225% Federal Poverty Level: Income Limits and Benefits Cliff

At 225 percent of the federal poverty level, a single person in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. can earn up to $35,910 in 2026, and a family of four can earn up to $74,250.¹ That figure isn’t the eligibility line for one specific program. It’s a benchmark that sits above the strictest safety-net cutoffs like SNAP and Lifeline but well within the income range for Affordable Care Act subsidies and many state Medicaid and CHIP programs. Where your household falls against this number tells you, quickly, which cluster of programs is realistically available to you.

2026 Income Limits at 225% of the Federal Poverty Level

The Department of Health and Human Services publishes the base poverty guidelines each January in the Federal Register.² The figures below take those base numbers and multiply by 2.25.¹ Individual programs may round slightly according to their own rules.

48 Contiguous States and D.C.

1 person: $35,910
2 people: $48,690
3 people: $61,470
4 people: $74,250
5 people: $87,030
6 people: $99,810
7 people: $112,590
8 people: $125,370
Each additional person: add $12,780

Alaska

Alaska uses higher guidelines because the cost of goods and services there consistently exceeds the national average.²

1 person: $44,887.50
2 people: $60,862.50
3 people: $76,837.50
4 people: $92,812.50
5 people: $108,787.50
6 people: $124,762.50
7 people: $140,737.50
8 people: $156,712.50
Each additional person: add $15,975

Hawaii

1 person: $41,310
2 people: $56,002.50
3 people: $70,695
4 people: $85,387.50
5 people: $100,080
6 people: $114,772.50
7 people: $129,465
8 people: $144,157.50
Each additional person: add $14,692.50

If you live in Alaska or Hawaii, always use the guidelines for your state. Applying the lower-48 numbers will give you the wrong answer.

How to Calculate Your Own Percentage

The arithmetic is simple. Divide your household’s annual income by the base poverty guideline for your household size, then multiply by 100. A single person in the lower 48 earning $30,000 works out to $30,000 ÷ $15,960 = 1.879, or about 188 percent of the poverty level, below the 225 percent line.

Which income figure to plug in is the harder question. Programs count income differently. Some use gross income, some use net. Programs tied to the Affordable Care Act use Modified Adjusted Gross Income, which starts with the adjusted gross income from your IRS Form 1040 and adds back untaxed foreign income, nontaxable Social Security benefits, and tax-exempt interest.³ Before running the numbers for a specific application, check that program’s definition of income.

Who Counts in Your Household

Household size for benefits purposes often differs from the number of people on your tax return. Under most federal program rules, the household includes the primary applicant, a spouse living in the home, and dependents who share the residence. The focus is on who lives together and shares financial resources.

Small changes shift your percentage of the poverty level fast. A single person earning $40,000 sits above 225 percent for a one-person household ($35,910). Add a child, and the two-person 225 percent threshold jumps to $48,690, so the same $40,000 income now falls well below the line. Marriage, a new baby, a parent moving in, or an adult child moving out can each change your eligibility position within a single month.

What Programs This Threshold Puts You Near

No major federal program uses 225 percent as its exact cutoff, which is part of why the benchmark is useful. If you’re at or below it, you’re above the strictest safety-net programs but often within reach of health coverage subsidies. Here’s where common programs draw their lines:

SNAP: gross income at or below 130 percent of the poverty level, with net income at or below 100 percent. Some states use expanded eligibility rules that push the gross income limit higher.⁴
Lifeline phone and internet discounts: household income at or below 135 percent of the poverty level.⁵
Legal aid through the Legal Services Corporation: income cannot exceed 125 percent, though some grantees may extend eligibility slightly in specific circumstances.⁶
CHIP: federal minimum floor is 200 percent, but states set their own ceilings. In practice CHIP eligibility ranges from 170 percent up to 400 percent depending on the state.⁷
ACA marketplace cost-sharing reductions: available to households earning between 100 and 250 percent of the poverty level who enroll in a Silver plan. The most generous savings go to those below 150 percent.
ACA premium tax credits: historically available to households earning between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level. Enhanced credits that removed the 400 percent cap were set to expire after 2025, which could affect 2026 eligibility depending on legislative action.

A household at 225 percent lands above SNAP and Lifeline but within the range for ACA cost-sharing reductions and premium tax credits, and inside many state CHIP ceilings for children and pregnant applicants. Court fee waivers and immigration fee waivers use lower thresholds — USCIS caps at 150 percent, for instance⁸ — so a household right at 225 percent generally won’t qualify for those, though some state and local courts offer reduced fees or payment plans on their own schedules.

Watch the Benefits Cliff

Programs with a firm income cutoff create a benefits cliff: a small pay increase can push you over the line and cost you far more in lost benefits than the raise adds in wages. This risk is sharpest for families earning roughly $13 to $17 per hour, but any hard eligibility line has one.

Not every program cuts off abruptly. Some phase out gradually, so a raise reduces the benefit without eliminating it. But where the line is firm, crossing it by one dollar means losing the benefit entirely. Some states offer transitional benefits or gradual phaseouts to soften the drop.

If your income sits close to 225 percent, run the numbers before accepting a raise or extra hours. Calculate the value of any benefits you’d lose against the additional income, and check whether your state provides a bridge for the transition.

1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Detailed Poverty Guidelines
2
GovInfo. 2026 Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
3
HealthCare.gov. Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI)
4
USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
5
Universal Service Administrative Company. Consumer Eligibility
6
eCFR. 45 CFR Part 1611 – Financial Eligibility
7
Medicaid.gov. CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment
8
USCIS. Poverty Guidelines