Federal poverty guidelines, 2026
The federal poverty guidelines are the income table almost every needs-based programme in the United States is built on: Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, SNAP, ACA premium tax credits, Head Start, LIHEAP and reduced-price school meals all start from a percentage of this number.
Source: HHS Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register). Alaska and Hawaii have their own published schedules.
One person
$15,960
48 contiguous states and DC
Family of four
$33,000
48 contiguous states and DC
Each extra person
$5,680
added above the largest published size
| Household size | 48 states & DC | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $19,950 | $18,360 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $27,050 | $24,890 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $34,150 | $31,420 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $41,250 | $37,950 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $48,350 | $44,480 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $55,450 | $51,010 |
| 7 | $50,040 | $62,550 | $57,540 |
| 8 | $55,720 | $69,650 | $64,070 |
The thresholds that actually decide eligibility
Programmes rarely use 100% of the guideline. These are the multiples applied to the contiguous-states figures above.
| Household size | 138% (Medicaid expansion) | 150% | 200% | 400% (ACA cap) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $22,025 | $23,940 | $31,920 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $29,863 | $32,460 | $43,280 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $37,702 | $40,980 | $54,640 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $45,540 | $49,500 | $66,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $53,378 | $58,020 | $77,360 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $61,217 | $66,540 | $88,720 | $177,440 |
| 7 | $69,055 | $75,060 | $100,080 | $200,160 |
| 8 | $76,894 | $83,580 | $111,440 | $222,880 |
Working out what a subsidy is worth at your own income? Start with the paycheck calculator to get to an annual figure, then check the health insurance guide for how the premium tax credit is applied.
Methodology
The poverty guidelines are published each year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Federal Register. We store the published table verbatim: one row per household size for each of the three schedules (48 contiguous states and DC, Alaska, Hawaii). Nothing is estimated.
Above the largest published household size, HHS specifies a flat per-person increment. The increment shown here is the gap between the last two published sizes, which is the same figure.
The multiples table applies 138%, 150%, 200% and 400% to the contiguous-states guideline. Individual programmes differ on which income definition they use (modified adjusted gross income for ACA and Medicaid, gross monthly income for SNAP), so treat these as the starting point and verify with the programme itself.
This is educational information, not an eligibility determination.
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, annual Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2026.