2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines: Full Table for Every Household Size

The 2026 federal poverty guidelines set the baseline income limits for many government benefits. For one person in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC, the guideline is $15,960 a year. Add $5,680 for each additional household member. Alaska and Hawaii use higher figures because of their cost of living.

Who uses these guidelines

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes the poverty guidelines every year. Programs like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid, and Lifeline (phone and internet discounts) use these figures to decide who qualifies for help.

Most programs don't use the guideline as a hard cutoff. Instead, they set their income limit as a percentage of the guideline. For example, Lifeline covers households at or below 135% of the guideline. SNAP looks at gross income of 130% or less, and net income of 100% or less. Medicaid in states that expanded it covers most adults with income up to 133% of the guideline (or 138% once the standard 5% income disregard is counted).

To find out if you might qualify for a specific program, check that program's own income rules. Different programs use different percentages, and rules vary by state.

2026 poverty guideline tables

48 contiguous states and Washington, DC:

For households with more than 8 people, add $5,680 for each additional person.

Alaska:

For households with more than 8 people, add $7,100 for each additional person.

Hawaii:

For households with more than 8 people, add $6,530 for each additional person.

Monthly amounts are the yearly figure divided by 12 and rounded to the nearest dollar. Programs round in their own way, so always check the program's own table.

How to calculate your percentage of the guideline

Many programs ask: what percentage of the poverty guideline is your household income? Here's how to figure it out:

1. Find the guideline for your household size and state in the tables above.
2. Divide your yearly household income by that guideline.
3. Multiply by 100.

Example: A family of 3 in Ohio earns $40,000 a year. The guideline for 3 people is $27,320. So: $40,000 ÷ $27,320 = 1.46, or about 146% of the poverty guideline.

You can also use our poverty level calculator to do this automatically.

When programs switch to new guidelines

HHS updates the poverty guidelines every year, but each benefit program adopts them on its own schedule. SNAP, for example, uses the 2025 guidelines for its income limits from October 2025 to September 2026. When you apply for a specific program, check with that program to see which year's guideline it uses for income eligibility.

Common mistakes to avoid

Make sure you're looking at the right guidelines. Guidelines change every year, and different programs update on different schedules. Your program may still be using the 2025 guidelines even if 2026 figures are available.

Don't confuse the poverty guidelines with the poverty thresholds. The Census Bureau publishes poverty thresholds separately—they're used for statistics about how many people live in poverty, not for deciding who qualifies for benefits.

Remember that the guideline is only one part of the eligibility check. Most programs consider more than just income. They may also count assets, household circumstances, or other factors. Always apply directly to the program to find out for sure.

Related help

Use our benefits screener to see what programs might help based on your situation. Check our glossary for more about how the federal poverty guidelines work. Browse all programs to see the income rules for each one.

Summary

The 2026 poverty guidelines set income limits for federal benefits. For one person in most states, the guideline is $15,960 a year. Most programs set their eligibility at a percentage of the guideline, not the guideline itself. Use the tables above to find the figure for your household size and state, then check the specific program's rules to see if you qualify.