The federal poverty guidelines for 2026 set the income baseline at $15,960 a year for a single person in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, $19,950 in Alaska, and $18,360 in Hawaii. The Department of Health and Human Services publishes these figures, and dozens of federal programs use them to decide who qualifies for help. What matters most is that programs rarely draw the line at exactly 100 percent of the guideline. Most set eligibility at a multiple above it, so a household earning well above $15,960 can still qualify for subsidized health coverage, food assistance, or energy aid.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
2026 Income Thresholds by Household Size
The figures below show 100 percent of the federal poverty level for 2026, published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. Columns run: 48 states and DC, Alaska, Hawaii.
- 1 person: $15,960 · $19,950 · $18,360
- 2 people: $21,640 · $27,050 · $24,890
- 3 people: $27,320 · $34,150 · $31,420
- 4 people: $33,000 · $41,250 · $37,950
- 5 people: $38,680 · $48,350 · $44,480
- 6 people: $44,360 · $55,450 · $51,010
- 7 people: $50,040 · $62,550 · $57,540
- 8 people: $55,720 · $69,650 · $64,070
For each additional person beyond eight, add $5,680 in the 48 contiguous states, $7,100 in Alaska, or $6,530 in Hawaii. Each federal program decides on its own how to round when applying a percentage multiple to these numbers, so exact eligibility cutoffs can vary slightly between programs.1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
How Income and Household Size Are Counted
A household generally includes everyone who lives together and shares meals or financial resources: spouses, dependent children, and other relatives under the same roof. The guideline rises with each additional member, so reporting everyone matters.
Income is usually measured as gross cash income before taxes or payroll deductions. That covers wages, Social Security payments, unemployment benefits, interest, dividends, and rental income across all adult household members. Applicants typically need to document these figures with pay stubs, W-2 forms, or benefit statements.
Non-cash benefits are generally excluded. Housing subsidies, food assistance, and similar in-kind support don’t count toward gross income for most programs, which prevents help from one program from disqualifying you from another. Some programs use a different measure entirely. Marketplace subsidies, for instance, are based on modified adjusted gross income, which can produce a slightly different number than straight gross income.2HealthCare.gov. Federal Poverty Level (FPL) – Glossary Because each program defines income a little differently, it’s worth checking the specific rules for the one you’re applying to.
Programs That Use the Poverty Guidelines
Very few programs draw the eligibility line at exactly 100 percent of the poverty level. The multiples below are where the important thresholds actually sit.
SNAP (Food Assistance)
SNAP sets its gross income limit at 130 percent of the poverty guidelines for households without an elderly or disabled member.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S. Code 2014 – Eligible Households For a family of four in 2026, gross monthly income cannot exceed roughly $3,575. A net income test at 100 percent of the poverty line also applies after deductions. Many states have adopted broad-based categorical eligibility, which raises the gross income limit above 130 percent for certain households.
Medicaid and CHIP
In states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, adults with household income up to 133 percent of the poverty level qualify. Because of how income disregards work, the effective threshold is closer to 138 percent.4HealthCare.gov. Medicaid Expansion and What It Means for You Children’s eligibility runs higher in every state, and CHIP covers kids in families that earn too much for Medicaid but still need help. CHIP thresholds are set by each state, often between 200 and 300 percent of the poverty level.
Marketplace Premium Tax Credits
For 2026, households with income between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for premium tax credits on Marketplace coverage.5Internal Revenue Service. Eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit The upper limit works out to $63,840 for a single person and $132,000 for a family of four. The temporary expansion that had removed the 400 percent cap expired at the start of 2026, so the original ceiling is back in effect.
LIHEAP (Energy Assistance)
Federal law caps LIHEAP income eligibility at 150 percent of the poverty guidelines, unless 60 percent of the state’s median income is higher, and prohibits states from setting the floor below 110 percent.6LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories Priority goes to households with the highest energy costs relative to income.
Head Start
Head Start generally enrolls children from families with income at or below 100 percent of the poverty guidelines.7Head Start. Poverty Guidelines and Determining Eligibility for Participation in Head Start Programs For a family of four in 2026, that’s $33,000 or less. Children experiencing homelessness or in foster care qualify regardless of family income.
Legal Aid and USCIS Fee Waivers
Civil legal services funded by the Legal Services Corporation are available to people with income at or below 125 percent of the poverty guidelines, which in 2026 comes to $19,950 for a single person and $41,250 for a family of four.8Legal Services Corporation. LSC Says $2 Billion Needed to Address Low-Income Americans Unmet Civil Legal Needs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services uses the guidelines for fee waivers at 150 percent and reduced filing fees at 200 percent.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines
Alaska, Hawaii, and the Territories
Alaska and Hawaii get their own, higher guidelines. The single-person figure runs roughly 25 percent above the mainland number in Alaska and about 15 percent higher in Hawaii, reflecting higher costs of food, energy, and housing tied to geographic isolation.10Social Security Administration. Social Security Programs in the United States – Appendix V: Poverty Guidelines No comparable adjustment exists for high-cost mainland cities: a household in San Francisco is measured against the same $15,960 baseline as a household in rural Mississippi.
The HHS guidelines do not cover Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands.11U.S. Department of Energy. Poverty Income Guidelines Each territory sets its own poverty measure or income standard. Some use locally updated poverty levels; others rely on different federal benchmarks such as SSI income standards. If you live in a territory, the local agency administering the program can tell you which standard applies.
Guidelines vs. Census Poverty Thresholds
The HHS poverty guidelines are not the same as the Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds. The Census Bureau uses thresholds to count how many Americans live in poverty for statistical reports, and those figures vary by family composition and the age of household members, producing dozens of different numbers. The HHS guidelines are a simplified version: one flat figure per household size, designed for program administrators to apply. When a program says it uses the “federal poverty level,” it almost always means the HHS guidelines.