Federal Poverty Guidelines: Current Amounts, Percentages, and Which Programs Use Them

The 2026 federal poverty guidelines table

HHS publishes three sets of figures: one for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, and separate, higher sets for Alaska and Hawaii, where living costs have long been higher. All amounts are yearly gross income before taxes, as each program defines it.

Source: the 2026 notice in the Federal Register (91 FR 1797) and the ASPE poverty guidelines page.

For comparison, the 2025 guideline was $15,650 for one person plus $5,500 per extra person. That difference matters for health insurance, because the Marketplace still uses the prior year's figures for 2026 coverage (more on that below).

Common percentages in dollars

Because programs set limits as a percent of the guidelines, it helps to see the math done. The table below shows yearly amounts for the 48 states and D.C., rounded to the nearest dollar. Programs sometimes round differently or convert to monthly figures, so treat these as close estimates and confirm the exact number with the agency.

To get a monthly figure, divide by 12. For example, 138% for one person is about $22,025 a year, or roughly $1,835 a month. HHS also posts a detailed chart of many percentages in its 2026 detailed guidelines PDF.

Which programs use which percentage

ASPE lists Head Start, SNAP, the National School Lunch Program, LIHEAP, and CHIP among the programs that use the guidelines or a multiple of them. It also notes that TANF cash aid, SSI, and the Earned Income Tax Credit generally do not. Here is how the most common programs line up:

For SNAP, the October 2026 to September 2027 limits for one person work out to $1,729 a month gross and $1,330 net. Our SNAP calculator runs the full benefit math for your household size. For health coverage, the Medicaid guide explains expansion and non-expansion states, and the LIHEAP guide covers energy bill help.

Guidelines versus Census poverty thresholds

People often mix up two federal poverty measures. They are related, but they do different jobs.

The guidelines are a simplified version of the thresholds. Each year HHS takes the latest Census thresholds, updates them for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, then rounds and evens out the steps between household sizes. The Census poverty thresholds tables go back decades if you want to compare.

If a form or caseworker says "poverty level," it almost always means the HHS guidelines. Statistics in news stories about the poverty rate come from the Census thresholds.

When new guidelines take effect

ASPE says HHS has published new guidelines in late January nearly every year since 2006. The 2027 guidelines should therefore appear around the second half of January 2027. Expect them to rise roughly in line with 2026 inflation.

Publication isn't the same as use. Each program switches on its own schedule:

• Medicaid and CHIP: many states switch to the new figures in the spring, often between February and April.
• Marketplace coverage: the guidelines from the year before the coverage year are used, so 2027 coverage will use the 2026 table above.
• School meals and WIC: new limits start July 1.
• SNAP and LIHEAP: new limits start October 1, the start of the federal fiscal year.
• Form I-864: USCIS sets its own effective date, which was March 1 in 2026.

So for a few months each year, one program may be using the new numbers while another still uses last year's. If your income is close to a limit, ask the agency which year's chart applies to your application date.

How programs count your income and household

The guidelines are just dollar amounts. They don't say what counts as income or who counts as family. Each program writes those rules, and the differences can decide whether you qualify.

• Gross versus net. SNAP checks gross income first, then net income after deductions for things like rent and child care. Medicaid for most adults uses modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), a tax-based measure.
• Who is in the household. SNAP counts people who buy and prepare food together. Medicaid and the Marketplace usually follow your tax household. A roommate may count for one and not the other.
• Pregnancy. WIC and Medicaid can count an unborn child as an extra household member.
• Monthly versus yearly. Many programs look at current monthly income, while Marketplace subsidies use your expected income for the whole year.
• Excluded money. Some payments, such as certain tax refunds, are not counted at all by many programs.

When in doubt, apply. The agency does the official math, and applying for public benefits is free.

Figuring your own percentage of poverty

You can estimate where you stand in three steps:

1. Find your guideline. Use the first table above for your state and household size.
2. Divide your yearly income by it. Use the kind of income the program counts.
3. Multiply by 100. That's your percent of the poverty guideline.

Example. Dana lives in Ohio with her two children and earns $3,000 a month, or $36,000 a year. Her guideline for three people is $27,320. $36,000 divided by $27,320 is about 1.32, so she is at roughly 132% of poverty. That puts her above the 130% SNAP gross limit, though she may still qualify if Ohio uses broader SNAP rules. She is under the 138% line, so as an Ohio adult she can likely qualify for Medicaid, which Ohio has expanded. Her children are well under 185%, so WIC (for a child under 5) and reduced-price school meals are possible.

Alaska example. A two-person household in Anchorage earning $34,000 a year is at about 126% of its $27,050 Alaska guideline. The same income in Texas would be about 157% of the $21,640 figure. This is why the Alaska and Hawaii tables matter.

Is the federal poverty level the same thing?

In everyday use, yes. HealthCare.gov, state agencies, and many forms say "federal poverty level" or "FPL" when they mean the HHS poverty guidelines. ASPE prefers "guidelines" to avoid confusion with the Census thresholds, but you can treat the terms as the same when you read an eligibility rule. For a state-specific look, our federal poverty level for Texas guide shows how one state applies the numbers.

One caution: "200% of poverty" and "200% FPL" mean the same, but "60% of state median income" is a different measure. LIHEAP and some child care programs use state median income, which is often higher than the poverty guideline in more expensive states.

Using the guidelines to find help, step by step

1. Add up your household's monthly income before taxes, and note who lives with you.
2. Find your percent of poverty using the tables on this page.
3. Match it to programs in the program table. Under 130%? Check SNAP and free school meals. Under 138%? Check Medicaid if your state expanded it. Under 185%? Check WIC.
4. Apply through official channels. Your state benefits website, HealthCare.gov, or your local WIC clinic. Applications are free.
5. Re-check every January and July. Limits move up most years, so a small raise in pay may not cost you benefits if the limit rose too.

Related guides

• How to apply for Medicaid
• Weatherization Assistance Program
• Iowa low income assistance
• Housing Choice Voucher program

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Each program sets its own income rules and decides eligibility. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with HHS or any government agency.