NC · benefits by state
North Carolina benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
North Carolina calls SNAP Food and Nutrition Services and is one of the few states whose utility allowance grows with the size of the household.
Federal and North Carolina 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
- $4,917/mo
- 216% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $39,150 to $66,150
- 100 counties or towns, FY 2026
North Carolina runs SNAP as Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), with broad-based categorical eligibility at 200% of poverty: a household of five can have up to $6,447 of gross income a month in fiscal year 2027, and savings are not tested. Its heating and cooling allowance is set by household size, from $636.74 for one person to $912 for five or more. Two parents in Charlotte with three children, $3,800 of wages and $1,100 of rent would receive about $573 a month; with the one-person allowance the same budget would give $490, so the larger figure is worth $83 to them. NC Medicaid covers adults under the expansion up to $1,835 a month for one person, which includes these parents, and children up to 216% of poverty, $6,962 a month for five.
Household income in North Carolina
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP (Food and Nutrition Services (FNS))FY 2027 amounts; $768 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsNorth Carolina: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 216% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $4,917/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.
An allowance that grows with the family
Most states publish one heating and cooling allowance for everyone. The USDA table gives North Carolina 5 rows by household size (USDA SUA table): $636.74 for 1, $699 for 2, $768 for 3, $837 for 4, $912 for 5 or more, with matching limited allowances from $392 to $564. The Charlotte family shows the effect. Wages of $3,800 minus the earned income deduction ($760) and the standard deduction for five ($268) leave $2,772. Rent plus the five-person allowance is $2,012; the excess over half of that adjusted income, $626, is under the cap of $769 and fully deducted. Net income: $2,146. Allotment: $573. With a one-person allowance, as in a flat-rate state at that level, the result would be $490. Applications go through ePASS or a county social services office.
NC Medicaid after the expansion
The CMS table lists North Carolina with the expansion group at 133% of poverty, 138% with the disregard, while its own parent standard is a dollar amount equal to 36%. For the Charlotte parents, $3,800 a month is 118% of the guideline for five, so they qualify through the adult group. Children are covered by NC Medicaid up to 216% at every age, with no separate CHIP in the table. Pregnant women qualify up to 201%, $3,624 a month for two. Expansion adults face federal work rules from January 1, 2027, described in Medicaid work requirements.
216% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
216% of poverty, per year
$59,011
| Per month | $4,918 |
| Per week | $1,135 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
The Triangle above Charlotte
Wake, Johnston and Franklin counties, the Raleigh area, have North Carolina's highest very low income limit for four, $66,150. Durham County is close at $63,550, while Mecklenburg County, the largest city's county, stands lower at $58,700. Buncombe County around Asheville is at $51,200, Guilford County at $45,750 and the lowest counties, Alleghany among them, at $39,150. For the Charlotte family of five, the very low income line is $63,400 a year and their $45,600 fits under it. If a voucher came through, HUD's formula would set their share of rent at $1,103 a month: 30% of income after the $500 deduction for each of the three children, $1,500 in all. The Section 8 rent guide explains the rest of the formula. Neighbors South Carolina and Tennessee have not expanded Medicaid; Virginia has.
Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) (SNAP) rules in North Carolina, FY 2027
Run by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 member | $636.74 | $392 | $42.11 |
| 2 members | $699 | $431 | $42.11 |
| 3 members | $768 | $474 | $42.11 |
| 4 members | $837 | $518 | $42.11 |
| 5 or more members | $912 | $564 | $42.11 |
NC Medicaid (Medicaid) and CHIP income limits in North Carolina
North Carolina covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Agency: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services · 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) | $1,835 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Parents and caretakers | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $2,488 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Pregnant women | 201% | Medicaid | $3,624 | $4,576 | $5,527 |
| Babies under 1 | 216% | Medicaid | $3,895 | $4,917 | $5,940 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 216% | Medicaid | $3,895 | $4,917 | $5,940 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 216% | Medicaid | $3,895 | $4,917 | $5,940 |
Section 8 income limits by county in North Carolina
HUD sets the limits for each of the 100 counties or towns of North Carolina (83 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $39,150 (Alleghany County) to $66,150 (Franklin County).
Alamance County, NC: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $39,900 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $27,320 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $39,900 |
| Low income (80%) | $63,850 |
| 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.