In 2026, 200 percent of the federal poverty level is $31,920 a year for a single person and $66,000 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. Alaska and Hawaii use higher figures. If your household income falls at or below this line, you may qualify for subsidized Marketplace coverage with enhanced cost-sharing help, free home weatherization, SNAP food benefits in many states, and free civil legal aid in hardship cases.
2026 Income Limits at 200 Percent of FPL
The Department of Health and Human Services publishes updated poverty guidelines each January. The 2026 figures took effect on January 13, 2026.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines Double those figures to get the 200 percent threshold.
48 Contiguous States and D.C.
- 1 person: $31,920
- 2 people: $43,280
- 3 people: $54,640
- 4 people: $66,000
- 5 people: $77,360
- 6 people: $88,720
- 7 people: $100,080
- 8 people: $111,440
Add $11,360 for each additional person beyond eight.2Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
Alaska
- 1 person: $39,900
- 2 people: $54,100
- 4 people: $82,500
- 8 people: $139,300
Add $14,200 for each additional person beyond eight.2Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
Hawaii
- 1 person: $36,720
- 2 people: $49,780
- 4 people: $75,900
- 8 people: $128,140
Add $13,060 for each additional person beyond eight.2Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines
How to Count Your Household
Getting your household size right matters as much as the income number. For Marketplace purposes, your household includes the tax filer, a legal spouse, and anyone you claim as a tax dependent, whether or not that person needs coverage.3HealthCare.gov. Who’s Included in Your Household Children in shared custody count only in the years you claim them. A roommate or unmarried partner generally does not count unless you share a child or claim them as a dependent.
What Counts as Income
Most programs tied to 200 percent of FPL use modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). Start with the adjusted gross income on your tax return, then add back untaxed foreign income, non-taxable Social Security benefits, and tax-exempt interest.4HealthCare.gov. What’s Included as Income That captures wages, tips, self-employment earnings, investment and rental income, retirement distributions, Social Security, unemployment compensation, and alimony from divorces finalized before 2019.
Several common sources do not count: child support, Supplemental Security Income, veterans’ disability payments, workers’ compensation, gifts, and loan proceeds.4HealthCare.gov. What’s Included as Income A household drawing substantial VA disability alongside modest wages can land well under 200 percent of FPL even though the total cash coming in looks higher. Add every household member’s countable income together, including a dependent child’s part-time earnings.
What the 200 Percent Line Unlocks
Marketplace Cost-Sharing Reductions
This is where the 200 percent line matters most. If your income is between 100 and 200 percent of FPL and you enroll in a silver plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace, you qualify for cost-sharing reductions that lower your deductibles and copays. Between 150 and 200 percent of FPL, a standard silver plan’s actuarial value climbs from 70 percent to 87 percent. The benefit applies only to silver plans, so choosing bronze, gold, or platinum forfeits it. Premium tax credits, which reduce your monthly premium, extend to higher incomes, but the strongest cost-sharing help disappears once you cross 200 percent.5HealthCare.gov. Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
Medicaid and CHIP in Some States
Several states have expanded Medicaid or set up Basic Health Programs covering adults with incomes up to 200 percent of FPL, and a number of states use the same threshold for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.6Medicaid. Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Eligibility Levels Rules vary by state.
SNAP in Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility States
The federal SNAP gross income limit is 130 percent of FPL, but roughly 26 states and the District of Columbia use broad-based categorical eligibility to raise the limit to 200 percent.7Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) In those states, qualifying households also skip the asset test, so savings and vehicle values do not disqualify you.
Weatherization Assistance Program
The federal Weatherization Assistance Program uses 200 percent of FPL as its income ceiling under 10 CFR 440.3.8U.S. Department of Energy. Weatherization Program Notice 25-3 – Federal Poverty Guidelines Eligible households get insulation, air sealing, and heating repairs at no cost, along with a free home energy audit.
Civil Legal Aid in Hardship Cases
Legal Services Corporation grantees generally serve clients at or below 125 percent of FPL, but LSC rules let a local program stretch eligibility to 200 percent for applicants facing specific financial hardships like high medical costs or irregular seasonal income, provided the program has adopted a written policy allowing it.9Legal Services Corporation. Advisory Opinion 2020-003
One boundary worth flagging: LIHEAP, the federal home energy bill assistance program, uses 150 percent of FPL as its statutory ceiling, not 200 percent, although states may substitute 60 percent of state median income if it is higher.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 42 – 8624 If you are above 150 percent of FPL, check your state’s specific rule before assuming you do not qualify.
If Your Income Changes Mid-Year
Crossing the 200 percent line during the year can change your benefits right away. If you have Marketplace coverage with advance premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions, you are required to report income changes within 30 days.11U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Report Life Changes When You Have Marketplace Coverage Report late changes anyway; the risk of not reporting is owing money back at tax time.
Starting with tax year 2026, that risk is bigger. Earlier law capped how much you had to repay when you received more in advance premium tax credits than you were entitled to. Those caps are gone. If your actual income turns out higher than your estimate, you owe back the full difference with no limit.12Internal Revenue Service. Questions and Answers on the Premium Tax Credit For a household near 200 percent of FPL, a raise or a second job can trigger a repayment of hundreds or thousands of dollars. Reporting increases as they happen lets the Marketplace adjust your credits in real time.
Income drops work the other way. Reporting a lower income can raise your premium tax credit and may qualify you for stronger cost-sharing reductions for the rest of the year, cutting both your premium and your out-of-pocket costs.