United States · Bankruptcy · Means test · 2026
Chapter 7 means test calculator 2026.
Lines 11 to 14 of Official Form 122A-1, with the U.S. Trustee Program median family income table for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026.
Short answer: The first stage of the Chapter 7 means test compares your current monthly income times 12 with the median family income for your state and household size. Form 122A-1 line 12b is your average monthly income from all sources over the 6 full months before you file, multiplied by 12; line 13 is the median from the U.S. Trustee Program table; line 14a (at or below the median) means there is no presumption of abuse, and line 14b (above it) means Form 122A-2 decides. For cases filed on or after July 15, 2026 the table runs from Mississippi, $53,978 for one earner, to Washington, $88,585, and adds $11,100 for each person above four.
Compare your income with the median
Result
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What the median income step is
Official Form 122A-1, the Chapter 7 Statement of Your Current Monthly Income, asks you to “fill in the average monthly income that you received from all sources, derived during the 6 full months before you file this bankruptcy case.” Lines 2 to 10 list the sources (wages and salary, business income, rental income, interest and dividends, unemployment compensation, pension or retirement income, and other sources), and line 11 adds them for you and, if applicable, a spouse. Line 12a copies line 11; line 12b multiplies it by 12, “the number of months in a year,” to give annual income for this part of the form. Line 13 is where you “fill in the median family income for your state and size of household,” and line 14 asks “How do the lines compare?”
Line 14a: line 12b is less than or equal to line 13, so on the top of page 1 you check box 1, “There is no presumption of abuse,” and the form says: “If you checked line 14a, do NOT fill out or file Form 122A–2.” Line 14b: line 12b is more than line 13, so you check box 2, “The presumption of abuse is determined by Form 122A-2,” and you fill out that second form, which deducts allowed expenses. Line 14b is a routing instruction, not a verdict.
The median family income table
The U.S. Trustee Program posts the Census Bureau median family income by family size and says which filing dates each version covers. The table below is headed “Cases Filed On or After July 15, 2026” and carries the instruction “Add $11,100 for each individual in excess of 4.” The Program’s means-testing page lists its updates: Census data applied to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026 (posted March 18, 2026) and revised administrative expense multipliers and IRS standards for cases filed on or after July 15, 2026 (posted June 30, 2026). The date you file selects the table, so a case filed before July 15, 2026 uses the earlier page.
| State or territory | 1 earner | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,321 | $77,451 | $92,698 | $106,740 |
| Alaska | $85,817 | $112,548 | $112,548 | $142,136 |
| Arizona | $73,935 | $89,027 | $104,965 | $121,174 |
| Arkansas | $58,421 | $73,630 | $82,329 | $97,054 |
| California | $79,253 | $102,797 | $116,541 | $139,071 |
| Colorado | $87,940 | $109,497 | $130,850 | $153,501 |
| Connecticut | $84,302 | $106,224 | $134,470 | $159,934 |
| Delaware | $69,515 | $94,877 | $111,273 | $132,244 |
| District of Columbia | $85,391 | $161,397 | $161,397 | $166,598 |
| Florida | $69,876 | $86,523 | $97,540 | $114,761 |
| Georgia | $68,478 | $84,965 | $101,479 | $123,481 |
| Hawaii | $85,254 | $106,202 | $123,454 | $142,181 |
| Idaho | $73,413 | $86,160 | $98,381 | $119,662 |
| Illinois | $73,180 | $93,934 | $113,625 | $137,902 |
| Indiana | $64,461 | $81,986 | $95,627 | $115,656 |
| Iowa | $67,617 | $88,800 | $104,133 | $126,058 |
| Kansas | $69,197 | $87,441 | $103,852 | $125,971 |
| Kentucky | $61,652 | $73,892 | $85,212 | $109,443 |
| Louisiana | $59,447 | $72,348 | $84,602 | $103,628 |
| Maine | $75,892 | $90,445 | $106,822 | $131,577 |
| Maryland | $86,928 | $114,611 | $135,949 | $166,173 |
| Massachusetts | $88,202 | $112,708 | $139,411 | $178,524 |
| Michigan | $67,352 | $83,432 | $103,449 | $123,010 |
| Minnesota | $77,696 | $98,328 | $126,487 | $149,882 |
| Mississippi | $53,978 | $70,328 | $82,846 | $97,464 |
| Missouri | $64,972 | $82,075 | $100,228 | $118,530 |
| Montana | $71,310 | $91,452 | $103,285 | $121,698 |
| Nebraska | $66,922 | $90,728 | $103,405 | $125,074 |
| Nevada | $72,222 | $87,914 | $101,638 | $114,110 |
| New Hampshire | $87,287 | $109,324 | $141,531 | $155,203 |
| New Jersey | $87,173 | $106,876 | $137,136 | $168,127 |
| New Mexico | $66,235 | $79,574 | $88,041 | $98,602 |
| New York | $73,272 | $92,902 | $115,579 | $139,040 |
| North Carolina | $67,117 | $84,384 | $101,535 | $116,737 |
| North Dakota | $73,549 | $96,352 | $106,686 | $137,817 |
| Ohio | $66,239 | $83,725 | $102,504 | $123,702 |
| Oklahoma | $61,180 | $77,208 | $86,845 | $101,798 |
| Oregon | $79,089 | $93,670 | $116,729 | $140,024 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,230 | $87,534 | $110,151 | $135,862 |
| Rhode Island | $77,653 | $98,736 | $119,419 | $137,479 |
| South Carolina | $64,808 | $83,761 | $95,672 | $116,314 |
| South Dakota | $69,190 | $89,809 | $100,883 | $130,738 |
| Tennessee | $63,979 | $82,846 | $97,511 | $109,585 |
| Texas | $66,837 | $86,714 | $99,273 | $117,962 |
| Utah | $87,898 | $95,757 | $112,751 | $131,741 |
| Vermont | $72,461 | $96,963 | $114,075 | $137,583 |
| Virginia | $78,491 | $101,171 | $123,159 | $144,826 |
| Washington | $88,585 | $107,100 | $131,737 | $156,567 |
| West Virginia | $63,908 | $68,592 | $92,050 | $93,672 |
| Wisconsin | $71,168 | $90,252 | $108,516 | $133,384 |
| Wyoming | $71,745 | $91,502 | $98,476 | $110,297 |
| Guam | $53,859 | $64,399 | $73,385 | $88,805 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | $36,168 | $36,168 | $42,080 | $61,891 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,665 | $30,665 | $40,976 | $50,543 |
| Virgin Islands | $42,734 | $51,360 | $54,760 | $59,995 |
For five or more people, take the 4-person figure and add $11,100 per additional person: Alabama for five people is $106,740 + $11,100 = $117,840.
Worked examples
Texas, one earner, $5,200 a month averaged over the six months: line 12b is $5,200 x 12 = $62,400, line 13 is $66,837, so line 14a applies and there is no presumption of abuse from this form; Form 122A-2 is not filed.
California, household of four, $12,000 a month: line 12b is $144,000, line 13 is $139,071, so line 14b applies and Form 122A-2 decides the presumption after allowed expenses. The $4,929 difference says nothing by itself about whether the case can proceed.
Mississippi, household of two, $5,800 a month: $69,600 against a median of $70,328, which is line 14a by $728. A month of overtime inside the six-month window can move a case across the line, which is why the form fixes the window at the six full calendar months before filing.
Method
The calculator multiplies the average monthly income you type by 12, looks up the median for the state and household size from the table above (adding $11,100 for each person above four), and reports line 14a or 14b with the difference and the percentage of the median. Table and form text read from justice.gov and uscourts.gov on November 11, 2026.
What this does not cover
- Form 122A-2, the second stage that deducts allowed expenses for above-median filers.
- Which people count in your household and which income is excluded; the form instructions and your attorney decide that.
- The exemption for debtors whose debts are primarily non-consumer debts, and the service-member exemptions on Form 122A-1Supp.
- Chapter 13, which uses Form 122C-1 and its own commitment-period rules.
Figures read from the sources below on November 11, 2026. Last updated November 11, 2026.
Sources
- U.S. Trustee Program: Census Bureau Median Family Income By Family Size, cases filed on or after July 15, 2026 (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- U.S. Trustee Program: Means Testing Information (update dates) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- U.S. Courts: Official Form 122A-1, Chapter 7 Statement of Your Current Monthly Income (PDF) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
Common mix-ups
-
Often assumedIncome above the state median means you cannot file Chapter 7.
What the source saysLine 14b of Form 122A-1 only says the presumption of abuse is determined by Form 122A-2, which deducts allowed expenses; the first form never decides a case by itself. [2]
-
Often assumedThe means test uses last year’s tax return income.
What the source saysThe form asks for the average monthly income received from all sources during the 6 full months before the case is filed, multiplied by 12 on line 12b. [2]
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Often assumedThe median figures change every January 1.
What the source saysThe U.S. Trustee Program applies new Census data to cases filed on or after dates it posts, most recently April 1, 2026, and the current table is headed cases filed on or after July 15, 2026. [1]
-
Often assumedA household of six uses the four-person median.
What the source saysThe table says to add $11,100 for each individual in excess of 4, so a six-person household adds $22,200 to the four-person figure. [1]
- U.S. Trustee Program: Census Bureau Median Family Income By Family Size (cases filed on or after July 15, 2026)
- U.S. Courts: Official Form 122A-1, Chapter 7 Statement of Your Current Monthly Income (PDF)
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chapter 7 income limit for 2026?
There is no single limit. Form 122A-1 compares your annualized current monthly income with the median family income for your state and household size; the current table covers cases filed on or after July 15, 2026.
What months of income does the means test use?
The 6 full calendar months before you file, averaged and multiplied by 12 on line 12b.
What happens if I am above the median?
You check line 14b and complete Form 122A-2, which deducts allowed expenses to decide whether a presumption of abuse arises.
What happens if I am at or below the median?
You check line 14a, box 1 on page 1 says there is no presumption of abuse, and the form tells you not to fill out Form 122A-2.
How is a household of more than four counted?
Add $11,100 to the four-person median for each additional person.
Where does the median figure come from?
The U.S. Trustee Program publishes Census Bureau median family income by family size and states which filing dates each table covers.
Is this tool legal advice?
No. It performs the arithmetic on lines 11 to 14 only; a bankruptcy attorney or the court’s self-help resources decide how the rules apply to you.
Not legal advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not legal advice, and it is not affiliated with the U.S. Trustee Program or any court. It reproduces the arithmetic of lines 11 to 14 of Official Form 122A-1 and nothing more; it does not say whether anyone qualifies for Chapter 7. Talk to a bankruptcy attorney or the court clerk’s self-help desk before filing. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. It runs in your browser.