NM · benefits by state
New Mexico benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
New Mexico gives its youngest children a higher Medicaid line than their older siblings and has the widest gap in housing limits of any state.
Federal and New Mexico 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
- $5,577/mo
- 245% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $36,450 to $85,450
- 33 counties or towns, FY 2026
New Mexico covers children under six in Medicaid up to 305% of poverty but children from six to eighteen only up to 245%, so in a family of three earning $6,000 a month the four-year-old is covered while the ten-year-old is not. The state expanded Medicaid for adults, up to $1,835 a month for one person, and its managed care program is called Turquoise Care. SNAP, run by the same New Mexico Health Care Authority, uses broad-based categorical eligibility at 200% of poverty: $4,554 of gross income a month for three in fiscal year 2027, with no asset test. An Albuquerque mother of two earning $2,700 and paying $1,000 in rent would receive about $359 a month with the state's heating allowance of $419. HUD's voucher lines run from $36,450 to $85,450 for four.
Household income in New Mexico
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $419 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$497/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsNew Mexico: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 245% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $5,577/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.
A Medicaid line that drops at age six
The CMS table gives New Mexico 300% of poverty for babies and children up to five and 240% for school-age children, 305% and 245% with the disregard. There is no separate CHIP in the table, so above the older children's line there is no second program to catch them. For a family of three, the gap is $1,366 a month: $6,943 for the young child, $5,577 for the sibling. The Albuquerque family shows what it means after a raise to $6,000: at 264% of poverty the four-year-old stays on Medicaid and the ten-year-old needs a plan from beWellnm, the state exchange, with the premium tax credit. Pregnant women are covered up to 255%, $4,598 a month for two.
One agency for food and health
The New Mexico Health Care Authority runs both SNAP and Medicaid, and applications for either go through YES New Mexico. Medicaid members are enrolled in Turquoise Care, the name of the managed care program since July 1, 2024 (HCA Turquoise Care page). For the Albuquerque mother at $2,700 a month, the budget runs like this: $540 off for earnings, $217 standard deduction, rent and the heating allowance of $419 producing a shelter deduction of $448, net income of $1,496 and an allotment of $359. She herself, at 119% of poverty, qualifies for Medicaid as a parent under the expansion line. The SNAP calculator reruns the numbers with your own costs.
The high line for young children has a side effect on WIC, which serves children until their fifth birthday. A household enrolled in Medicaid meets the WIC income test automatically, so the Albuquerque family at $72,000 a year, well above the WIC limit of $50,542 for three, can still enroll the four-year-old through the Medicaid card. The WIC limit applies until June 30, 2027; see WIC income guidelines.
245% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
245% of poverty, per year
$66,934
| Per month | $5,578 |
| Per week | $1,287 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
The widest housing gap of any state
Los Alamos County, home to the national laboratory, has a very low income limit for four of $85,450, 2.3 times the $36,450 of Catron County and other rural counties. Santa Fe County is at $54,700, Bernalillo County and Albuquerque at $50,200, Doña Ana County and Las Cruces at $38,850. A family of four earning $60,000 could be eligible in Los Alamos and over the line everywhere else in New Mexico. Neighbors Texas and Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado draw their lines differently.
SNAP rules in New Mexico, FY 2027
Run by the New Mexico Health Care Authority · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $419 | $289 | $51 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in New Mexico
New Mexico covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Agency: New Mexico Health Care Authority · apply. Marketplace for 2026: beWellnm.
| 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 | 255% | Medicaid | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
| Babies under 1 | 305% | Medicaid | $5,500 | $6,943 | $8,387 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 305% | Medicaid | $5,500 | $6,943 | $8,387 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 245% | Medicaid | $4,418 | $5,577 | $6,737 |
Section 8 income limits by county in New Mexico
HUD sets the limits for each of the 33 counties or towns of New Mexico (30 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $36,450 (Catron County) to $85,450 (Los Alamos County).
Bernalillo County, NM: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $45,200 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $27,320 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $45,200 |
| Low income (80%) | $72,300 |
| Your band | Very low income (50%) |
| 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.