OH · benefits by state
Ohio benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
Ohio removed the SNAP savings test but kept the strict 130% income line, so earnings matter far more than a bank balance here.
Federal and Ohio 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
- $2,960/mo
- 130% of poverty (BBCE)
- Medicaid, single adult
- $1,835/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $4,803/mo
- 211% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $39,450 to $70,500
- 88 counties or towns, FY 2026
Ohio SNAP is decided almost entirely by income: the state uses broad-based categorical eligibility to drop the asset test, yet it keeps the gross income line at 130% of the poverty guideline, $1,729 a month for one person and $2,960 for three in fiscal year 2027. A single worker in Columbus earning $1,700 and paying $850 in rent, with $8,000 in savings, still qualifies for about $193 a month, helped by Ohio's heating and cooling allowance of $766; a raise to $1,800 would end the benefit. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services runs the program. On health coverage Ohio took the Medicaid expansion, so adults qualify up to 138% of poverty ($1,835 a month alone), children up to 211% and pregnant women up to 205%, all handled by the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
Household income in Ohio
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $766 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsOhio: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 211% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $4,803/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 savings account does not count, a small raise does
Most states that switch off the SNAP asset test also raise the gross income line, often to 200% of poverty. Ohio did only the first half. Its broad-based rule, listed in the USDA chart of state options, waives the $3,000 resource limit for every household while the gross test stays at 130%, the same $1,729 a month for one person that a state without the option would apply. The net income test is skipped for households that pass that gross line.
Take the Columbus worker from the summary. $1,700 of wages sits $29 below the limit. After the 20% earned income deduction ($340), the standard deduction ($217) and a shelter deduction that hits the $769 cap once rent and the $766 allowance are added, net income comes to $374, and the estimate is $193 of the $306 maximum. The $8,000 in the bank changes nothing. Raise the paycheck to $1,800, though, and gross income passes $1,729: the result drops to $0, with no phase-out in between. A worker close to the line should report income carefully and ask the county office how overtime months are averaged. Run your own numbers with the SNAP calculator.
Two groups escape the cliff under federal rules. A household with a member aged 60 or older or disabled skips the gross test and is judged on net income, and a household where everyone receives SSI or TANF cash is eligible by that fact alone.
Medicaid lines that run high for children
Ohio lists no separate CHIP name: children are covered through Medicaid up to 206% of the guideline, 211% once the 5% disregard is added. Picture a Cleveland mother of three earning $4,300 a month. Her household of four sits at 156% of poverty, so the children remain eligible, while she does not, the adult line being $3,795 a month for four. Her coverage then comes from HealthCare.gov, the marketplace Ohio uses for 2026, with the premium tax credit calculated on the 2025 guideline. Pregnancy coverage reaches 205%, $3,696 a month for a woman expecting one child.
211% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
211% of poverty, per year
$57,645
| Per month | $4,804 |
| Per week | $1,109 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
From Union County to the Ohio Valley
HUD spreads Ohio's 88 counties over 68 areas. The very low income limit for four peaks at $70,500 in Union County, northwest of Columbus, and bottoms out at $39,450 in Belmont County, which HUD groups with Wheeling across the river. The three big metros land in between: $55,750 in Franklin County (Columbus), $54,950 in Hamilton County (Cincinnati) and $52,500 in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland). Applications go to the local public housing agency, not to the state.
Every neighbor drew the SNAP line differently: Pennsylvania, Michigan and Kentucky test income at 200%, and Indiana matches Ohio's 130% but keeps a $5,000 asset limit.
SNAP rules in Ohio, FY 2027
Run by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services · apply online. All households: gross income up to 130% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit.
| Household | Gross income limit | Net income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,729 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 | $2,345 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 | $2,960 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 | $3,575 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $4,191 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $4,806 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $5,421 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $6,037 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $766 | $479 | $46 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in Ohio
Ohio covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Agency: Ohio Department of Medicaid · 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 | 205% | Medicaid | $3,696 | $4,667 | $5,637 |
| Babies under 1 | 211% | Medicaid | $3,805 | $4,803 | $5,802 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 211% | Medicaid | $3,805 | $4,803 | $5,802 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 211% | Medicaid | $3,805 | $4,803 | $5,802 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Ohio
HUD sets the limits for each of the 88 counties or towns of Ohio (68 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $39,450 (Belmont County) to $70,500 (Union County).
Adams County, OH: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $39,500 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $27,320 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $39,500 |
| Low income (80%) | $63,150 |
| 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.