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Cost & Benefits

Benefits / Arkansas

School meals in Arkansas

School meals in Arkansas use 130 percent of poverty for free meals and 185 percent for reduced-price meals in the 2026–27 school year. The poverty guideline for four people is $33,000. The products are already whole dollars, which matches the notice. This site does not approve or deny benefits. A missing figure stays blank. We do not guess it.

Who is in the free or reduced-price school meal range? Free meals use 130 percent of $33,000 for a household of four, and reduced-price meals use 185 percent, for the 2026–27 school year.

The largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gap among ranked metros in Arkansas is $180: Memphis at $1,301 and Little Rock at $1,121.

Arkansas taxes wages at rates up to 3.90%. Combined state and local sales tax is 9.5%. The ACS effective property tax rate is 0.52%.

A household of four with $48,000 of income is about 145 percent of the $33,000 poverty guideline and is likely eligible for School meals. Likely eligible for reduced-price meals.

Limits behind the page

2026 poverty guideline in Arkansas
Household100%138%185%
1$15,960$22,025$29,526
2$21,640$29,863$40,034
3$27,320$37,702$50,542
4$33,000$45,540$61,050

An illustrative household

Two adults, ages 34 and 32, filing jointly, plus children ages 8 and 3. Gross income $48,000 a year, about 145 percent of the poverty guideline in Arkansas. They rent. Nobody is marked disabled or pregnant.

School meals

Likely eligible

Likely eligible for reduced-price meals

  • A school-age child is in the household. Income is 145 percent of the 2026 poverty guidelines. Free meals use 130 percent and reduced-price meals use 185 percent for the 2026–27 school year.
Read the school meal guidelines

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Food stamps (SNAP) tools in Arkansas

Last checked: October 15, 2026

Sources

What changed
  • October 15, 2026. The benefit rules file was checked against the sources listed here.
  • January 15, 2026. HHS published the 2026 poverty guidelines in the Federal Register.

Other programs in Arkansas

Large metros in Arkansas

School meals in other states