The 2026 poverty guidelines
HHS published the 2026 guidelines in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. There are three tables, because the cost of living in Alaska and Hawaii is treated separately; everywhere else, including the District of Columbia, uses the first.
| Persons in household | 48 contiguous states and 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 |
| Each additional person | + $5,680 | + $7,100 | + $6,530 |
Percent of the poverty level
Programs rarely use the guideline itself; HHS notes that they use the guidelines or percentage multiples of them, giving 125 and 185 percent as examples, and each program sets its own multiple. The table applies the common multiples to the 48-state figures:
| Household size | 100% | 125% | 150% | 185% | 200% | 250% | 300% | 400% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $19,950 | $23,940 | $29,526 | $31,920 | $39,900 | $47,880 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $27,050 | $32,460 | $40,034 | $43,280 | $54,100 | $64,920 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $34,150 | $40,980 | $50,542 | $54,640 | $68,300 | $81,960 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $41,250 | $49,500 | $61,050 | $66,000 | $82,500 | $99,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $48,350 | $58,020 | $71,558 | $77,360 | $96,700 | $116,040 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $55,450 | $66,540 | $82,066 | $88,720 | $110,900 | $133,080 | $177,440 |
Each program sets its own rules on what counts as income and over what period. A family of four earning $66,000 is at 200 percent of the 2026 level; the paycheck calculator converts an hourly wage or a per-paycheck amount into the yearly figure, and the budget planner shows what that income has to cover.
What the guidelines are used for
- Program eligibility. HHS lists Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Children's Health Insurance Program among the programs that use the guidelines or multiples of them.
- Not every program. HHS says cash assistance programs generally do not use the guidelines, and the Earned Income Tax Credit does not either; the EITC has its own income limits set in the tax code.
- Not the territories. The guidelines are not defined for Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the other territories.
Guidelines vs thresholds
| Poverty guidelines | Poverty thresholds | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | HHS, in the Federal Register each year | the Census Bureau |
| Purpose | administrative: program eligibility | statistical: measuring the poverty population |
| Updated | annually from the change in the CPI-U | annually by the Census Bureau |
HHS describes the guidelines as a simplification of the thresholds: the thresholds are the original measure, and the guidelines smooth them into a table that programs can apply. When a form asks for income as a percentage of the federal poverty level, it means the HHS guidelines in the table above.
This guide reproduces the 2026 figures from the HHS poverty guidelines page. Program rules on whose income counts, over what period and against which multiple are set by each program, and the child and dependent care credit and other tax provisions use their own income definitions rather than these tables.
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal poverty level for 2026?
For the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, the 2026 HHS poverty guideline is $15,960 for one person, $21,640 for two, $27,320 for three and $33,000 for four, adding $5,680 for each additional person. Alaska and Hawaii have higher figures: $19,950 and $18,360 for one person. HHS published the 2026 guidelines in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026.
What is the difference between the poverty guidelines and the poverty thresholds?
HHS describes the guidelines as a simplification of the poverty thresholds for administrative purposes, such as deciding eligibility for federal programs. The thresholds are the original federal poverty measure, updated by the Census Bureau and used mainly for statistics, such as counting how many people are in poverty. When a program says "percent of the federal poverty level", it means the HHS guidelines.
Which programs use the poverty guidelines?
HHS lists Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Children's Health Insurance Program among programs that use the guidelines or percentage multiples of them, such as 125 or 185 percent. It notes that cash assistance programs generally do not use them, and neither does the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Is the poverty level the same in every state?
There are three tables: one for the 48 contiguous states and DC, one for Alaska and one for Hawaii, with the Alaska and Hawaii figures about 25 and 15 percent higher. HHS says the guidelines are not defined for Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and other territories; programs operating there use their own rules.
How is the poverty guideline updated?
Annually. HHS says the guidelines are calculated by comparing the average monthly Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the current year with the prior year, and issues them each year in the Federal Register; the 2026 guidelines appeared on January 15, 2026. The household-size steps are kept at a constant increment, $5,680 per person for 2026 in the 48 states.
Sources
General information based on the sources above, not tax, legal or financial advice.