The federal poverty level chart by household size for 2026 starts at $15,960 for a single person in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and rises by $5,680 for each additional person in the home. The Department of Health and Human Services publishes these figures every January, and programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and marketplace insurance subsidies use them to set income cutoffs.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines Alaska and Hawaii use higher numbers to account for cost of living.
2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States and D.C.
The figures below are gross annual income before taxes or deductions.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
For households larger than eight, add $5,680 per additional person. A family of ten would have a poverty guideline of $67,080.
2026 Guidelines for Alaska
- 1 person: $19,950
- 2 people: $27,050
- 3 people: $34,150
- 4 people: $41,250
- 5 people: $48,350
- 6 people: $55,450
- 7 people: $62,550
- 8 people: $69,650
Each additional person beyond eight adds $7,100. Alaska’s single-person guideline runs roughly 25% above the contiguous-state figure.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
2026 Guidelines for Hawaii
- 1 person: $18,360
- 2 people: $24,890
- 3 people: $31,420
- 4 people: $37,950
- 5 people: $44,480
- 6 people: $51,010
- 7 people: $57,540
- 8 people: $64,070
Each additional person beyond eight adds $6,530.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
Who Counts as Part of Your Household
Household size for FPL purposes is not simply everyone living in the home. For programs tied to the Affordable Care Act, including Medicaid expansion and marketplace insurance, the household is the tax filer, their spouse, and anyone claimed as a tax dependent.2HealthCare.gov. Who to Include in Your Household
If you don’t file a tax return and nobody claims you as a dependent, the rules depend on your age. Adults 19 and older count themselves plus any spouse and children under 19 living with them. People under 19 count themselves plus their parents and any siblings under 19 in the home. Married couples living together always appear in each other’s household regardless of how they file taxes.
How Income Is Measured
ACA-related programs use Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). You start with the adjusted gross income on your tax return (Form 1040, line 11) and add back untaxed foreign income, non-taxable Social Security benefits, and tax-exempt interest. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), child support, veterans’ disability payments, and gifts do not count toward MAGI.3HealthCare.gov. What’s Included as Income
MAGI is the standard for ACA-related programs only. SNAP, SSI, and other programs apply their own income-counting rules and may also impose asset or resource limits on top of the income test.
What Percentage of FPL Programs Actually Use
Almost no program cuts off eligibility at 100% of the poverty guideline. Agencies multiply the guideline by a percentage that matches each program’s scope, so the same household can qualify for one program and be over-income for another.
Medicaid Expansion at 138% FPL
In states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, adults can qualify with household income up to 138% of the poverty level.4HealthCare.gov. Federal Poverty Level (FPL) – Glossary The statute says 133%, but a built-in 5% income disregard brings the effective ceiling to 138%. For a single person in the contiguous states in 2026, that works out to roughly $22,025 per year. For a family of four, about $45,540. This threshold applies only in states that adopted expansion.
SNAP at 130% FPL
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program generally requires gross household income at or below 130% of the poverty guidelines, and applies a separate net income test at 100% after deductions for housing, childcare, and other costs. For a family of three, 130% of the 2026 guideline comes to about $35,516 per year.
SNAP runs on a federal fiscal year (October through September), so its income limits update on a different schedule than the January HHS guidelines. The dollar amounts SNAP uses at any given time may be based on the prior year’s poverty guidelines. Able-bodied adults between 18 and 54 without dependents also face time limits on benefits unless they meet work requirements of at least 80 hours per month.5Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
Marketplace Premium Tax Credits at 100%–400% FPL
For 2026, household income must generally fall between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level to qualify for premium tax credits through healthcare.gov or a state exchange.6Internal Revenue Service. Eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit For a family of four in the contiguous states, that upper limit is $132,000. The enhanced credits available from 2021 through 2025, which had removed the 400% cap, expired on January 1, 2026, so the same income level will produce a smaller subsidy this year than it did last year.7Congress.gov. Enhanced Premium Tax Credit and 2026 Exchange Premiums
WIC and School Meals at 185% FPL
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) sets income eligibility at 185% of the poverty guidelines.8Food and Nutrition Service. WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines For a family of four in 2026, that translates to about $61,050. Reduced-price school meals use the same 185% threshold; free school meals use 130%.9Food and Nutrition Service. Child Nutrition Programs – Income Eligibility Guidelines
LIHEAP at 150% FPL
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program caps income eligibility at 150% of the poverty guidelines or 60% of the state’s median income, whichever is higher.10Administration for Children and Families. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories For a single person in the contiguous states, 150% of the 2026 guideline is $23,940.
When the 2026 Numbers Take Effect
The 2026 guidelines appeared in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026.11Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines Once published, the figures take effect immediately for any program that references them, but adoption schedules vary. Medicaid and marketplace insurance typically begin using the updated numbers within weeks of publication. SNAP income limits update at the start of the federal fiscal year in October, so its thresholds may lag behind the January release. School meal eligibility for a given school year is set using guidelines published the previous spring.
If the FPL dollar amount on your application looks slightly different from the chart above, the program is likely still operating on the prior year’s figures rather than making an error. The administering agency’s website will show the specific income limits currently in use.