United States · Benefits · Poverty guidelines
Federal poverty level history by year.
Every HHS poverty guideline since 1982 for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, read from the ASPE table of prior guidelines, with a lookup that returns the guideline for any year and household size and shows an income as a percentage of it.
Short answer: The 2026 poverty guideline is $15,960 for one person plus $5,680 for each additional person, so $33,000 for a family of four (48 states and DC; Federal Register, January 15, 2026). It was $15,650 and $32,150 in 2025, $11,880 and $24,300 in 2016, $8,350 and $17,050 in 2000, and $4,680 and $9,300 in 1982. Alaska and Hawaii have higher amounts: $19,950 and $18,360 for one person in 2026.
Look up a year and household size
Result
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Poverty guidelines by year, 1982 to 2026 (48 states and DC)
| Year | One person | Each additional person | Family of four | Change in the one-person amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $15,960 | $5,680 | $33,000 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | $15,650 | $5,500 | $32,150 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $15,060 | $5,380 | $31,200 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $14,580 | $5,140 | $30,000 | +7.3% |
| 2022 | $13,590 | $4,720 | $27,750 | +5.5% |
| 2021 | $12,880 | $4,540 | $26,500 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | $12,760 | $4,480 | $26,200 | +2.2% |
| 2019 | $12,490 | $4,420 | $25,750 | +2.9% |
| 2018 | $12,140 | $4,320 | $25,100 | +0.7% |
| 2017 | $12,060 | $4,180 | $24,600 | +1.5% |
| 2016 | $11,880 | varies by size (see ASPE) | $24,300 | +0.9% |
| 2015 | $11,770 | $4,160 | $24,250 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | $11,670 | $4,060 | $23,850 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | $11,490 | $4,020 | $23,550 | +2.9% |
| 2012 | $11,170 | $3,960 | $23,050 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | $10,890 | $3,820 | $22,350 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | $10,830 | $3,740 | $22,050 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | $10,830 | $3,740 | $22,050 | +4.1% |
| 2008 | $10,400 | $3,600 | $21,200 | +1.9% |
| 2007 | $10,210 | $3,480 | $20,650 | +4.2% |
| 2006 | $9,800 | $3,400 | $20,000 | +2.4% |
| 2005 | $9,570 | $3,260 | $19,350 | +2.8% |
| 2004 | $9,310 | $3,180 | $18,850 | +3.7% |
| 2003 | $8,980 | $3,140 | $18,400 | +1.4% |
| 2002 | $8,860 | $3,080 | $18,100 | +3.1% |
| 2001 | $8,590 | $3,020 | $17,650 | +2.9% |
| 2000 | $8,350 | $2,900 | $17,050 | +1.3% |
| 1999 | $8,240 | $2,820 | $16,700 | +2.4% |
| 1998 | $8,050 | $2,800 | $16,450 | +2.0% |
| 1997 | $7,890 | $2,720 | $16,050 | +1.9% |
| 1996 | $7,740 | $2,620 | $15,600 | +3.6% |
| 1995 | $7,470 | $2,560 | $15,150 | +1.5% |
| 1994 | $7,360 | $2,480 | $14,800 | +5.6% |
| 1993 | $6,970 | $2,460 | $14,350 | +2.3% |
| 1992 | $6,810 | $2,380 | $13,950 | +2.9% |
| 1991 | $6,620 | $2,260 | $13,400 | +5.4% |
| 1990 | $6,280 | $2,140 | $12,700 | +5.0% |
| 1989 | $5,980 | $2,040 | $12,100 | +3.6% |
| 1988 | $5,770 | $1,960 | $11,650 | +4.9% |
| 1987 | $5,500 | $1,900 | $11,200 | +2.6% |
| 1986 | $5,360 | $1,880 | $11,000 | +2.1% |
| 1985 | $5,250 | $1,800 | $10,650 | +5.4% |
| 1984 | $4,980 | $1,740 | $10,200 | +2.5% |
| 1983 | $4,860 | $1,680 | $9,900 | +3.8% |
| 1982 | $4,680 | $1,540 | $9,300 |
The 1982 figures are for nonfarm families, per the ASPE footnote. The ASPE table lists identical amounts for 2009 and 2010, with two Federal Register notices for 2010. For 2016 the ASPE table gives no single increment because the step between household sizes varied that year; this page shows the one-person and four-person figures for 2016 and refers other sizes to the ASPE computations page.
2026 guidelines by household size, including Alaska and Hawaii
| Household size | 48 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 |
For each additional person over eight, add $5,680 in the 48 states and DC, $7,100 in Alaska and $6,530 in Hawaii. The 2026 guidelines were published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026.
Worked example
A family of four with $30,000 of income in 2026 is at 90.9% of the $33,000 guideline ($2,750.00 a month). A household of three in 2010 had a guideline of $10,830 + 2 × $3,740 = $18,310. The one-person guideline rose from $8,350 in 2000 to $15,960 in 2026, an increase of $7,610 or 91.1%.
Method
The one-person amount, per-person increment and four-person figure for each year were typed from the ASPE page of prior HHS poverty guidelines and Federal Register references on November 11, 2026; the 2026 Alaska and Hawaii amounts come from the ASPE 2026 guidelines page. For sizes other than one and four the lookup adds the increment for each extra person, which ASPE says gives the published figures for the 48 states and DC from 1982 on, although it is not the official method of computing them from the Census poverty thresholds. Percent of poverty is income divided by the guideline.
What this does not cover
- Alaska and Hawaii guidelines for years before 2026.
- The Census Bureau poverty thresholds, which are used to count people in poverty and are a different set of numbers.
- Program rules. Medicaid, SNAP, LIHEAP and marketplace subsidies each apply their own percentage of the guideline, income definitions and effective dates.
Figures read from the sources below on November 11, 2026. Last updated November 11, 2026.
Sources
- HHS ASPE: Prior HHS Poverty Guidelines and Federal Register References, 1982 to 2026 (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines (48 states and DC, Alaska, Hawaii) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
Common mix-ups
-
Often assumedThe poverty guideline is the number the Census Bureau uses to count how many people are poor.
What the source saysASPE states that the guidelines are not the figures the Census Bureau uses; the Census count relies on the separate poverty thresholds. [1]
-
Often assumedOne poverty guideline applies to every state.
What the source saysASPE publishes three 2026 tables: $15,960 for one person in the 48 states and DC, $19,950 in Alaska and $18,360 in Hawaii. [2]
-
Often assumedThe poverty guidelines rise every year.
What the source saysThe ASPE table lists $10,830 for one person and $22,050 for four in both 2009 and 2010, the only repeat in the series since 1982. [1]
-
Often assumedThe guidelines have always been built by adding a fixed amount per person.
What the source saysASPE says simple addition reproduces the figures from 1982 on but is not the official computation method, and for 2016 its table gives no single per-person increment. [1]
- HHS ASPE: Prior HHS Poverty Guidelines and Federal Register References
- HHS ASPE: 2026 Poverty Guidelines
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal poverty level for 2026?
$15,960 for one person in the 48 states and DC, plus $5,680 for each additional person, so $33,000 for a family of four. Alaska and Hawaii are higher: $19,950 and $18,360 for one person.
What was the poverty level in 2025?
$15,650 for one person and $32,150 for a family of four, with $5,500 for each additional person.
How much has the poverty guideline risen since 2000?
The one-person guideline went from $8,350 in 2000 to $15,960 in 2026, an increase of $7,610 or about 91%.
Why are the 2009 and 2010 guidelines the same?
The ASPE table shows $10,830 for one person and $22,050 for four in both years, and lists two Federal Register notices for 2010 (January and August).
How do I find the guideline for a household of six?
Take the one-person amount and add the increment five times. For 2026 that is $15,960 + 5 × $5,680 = $44,360, which matches the published 2026 table.
Why does 2016 have no per-person increment here?
The ASPE prior-guidelines table says the 2016 increment varies and points to its computations page, so this page lists only the published 2016 one-person ($11,880) and four-person ($24,300) amounts.
Are the poverty guidelines the same as the poverty thresholds?
No. HHS issues the guidelines each year for program eligibility; the Census Bureau uses its own poverty thresholds to count people in poverty.
When are new guidelines published?
Each January in the Federal Register. The 2026 guidelines appeared on January 15, 2026 and the 2025 guidelines on January 17, 2025.
Not legal advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not legal or benefits advice. Guidelines come from HHS on the date shown; each program applies its own percentage, income rules and effective date. Confirm with the program before relying on a figure. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. It runs in your browser.