The federal poverty level for 2026 sets a single person’s income guideline at $15,960 in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, with $5,680 added for each additional household member.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines The Department of Health and Human Services publishes these figures each January, and federal programs from SNAP to Medicaid to Marketplace subsidies use percentages of them (often 130, 138, 150, 185, 200, or 400 percent) to set their own income cutoffs.
2026 Poverty Guidelines by Household Size
For the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the 2026 income figures at 100 percent of the poverty level are:1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
- 1 person: $15,960
- 2 people: $21,640
- 3 people: $27,320
- 4 people: $33,000
- 5 people: $38,680
- 6 people: $44,360
- 7 people: $50,040
- 8 people: $55,720
- Each additional person: add $5,680
Very few programs actually cut off eligibility at 100 percent. To find where you stand for a given program, multiply the guideline for your household size by the program’s percentage. A family of four at 200 percent of the poverty level, for example, has an income of $66,000; at 400 percent, $132,000.
Higher Guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii
Alaska and Hawaii have their own guidelines because everyday costs run above the national average. In Alaska, a single-person household is at 100 percent of the poverty level with $19,950, and each additional person adds $7,100. In Hawaii, the single-person figure is $18,360, with $6,530 added per additional person.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines Every program that ties eligibility to the poverty level carries these higher figures through, so a Medicaid or SNAP applicant in Anchorage or Honolulu has a higher dollar cutoff than one on the mainland.
What Programs Use the 2026 Poverty Level
Each program sets its own multiple of the poverty guideline, defines household size in its own way, and decides which types of income to count. The figures below give you the standard federal cutoffs; states often adjust them upward.
SNAP
The standard SNAP gross income limit is 130 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four in the contiguous states, that works out to $3,483 per month in fiscal year 2026. A second test compares net income (after allowed deductions for shelter, dependent care, and other expenses) to 100 percent of the guidelines.2United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Income Eligibility Standards
Forty-six states have adopted broad-based categorical eligibility, which raises the gross income ceiling above 130 percent. Many set the limit at 200 percent of the poverty level, and others fall between 150 and 200 percent.3Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) If your income is above 130 percent, check your state’s BBCE limit before assuming you don’t qualify.
Medicaid and CHIP
Under the Affordable Care Act, states can extend Medicaid to adults under 65 with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty level. The statute sets 133 percent, and a built-in 5 percent income disregard raises the effective cutoff to 138 percent.4Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. Medicaid Expansion to the New Adult Group Roughly 10 states have not adopted the expansion, and childless adults in those states face much tighter rules.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program covers children in families earning too much for Medicaid but not enough to afford private coverage. State CHIP income limits range from 170 percent of the poverty level up to 400 percent. The federal baseline is the higher of 200 percent of the poverty level or 50 percentage points above the state’s Medicaid income limit for children.5Medicaid.gov. CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment Most enrolled children come from families below 250 percent of the poverty level.6Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. CHIP Eligibility
Marketplace Premium Tax Credits
For 2026, premium tax credits through the federal or state Marketplace are available to households with income between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level.7Congressional Research Service. Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit and Cost-Sharing Reductions For a family of four, 400 percent is $132,000. The credit works on a sliding scale; larger subsidies go to households closer to 100 percent.
Temporary legislation between 2021 and 2025 removed the 400 percent cap and increased credit amounts. That expansion expired at the end of 2025, so the 400 percent ceiling is back for 2026.8Congressional Research Service. Enhanced Premium Tax Credits and 2026 Exchange Premiums Households earning above 400 percent that previously received credits no longer qualify, and those below the cap will see smaller credits than in recent years. A single dollar of income above 400 percent eliminates the credit entirely, which is sometimes called the subsidy cliff.
LIHEAP
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps households pay heating and cooling bills. Federal law caps eligibility at 150 percent of the federal poverty level, though states can substitute 60 percent of state median income if that is higher. States cannot set the floor below 110 percent.9LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories Actual limits vary by state and by program component.
WIC
WIC serves pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five. The federal income limit is 185 percent of the poverty guidelines.10Food and Nutrition Service. WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines State agencies can adopt this ceiling or set a lower one but cannot go below 100 percent. Families already enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP, or certain state programs are automatically income-eligible.
How Income Is Counted
There is no universal income figure you calculate once and use everywhere. Each program defines income on its own terms, and the definition matters as much as the guideline.
Marketplace coverage, Medicaid, and CHIP use modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). MAGI starts with the adjusted gross income from your federal tax return and adds back untaxed foreign income, non-taxable Social Security benefits, and tax-exempt interest. Supplemental Security Income is not counted.11HealthCare.gov. What’s Included as Income For most households MAGI closely tracks AGI, but the difference can decide eligibility at the margins.
SNAP uses gross monthly income for its 130 percent test and net monthly income (after specific deductions) for its 100 percent test.2United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Income Eligibility Standards LIHEAP and other programs give states latitude to define income within federal bounds. Before applying, look up the specific program’s income definition rather than assuming your tax-return number is the one to compare.
Poverty Guidelines vs. Poverty Thresholds
The federal government publishes two poverty measures, and only one of them affects eligibility. The poverty guidelines described in this article come from HHS and determine who qualifies for federal programs.12U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Poverty Guidelines API The separate poverty thresholds, published by the Census Bureau, power the official annual poverty rate reported in the news and are used for statistical purposes only.13U.S. Census Bureau. How Updating Annual Poverty Thresholds Impacts Poverty Rates When a program application asks about the federal poverty level, it means the HHS guidelines.