Asset Limits by State (2026 Chart)
Every state sets a limit on how much an applicant for Long-Term Care Medicaid can have in countable assets. Most states use $2,000 for a single applicant, the same as the federal SSI limit. Some are higher. This page lists each state’s 2026 limit, explains how to read the chart and covers what the limits mean for married couples.
Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.
How to read this chart
- Single applicant is the limit for one person applying alone.
- Couple, both applying is the limit when both spouses apply. Where a state’s single limit is $2,000, the couple limit is usually $3,000. Some states use a different amount; Pennsylvania’s medically needy limit is $2,400 per spouse.
- Married, one spouse at home: the applicant spouse uses the single limit, and the spouse at home keeps a separate allowance (the CSRA, $32,532 to $162,660 under the 2026 federal standards). The couple limit in this chart does not apply to that situation.
- Only countable assets are measured against these limits. The home, one car, belongings and certain burial funds are usually exempt. See Exempt assets.
- Some states have more than one program with different limits. The chart shows the limit used for nursing home and waiver care where possible. Notes in the cells explain differences.
2026 asset limits
| State | Single applicant | Couple, both applying |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Alaska | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Arizona | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Arkansas | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| California | $130,000 in countable (nonexempt) property | $195,000, plus $65,000 for each additional household member |
| Colorado | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Connecticut | $1,600 | $2,400 |
| Delaware | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| District of Columbia | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Florida | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Georgia | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Hawaii | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Idaho | $2,000 | $2,000 for each spouse |
| Illinois | $17,500 | $17,500 (the same limit applies to the whole household) |
| Indiana | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Iowa | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Kansas | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Kentucky | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Louisiana | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Maine | $2,000, plus up to $8,000 of savings excluded | $3,000, plus up to $12,000 of savings excluded |
| Maryland | $2,500 (medically needy, used for nursing home care); $2,000 categorically needy | See state guide |
| Massachusetts | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Michigan | $9,950 | $9,950 for each spouse |
| Minnesota | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| Mississippi | $4,000 | $4,000 for each spouse |
| Missouri | $6,220.50 (from July 1, 2026) | $12,441 (from July 1, 2026) |
| Montana | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Nebraska | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Nevada | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| New Hampshire | $2,500 | See state guide |
| New Jersey | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| New Mexico | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| New York | $33,038 | $44,796 |
| North Carolina | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| North Dakota | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| Ohio | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Oklahoma | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Oregon | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,000, plus a $6,000 disregard (about $8,000 in total). Medically needy route: $2,400 | $2,400 per spouse ($4,800 for a couple who both need care) |
| Rhode Island | $4,000 | See state guide |
| South Carolina | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| South Dakota | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Tennessee | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Texas | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Utah | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Vermont | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Virginia | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Washington | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| West Virginia | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Wisconsin | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Wyoming | $2,000 (nursing home residents) | $3,000 |
Figures are taken from each state’s 2026 guide on this site. Follow a state’s link for the full rules, including which assets are exempt and how the spouse at home’s allowance is figured.
Patterns worth knowing
Most states use $2,000. About three in four states use $2,000 for a single applicant, matching the federal SSI resource standard.
A few are much higher. In 2026, California’s limit is $130,000 for one person, New York’s is $33,038, and Illinois’s is $17,500. Missouri’s rises each July.
Some states use extra disregards. Pennsylvania adds a $6,000 disregard in one program, and Maine excludes up to $8,000 of savings for an individual.
The limit is a hard line. Being even a few dollars over the limit on the date the state checks can mean no coverage for that month.
What “couple, both applying” means
When both spouses need long-term care and apply together, many states give them a combined couple limit. Where the single limit is $2,000, that is usually $3,000. Other states treat each spouse separately, each with the single limit, especially once both have lived in a nursing home for a while. See When both spouses need care.
Getting under the limit
People over the limit can usually spend down on allowed costs: care, debts, home repairs, a replacement car, a prepaid funeral plan, medical items, and other things for their own use at fair value. Gifts do not count as spend-down and can cause a penalty. See What counts as an asset? and Look-Back and Gifts.
For married couples, the protections for the spouse at home often matter more than the applicant’s limit. A Certified Medicaid Planner (CMP) can help a family understand how much can be kept and how best to reach the limit.
Examples using the chart
Single applicant in a $2,000 state. Ellen lives in Tennessee, where the 2026 single limit is $2,000. She has $14,000 in countable savings. She must reduce countable assets to $2,000 by spending on allowed costs before she qualifies.
Couple, both applying. Walt and June both need nursing home care in Florida. Their state’s couple limit is $3,000. Together they have $9,000 in countable assets, so they need to spend down $6,000. If Florida treated them as two individuals after a period of separation, each would need to be at $2,000.
Married, one spouse at home. Ray needs nursing home care in Texas and his wife Ida stays home. Ray must be at or under the $2,000 single limit, but Ida keeps her separate allowance under the CSRA rules. The $3,000 couple limit does not apply to them.
Higher-limit state. Nora lives in New York, where the 2026 single limit is $33,038. She has $30,000 in countable savings. She is already under the limit for the asset test.
When the limit is checked
Most states check whether a person is under the limit as of a certain point in each month, often the first day of the month. If a person is $500 over on that date, they may be ineligible for that month even if they spend the $500 the next day. Planning spend-down around these dates matters.
Limits change over time
Most states’ $2,000 limit has not changed in many years because it is tied to the federal SSI resource standard. Some states, like Missouri, update their limits on a schedule. California reinstated its asset limit on January 1, 2026. States can also change their programs. This chart will be updated as new figures are published.
Common questions
Does the limit include my home? No. The limit applies only to countable assets. The home is usually exempt. See When the home is exempt.
My state is not $2,000. Why? States can set more generous limits, and some use their medically needy programs, which may have their own limits.
What if I am married and only I need care? You use the single limit, and your spouse keeps a separate allowance. See Spousal impoverishment rules.
A quick self-check before applying
Before using the chart, it helps to make a rough list of everything the applicant (and spouse, if married) owns on the first day of the month:
- Cash and accounts. Checking, savings, money market and certificates of deposit, using the balance on the first of the month.
- Investments. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and brokerage accounts at current market value.
- Retirement accounts. IRAs and 401(k)s, which count in many states unless they are paying out.
- Life insurance. The cash value of policies whose face value is over the exclusion.
- Property other than the home. A second home, land or rental property.
- Extra vehicles. Any vehicle beyond the one that is excluded.
Then subtract anything exempt, such as the home, one car, personal belongings and a qualifying burial fund. Compare what remains with the figure for the state in the chart. If the total is close to the limit, small things matter: a tax refund, an uncashed check or a forgotten savings account can push someone over.
Why the same family can get different answers in different states
A couple who moves from one state to another, or a parent who moves to be near a child, may find that the limit changes. A single applicant with $4,500 in countable assets is over the limit in a $2,000 state but could be under it in a state that uses a higher figure. Medicaid eligibility depends on the state where the person lives and intends to stay, so a planned move should be reviewed before it happens. A Certified Medicaid Planner (CMP) can compare the rules in both states.
Related guides
- What counts as an asset?
- Exempt assets
- Income limits by state
- Home equity limits by state
- Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)
Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.