UT · benefits by state
Utah benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
Utah keeps the federal SNAP savings test, covers adults through the expansion, and sees its Section 8 limits stretched far apart by Park City.
Federal and Utah 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
- $1,835/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $4,667/mo
- 205% of poverty, CHIP
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $53,150 to $83,850
- 29 counties or towns, FY 2026
Utah applies the federal SNAP rules without broad-based categorical eligibility, through the Department of Workforce Services: gross income under 130% of poverty ($1,729 a month for one person in fiscal year 2027), net income under $1,330, and resources under $3,000, or $4,750 when someone is 60 or older or disabled. A 70-year-old widow in Salt Lake City living on $1,250 of Social Security, paying $800 in rent and $120 a month in medical costs would receive about $273 a month, close to the $306 maximum, with Utah's heating allowance of $514. Utah has expanded Medicaid: adults qualify up to 138% of poverty, $1,835 a month alone, and children are covered by Medicaid and then CHIP up to 205%. On housing, Summit County's very low income limit for four, $83,850, is the highest in the state.
Household income in Utah
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $514 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$525/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsUtah: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 205% of the guidelineWithin the CHIP limitlimit $4,667/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.
Park City sets a ceiling no other Utah county approaches
HUD lists 29 Utah counties in 26 areas, and the gap between them is wide. Summit County, home to Park City, has a very low income limit for four of $83,850. Next door, Wasatch County reaches $68,100. Salt Lake County is at $63,050, Utah County (Provo and Orem) at $59,600, and Washington County, around St. George, at $53,150, the same as Beaver County, which marks the state's floor. A Summit County family of four earning $83,849 a year is therefore within the voucher line, while the same income in St. George is far above it. The lookup at the bottom of the page lists every county for one to eight people; waiting lists belong to each housing authority.
Utah SNAP for a senior living alone
Federal rules favor older applicants, and Utah applies them as written. At 70, the Salt Lake City widow has no gross income test to pass. Her medical spending above $35 a month counts ($85 of her $120), and her shelter deduction has no cap: rent plus the $514 allowance from the USDA table makes $1,314, and the deduction comes to $840. Her net income falls to $108, well under the $1,330 net limit, so she receives $273. Savings are the risk. Without broad-based eligibility, the federal resource limit of $4,750 applies to her household: $5,000 in a bank account would make her ineligible. Her home and retirement accounts would not count. More on these rules in SNAP for seniors.
SNAP for a person 60 or older living alone
Estimated SNAP, FY 2027
$257 a month
| Medical deduction | $65 |
| Shelter deduction (no cap) | $855 |
| Net income | $163 (limit $1,330) |
Pregnancy and children in Utah Medicaid
CMS lists Utah's pregnancy line at 139%, only a little above the expansion line, 144% with the disregard. A Provo couple expecting their first child counts as three for the mother's coverage; on $3,200 a month they are at 141% of poverty, so she qualifies, the limit being $3,278, and her husband does not, the adult limit for three being $3,141. He would look at the premium tax credit on HealthCare.gov. Children have a higher line: Medicaid to 139% for the youngest and 133% for school ages, then Utah CHIP up to 200%, $4,667 a month for a family of three. CMS also notes a section 1115 demonstration covering some additional low-income adults.
Idaho and Nevada use broad-based eligibility for SNAP, while Wyoming shares Utah's federal tests.
SNAP rules in Utah, FY 2027
Run by the Utah Department of Workforce Services · apply online. Utah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | $514 | $431 | $59 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in Utah
Utah covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called CHIP. CMS note 9: section 1115 demonstration covering some additional low-income adults. Agency: Utah 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 | 144% | Medicaid | $2,596 | $3,278 | $3,960 |
| Babies under 1 | 205% | CHIP | $3,696 | $4,667 | $5,637 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 205% | CHIP | $3,696 | $4,667 | $5,637 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 205% | CHIP | $3,696 | $4,667 | $5,637 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Utah
HUD sets the limits for each of the 29 counties or towns of Utah (26 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $53,150 (Beaver County) to $83,850 (Summit County).
Beaver County, UT: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $47,850 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $28,750 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $47,850 |
| Low income (80%) | $76,550 |
| 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.