The 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of four is $33,000 a year in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. The amount changes with household size and is higher in Alaska and Hawaii. “Federal poverty level” usually means the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines, which agencies use to assess eligibility for programs such as Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP and Head Start.
These guidelines are not the same thing as the Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds, which are used to publish official poverty statistics. The program applying the guideline determines which people count in the household, what income period and deductions apply, and whether an income percentage or additional tests are used.
2026 federal poverty guidelines for the 48 states and D.C.
Use this schedule for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. For households larger than eight people, add $5,680 per additional person.
| People in household | Annual guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 |
| 2 | $21,640 |
| 3 | $27,320 |
| 4 | $33,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 |
| 6 | $44,360 |
| 7 | $50,040 |
| 8 | $55,720 |
For example, 100% of the 2026 guideline for four people in this geography is $33,000 annually. A program using 125% would compare its applicable income measure with 1.25 times that base, but the program’s own rules control the final decision.
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Alaska has a separate HHS schedule. For more than eight people, add $7,100 per additional person.
| People in household | Annual guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $19,950 |
| 2 | $27,050 |
| 3 | $34,150 |
| 4 | $41,250 |
| 5 | $48,350 |
| 6 | $55,450 |
| 7 | $62,550 |
| 8 | $69,650 |
2026 guidelines for Hawaii
Hawaii also has its own schedule. For more than eight people, add $6,530 per additional person.
| People in household | Annual guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $18,360 |
| 2 | $24,890 |
| 3 | $31,420 |
| 4 | $37,950 |
| 5 | $44,480 |
| 6 | $51,010 |
| 7 | $57,540 |
| 8 | $64,070 |
How to use the poverty-level chart
- Identify the program. Read its application or notice to find the required household or family definition.
- Count the people under that definition. The number may not be identical to everyone living at the address.
- Choose the correct geography. Use the contiguous-states/D.C. table, Alaska table or Hawaii table.
- Match the income period. A program may use annual, monthly or another specified period. Convert the guideline only when the program instructs you to do so.
- Apply the program’s percentage. Eligibility might be tied to 100%, 125%, 150%, 185% or another multiple rather than exactly 100%.
- Check the remaining rules. Income exclusions, deductions, asset limits, categorical eligibility, immigration or age rules and the application’s effective date can all matter.
Being below 100% of a guideline does not automatically establish eligibility, and being above it does not necessarily end the analysis. Each program defines its own test.
Which programs use the guidelines?
HHS identifies Medicaid, Head Start, SNAP, the National School Lunch Program, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as examples of programs that use the poverty guidelines or a percentage multiple. The exact percentage and calculation method differ by program and, in some cases, by state.
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Why the same income can produce different results
- Household definition: one program may count a tax household, while another uses a family, assistance unit or specific relationship rules.
- Income definition: wages, self-employment income, benefits and other sources may be included, excluded or counted after deductions.
- Time period: agencies may use current monthly income, projected annual income or a different period specified in their regulations.
- Other tests: assets, age, disability, pregnancy, work status, citizenship or categorical eligibility may apply.
- Effective date: the guideline in force when an agency evaluates the application or renewal can matter.
Federal poverty guidelines versus Census poverty thresholds
The terms are often treated as synonyms, but they serve different purposes.
| Feature | HHS poverty guidelines | Census poverty thresholds |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Administrative eligibility decisions | Official statistical poverty estimates |
| Format | Simplified annual amounts by household size | More detailed thresholds used in statistical calculations |
| Geography | Separate schedules for the contiguous states/D.C., Alaska and Hawaii | No separate state schedules |
| Household-size increments | Standardized increments, including the published amounts above | Not standardized into the HHS household-size schedule |
HHS describes the guidelines as an administrative tool. The Census Bureau’s thresholds are the measure used to determine whether people fall below the official statistical poverty line. A household can therefore receive a different result depending on which measure a question or program uses.
What “100% of the federal poverty level” means
“100%” means the applicable HHS guideline amount for the relevant household size and geography. For a four-person household in the contiguous states and D.C., that is $33,000 for 2026. A percentage calculation is:
Applicable guideline × program percentage = income limit before the program’s other rules
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For instance, a program using 125% would multiply the applicable base by 1.25. This arithmetic does not tell you whether the program counts gross or net income, which deductions are allowed, or whether another eligibility category applies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Annual amounts, monthly amounts and rounding
The HHS tables publish annual figures. Some applications display monthly limits, but the administering program determines how it converts the annual guideline, rounds the result and handles income that changes during the month. Do not substitute a self-calculated monthly number for the program’s published limit when the application supplies one.
How HHS sets the 2026 figures
HHS updates the guidelines using changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), then applies standardized rounding and increments. For 2026, the calculation used the 11 available months of 2025 CPI-U compared with all 12 months of 2024 CPI-U; October 2025 CPI-U was not published because of the federal shutdown. The resulting standardized annual increment for each additional person in the contiguous states and D.C. is $5,680.
Locations without an HHS poverty-guideline schedule
HHS says the guidelines are not defined for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands or Palau. A federal program serving one of those locations decides which method or alternative schedule to use. Check that program’s instructions rather than applying the stateside, Alaska or Hawaii table.
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Get historical figures or reproduce a calculation
The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation provides a Poverty Guidelines API with historical data from 1983 through 2026. The documented endpoint is https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines/api/[YEAR]/[STATE]/[HOUSEHOLD_SIZE]. Use us, ak or hi for the state code and household sizes 1 through 8 for the direct household-size values. Replace the bracketed parts with the year, state code and size you need.
Quick Recap
A practical eligibility checklist
- Confirm that you are using the current year’s table.
- Verify whether your location is the contiguous states/D.C., Alaska or Hawaii.
- Read the program’s definition of household or family.
- Determine whether it asks for gross, net, modified or otherwise adjusted income.
- Use the required annual or monthly period and the program’s percentage multiple.
- Review deductions, exclusions, asset tests and categorical requirements.
- Ask the administering agency which guideline year and effective date apply if your income or household changed recently.
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