CA · benefits by state
California benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
In California the program names change, CalFresh and Medi-Cal, and so does the scale: the Section 8 limit for the same family more than doubles from the Central Valley to the coast.
Federal and California figures read on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- SNAP maximum, 4 people
- $1,023
- FY 2027, from October 1, 2026
- SNAP gross income limit, 3 people
- $4,554/mo
- 200% of poverty (BBCE)
- Medicaid, single adult
- $1,835/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $6,055/mo
- 266% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $48,550 to $108,750
- 58 counties or towns, FY 2026
California runs SNAP as CalFresh and Medicaid as Medi-Cal. CalFresh tests gross income at 200% of the poverty guideline, $4,554 a month for three people in fiscal year 2027, with no asset limit, and uses a heating and cooling allowance of $663. Rents are the problem: a single home health aide in Los Angeles earning $2,100 with $1,500 rent hits the federal cap on the shelter deduction and gets about $97 a month, and a family of three in Oakland on $3,600 with $2,100 rent gets about $239. Medi-Cal covers adults up to $1,835 a month for one person and children up to 266% of poverty inside Medi-Cal itself. Above those lines, Covered California sells Marketplace plans for 2026. Section 8 very low income limits for four range from $48,550 to $108,750 depending on the county.
Household income in California
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP (CalFresh)FY 2027 amounts; $663 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsCalifornia: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 266% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $6,055/mo
- Marketplace premium tax creditAmount depends on the benchmark premium where you liveMedicaid comes first108% 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.
CalFresh when rent outruns the shelter cap
CalFresh subtracts housing costs above half of a household's adjusted income, but for households without an older or disabled member that excess shelter deduction stops at $769 a month in fiscal year 2027 (7 CFR 273.9). In much of coastal California, rent alone passes that point. The Los Angeles aide has $1,463 of income after the earnings and standard deductions; rent plus the $663 utility allowance is $2,163, so the excess would be $1,432, but only $769 counts. Net income lands at $694 and the benefit at $97 of the $306 maximum. The Oakland family is in the same position: an uncapped deduction of $1,432 is cut to $769, leaving $239. Each extra dollar of rent beyond the cap changes nothing, which is why two Californian households with very different housing bills can receive the same CalFresh amount. A member who is 60 or older or disabled removes the cap; see SNAP deductions.
The 200% gross line itself is rarely the obstacle: $2,660 for one person is more than the aide earns. Applications go through BenefitsCal (benefitscal.com), and the California Department of Social Services oversees the program.
Medi-Cal, Covered California and the children's lines
Medi-Cal covers expansion adults to 138% of poverty with the disregard, $1,835 a month for one person in 2026. A barista in Sacramento earning $1,900 is at 143%, above it, and would shop on Covered California, the state-based exchange, with the premium tax credit that starts at 100% of the 2025 guideline ($15,650 a year). Children up to 19 are on Medi-Cal itself to 266%, $6,055 a month for a family of three. CMS adds a footnote: a separate CHIP covers certain children under 2 up to 317% of poverty statewide, and children up to 19 at the same level in three counties only (CMS table, note 6). Pregnant women qualify to 213%, $3,841 a month counted as two.
266% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
266% of poverty, per year
$72,671
| Per month | $6,056 |
| Per week | $1,398 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
The widest Section 8 range on this site
HUD's FY 2026 file splits California into 51 areas over 58 counties. For a family of four, the very low income limit is $108,750 in Santa Cruz County, $105,050 in San Francisco, $87,450 in San Diego County and $83,300 in Los Angeles County. Fresno County, like Kern, Tulare and much of the north, sits at $48,550, the state floor. A family earning $70,000 is therefore eligible for a voucher list in Los Angeles and well over the line in Fresno. Waiting lists are run locally, city by city or county by county. For neighbors, Oregon and Nevada use the same 200% SNAP gross line, and Arizona sizes its utility allowance by household.
CalFresh (SNAP) rules in California, FY 2027
Run by the California Department of Social Services · 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 | $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 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $663 | $170 | $20 |
Medi-Cal (Medicaid) and CHIP income limits in California
California covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. CMS note 6: the separate CHIP in California covers certain children up to age 2 with incomes up to 317% of the FPL statewide, and children up to age 19 up to 317% in three counties only. Agency: California Department of Health Care Services · apply. Marketplace for 2026: Covered California.
| Group | Limit (% of poverty) | Program | 1 or 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 19 to 64 without children | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $1,835 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Parents and caretakers | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $2,488 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Pregnant women | 213% | Medicaid | $3,841 | $4,849 | $5,857 |
| Babies under 1 | 266% | Medicaid | $4,796 | $6,055 | $7,315 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 266% | Medicaid | $4,796 | $6,055 | $7,315 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 266% | Medicaid | $4,796 | $6,055 | $7,315 |
Section 8 income limits by county in California
HUD sets the limits for each of the 58 counties or towns of California (51 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $48,550 (Butte County) to $108,750 (Santa Cruz County).
Alameda County, CA: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $76,400 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $45,850 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $76,400 |
| Low income (80%) | $122,200 |
| 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.