TN · benefits by state
Tennessee benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
TennCare stops short of the expansion, CoverKids picks up children above Medicaid, and SNAP keeps both the federal savings test and a utility allowance that grows with the family.
Federal and Tennessee 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
- Medicaid, single adult
- not expanded
- no adult group
- Children, family of 3
- $5,805/mo
- 255% of poverty, CHIP
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $39,000 to $58,050
- 95 counties or towns, FY 2026
Tennessee runs Medicaid as TennCare and has not adopted the ACA expansion: parents and caretakers qualify up to 105% of the poverty guideline, about $2,887 a month for a family of four in 2026, and adults without children have no income-based group. Children are covered far higher, by TennCare and then CoverKids, the state CHIP, up to 255% ($7,012 a month for four). SNAP, run by the Tennessee Department of Human Services, uses the federal tests without broad-based categorical eligibility: gross income under $3,575 a month for four, net income under $2,750 and savings under $3,000 in fiscal year 2027. Its heating allowance rises with household size, from $451 for one person to $503 for four. A Knoxville family of four earning $3,000, renting for $1,000 and holding $1,500 in savings would get about $496 a month.
Household income in Tennessee
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $485 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$517/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsTennessee: 105% of the poverty guidelineAbove the limitlimit $2,390/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 255% of the guidelineWithin the CHIP limitlimit $5,805/mo
- Marketplace premium tax creditAmount depends on the benchmark premium where you liveIn the 100% to 400% window108% 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 utility allowance that grows with the household
Most states give every household the same heating and cooling allowance. Tennessee is one of the few with a scale by size in the USDA allowance table: $451 for one person, $503 for four, $568 for eight, and more beyond. For the Knoxville family that means $503 added to its $1,000 rent, $1,503 of shelter costs in all, and a shelter deduction of $418 once half of its adjusted income is set aside. With $600 off for earnings and a standard deduction of $229, net income is $1,754 and the estimate $496 out of the $1,023 maximum. Were the allowance the one-person figure, the benefit would be $481: a modest gap, but one that grows for larger families.
Without broad-based categorical eligibility, Tennessee households face every federal hurdle (7 CFR 273.9): gross income at 130% of poverty, $3,000 against $3,575 here; net income at 100%, $1,754 against $2,750; and resources under $3,000, which the family's $1,500 stays under. A household with a member 60 or older or disabled has a $4,750 limit and no gross test.
TennCare for parents, CoverKids for children
For the same family, health coverage splits. On $3,000 a month the household of four is at 109% of poverty: the parents are above the TennCare limit of $2,887, while the children are covered through CoverKids. CMS lists Tennessee's Medicaid lines for children at 195% for babies, 142% from 1 to 5 and 133% from 6 to 18, with CoverKids above them up to 250% (CoverKids). For a family of three the children's ceiling is $5,805 a month. Pregnant women qualify up to 255%.
A single adult earning less than $15,650 a year gets neither TennCare nor the premium tax credit on HealthCare.gov. Tennessee is one of the 10 states without the expansion; see Medicaid expansion states.
Compare two states for the same household
SNAP gross income limit, Texas / Tennessee
$3,757 / $2,960
| Medicaid, adult in this household | none / none |
| Children 6 to 18 (Medicaid or CHIP) | $4,690 / $5,806 |
| Monthly amounts | FY 2027 SNAP, 2026 guideline |
Nashville at the top, Memphis below the middle
HUD's Tennessee file covers 95 counties in 72 areas. The Nashville metro area holds the highest very low income limit for four, $58,050, shared by Davidson, Cannon County and the other metro counties. Knox County (Knoxville) is at $51,850, Hamilton County (Chattanooga) at $48,700 and Shelby County (Memphis) at $46,350. Benton County is lowest, $39,000.
SNAP rules in Tennessee, FY 2027
Run by the Tennessee Department of Human Services · apply online. Tennessee does not use broad-based categorical eligibility: the federal tests apply (gross income at 130% of the poverty guideline, net income at 100%, assets up to $3,000, or $4,750 with a member 60+ or disabled).
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 members | $451 | $162 | $36 |
| 2 members | $466 | $162 | $36 |
| 3 members | $485 | $162 | $36 |
| 4 members | $503 | $162 | $36 |
| 5 members | $519 | $162 | $36 |
| 6 members | $536 | $162 | $36 |
| 7 members | $551 | $162 | $36 |
| 8 members | $568 | $162 | $36 |
| 9 members | $587 | $162 | $36 |
| 10 or more members | $602 | $162 | $36 |
TennCare (Medicaid) and CHIP income limits in Tennessee
Tennessee has not adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called CoverKids. TennCare covers pregnant women up to 250% of FPL since January 1, 2024 (up from 195%), and parents and caretaker relatives up to 100% of FPL under Amendment 5 approved by CMS on May 17, 2024 (up from a dollar standard near 84%); children and CoverKids (250%) are unchanged. Agency: Division of TennCare · 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 | not covered | – | – | – | – |
| Parents and caretakers | 105% | Medicaid | $1,893 | $2,390 | $2,887 |
| Pregnant women | 255% | Medicaid | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
| Babies under 1 | 255% | CHIP | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 255% | CHIP | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 255% | CHIP | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Tennessee
HUD sets the limits for each of the 95 counties or towns of Tennessee (72 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $39,000 (Benton County) to $58,050 (Cannon County).
Anderson County, TN: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $46,700 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $28,000 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $46,700 |
| Low income (80%) | $74,700 |
| 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.