Federal Poverty Guidelines: 2026 Amounts, Programs, and Uses

The 2026 federal poverty guidelines, published by the Department of Health and Human Services, set the 100% poverty line at $15,960 for a single person and $33,000 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.¹ These figures drive eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, marketplace health insurance subsidies, immigration sponsorship, and dozens of other federal programs, each of which sets its own threshold as a percentage of the guideline.

2026 Amounts by Household Size

48 Contiguous States and D.C.

1 person: $15,960
2 persons: $21,640
3 persons: $27,320
4 persons: $33,000
5 persons: $38,680
6 persons: $44,360
7 persons: $50,040
8 persons: $55,720
Each additional person: add $5,680

The per-person increment of $5,680 applies uniformly after the first household member, so calculating the guideline for a larger family is a matter of simple addition.¹

Alaska

Alaska has its own higher schedule. A single person is at 100% of poverty at $19,950, each additional household member adds $7,100, and a family of four reaches the guideline at $41,250.²

Hawaii

Hawaii sits between the two. The single-person figure is $18,360, each additional person adds $6,530, and a family of four hits $37,950.²

When the 2026 Numbers Take Effect

The 2026 guidelines took effect on January 13, 2026, the date they were published in the Federal Register.² Individual programs adopt the new figures on their own timelines, and some continue using the prior year’s numbers for several weeks or months after publication. If you’re applying in the early part of the year, ask the agency which set of guidelines it is currently using.

HHS is required by law to update the guidelines at least once a year by adjusting the prior year’s Census poverty thresholds for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.³ The results are rounded and smoothed into the even per-person increments you see in the tables above.

What Counts as Income

Most programs use gross annual income before taxes. A household generally includes everyone related by birth, marriage, or adoption living together. Wages, salaries, Social Security benefits, and interest or dividend payments all count. Self-employed applicants report net earnings after business expenses, not gross revenue.

Several categories are excluded. Non-cash benefits like SNAP and Section 8 housing vouchers do not count as income. Tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit are left out. Supplemental Security Income is also excluded.⁴

Individual programs sometimes define income differently. The ACA marketplace and Medicaid use modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), which adds back items like non-taxable Social Security benefits and tax-exempt interest.⁴ Always check the specific program’s rules rather than assuming a universal definition applies.

Programs That Use the 2026 Guidelines

Programs rarely use 100% of the guideline as the cutoff. Each one sets its threshold at a percentage of the guideline based on the population it serves.

Medicaid

In states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, adults qualify with incomes up to 138% of the guideline. The statute sets the threshold at 133%, but a built-in 5% income disregard pushes the effective cutoff to 138%.⁵ For a single person in the contiguous states, that works out to about $22,025 for 2026.¹ States that have not expanded Medicaid use different, often much lower, thresholds for adults without children.

ACA Marketplace Premium Tax Credits

Income between 100% and 400% of the poverty guideline may qualify you for premium tax credits on a marketplace health plan.⁶ For a single person, 400% of the 2026 guideline is $63,840.¹ The temporary expansion that allowed people above 400% to receive credits expired after 2025, so the 400% cap is back in effect for 2026.

Applicants with incomes up to 250% of the guideline also qualify for cost-sharing reductions that lower deductibles and copays on silver-tier plans. The premium credit reduces your monthly payment; the cost-sharing reduction can save more if you actually use care during the year.

SNAP

SNAP sets its gross income limit at 130% of the guideline.⁷ For a family of four in the contiguous states, that’s roughly $42,900 in gross annual income for 2026.¹ Net income after certain deductions must also be at or below 100% of the guideline.

WIC

WIC uses 185% of the guideline as its income ceiling, matching the threshold for reduced-price school meals.⁸ Families already enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF are automatically income-eligible for WIC.

Head Start

Head Start primarily serves children from families with incomes at or below 100% of the guideline.⁹ Children who are homeless or in foster care qualify regardless of family income.

LIHEAP

Energy assistance under LIHEAP caps eligibility at the greater of 150% of the guideline or 60% of state median income.¹⁰ In many states the median-income figure is higher, so LIHEAP often reaches further up the income scale than 150% alone would suggest.

Lifeline

The Lifeline phone and internet discount is available to households at or below 135% of the guideline, or automatically to those enrolled in programs like Medicaid or SNAP.¹¹

Income-Driven Student Loan Repayment

Federal income-driven repayment plans protect income equal to 150% of the guideline from the payment calculation, and only earnings above that count as discretionary income. The SAVE plan would have raised the protected amount to 225%, but federal courts blocked its implementation in 2024, and borrowers who had enrolled are now required to choose a different plan.¹²

Immigration Sponsorship (Form I-864)

A U.S. sponsor filing an Affidavit of Support for a family member’s green card must show household income of at least 125% of the poverty guideline for the sponsor’s household size.¹³ Household size includes the sponsor, the person being sponsored, and any other dependents the sponsor legally supports. For a sponsor in the contiguous states with a household of four, 125% of the 2026 guideline is $41,250.¹

Active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces or Coast Guard sponsoring a spouse or child only need to meet 100% of the guideline.¹⁴ Sponsors who fall short can use a joint sponsor or count the income and assets of certain household members. The guidelines in effect on the day you file are the ones that apply, so timing matters when new figures come out in January.

Guidelines vs. Thresholds

The poverty guidelines and the Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds are two different tools. The Census thresholds are a statistical measure, broken into 48 categories by family size, age of the householder, and number of children under 18, used to count how many people live in poverty each year.¹⁵ The guidelines flatten that detail into a single figure per household size, with no age distinctions, so caseworkers can apply them quickly to benefit applications. If you’re checking eligibility for a program, the guidelines are the number you want.

1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
2
Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 9902 – Definitions
4
HealthCare.gov. Federal Poverty Level (FPL) – Glossary
5
Medicaid. Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Eligibility Levels
6
Internal Revenue Service. Questions and Answers on the Premium Tax Credit
7
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
8
Food and Nutrition Service. WIC 2025/2026 Income Eligibility Guidelines
9
Head Start. Poverty Guidelines and Determining Eligibility for Participation in Head Start Programs
10
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories
11
Universal Service Administrative Company. How to Qualify
12
Federal Student Aid. IDR Court Actions
13
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S. Code 1183a – Requirements for Sponsor’s Affidavit of Support
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
15
U.S. Census Bureau. How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty