Food
NYC Health Bucks Get a 40% Boost for SNAP Users at Greenmarkets Starting January 2027
Starting January 2027, New York City will raise the daily cap on Health Bucks for SNAP participants from $10 to $14, a 40% increase. The $2 coupons match produce spending at more than 100 farmers markets and farm stands across the five boroughs.
By NBT Editors · 2026-10-30
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on October 29 that New Yorkers enrolled in SNAP, the federal food assistance program, will be able to earn 40% more through the city's Health Bucks program. Beginning in January 2027, the daily cap will rise from $10 to $14.
Health Bucks is a matching program. For every $2 a SNAP participant spends on fresh produce at qualifying vendors, the city adds a $2 coupon. The coupons can be used at more than 100 farmers markets and farm stands across the five boroughs. By raising the cap, the administration expects to hand out nearly $2.3 million in Health Bucks to SNAP recipients in 2027 alone, money the city says will also benefit dozens of local vendors.
The program is paid for with city funding and $5.7 million in new grant money from the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, which supports projects that increase fruit and vegetable purchases by SNAP recipients.
SNAP participants are not the only people who receive the coupons. The Health Department also works with community and faith-based organizations to distribute Health Bucks as an incentive for taking part in nutrition education and other health-related activities. Gothamist reports that people who are not on SNAP can still get them through those groups. A list of participating markets and farm stands is on the Health Department's website.
This year is the 20th anniversary of Health Bucks. Since 2005, the Health Department has distributed more than $20 million. New Health Department research cited in the announcement found that among adults at risk of food insecurity, nearly 8 in 10 had difficulty affording balanced meals and 18% had eaten no fruits or vegetables the previous day.
The mayor framed the change as part of a wider push on food affordability. Earlier this year he named La Marqueta in East Harlem as the first site for the city's municipal grocery store program, and the administration plans to open one store in each borough by the end of his first term.
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