, per year
$56,826
| Per month | $4,735 |
| Per week | $1,093 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
Housing limits by borough
HUD treats each of the 30 boroughs and census areas as its own area. For a family of four, the very low income limit is $73,100 in Denali Borough, $68,750 in Juneau, $67,550 in Anchorage and $58,150 in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, with Aleutians East Borough and several census areas at $52,950. For comparison with the other state on its own guideline, see Hawaii; Washington is the nearest lower-48 state.
SNAP rules in Alaska, FY 2027
Run by the Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance · apply online. All households: gross income up to 200% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit.
| Household | Gross income limit | Net income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3,325 | $1,663 | $392 |
| 2 | $4,509 | $2,255 | $718 |
| 3 | $5,692 | $2,846 | $1,032 |
| 4 | $6,875 | $3,438 | $1,306 |
| 5 | $8,059 | $4,030 | $1,555 |
| 6 | $9,242 | $4,621 | $1,868 |
| 7 | $10,425 | $5,213 | $2,064 |
| 8 | $11,609 | $5,805 | $2,352 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | $625 | none | $26 |
| Northern | $825 | none | $35 |
| Northwest | $1,107 | none | $37 |
| Southcentral | $591 | none | $27 |
| Southeast | $517 | none | $36 |
| Southwest | $1,064 | none | $36 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in Alaska
Alaska covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called Denali KidCare. Agency: Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance · apply. Marketplace for 2026: HealthCare.gov.
| Group | Limit (% of poverty) | Program | 1 or 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 19 to 64 without children | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $2,294 | $3,927 | $4,743 |
| Parents and caretakers | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $3,110 | $3,927 | $4,743 |
| Pregnant women | 205% | Medicaid | $4,621 | $5,833 | $7,046 |
| Babies under 1 | 208% | Medicaid | $4,688 | $5,919 | $7,150 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 208% | Medicaid | $4,688 | $5,919 | $7,150 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 208% | Medicaid | $4,688 | $5,919 | $7,150 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Alaska
HUD sets the limits for each of the 30 counties or towns of Alaska (30 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $52,950 (Aleutians East Borough) to $73,100 (Denali Borough).
Aleutians East Borough, AK: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $47,650 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $34,150 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $47,650 |
| Low income (80%) | $76,250 |
| Your band | Extremely low income (30%) |
| Adjusted income after HUD deductions | $29,500 a year |
| Estimated tenant payment (30% of adjusted income) | $738 a month |
HUD FY 2026 limits (effective May 1, 2026) and 2026 deductions ($500 per dependent, $550 for an elderly or disabled family). The housing authority decides, and most have waiting lists. How this is calculated.