U.S. · Benefits · 2026 poverty guidelines
What percent of the federal poverty level am I?
Enter income, how often you receive it, your household size and your state group, and get your income as a percent of the 2026 HHS poverty guideline, with the common program multiples marked at, below or above.
Short answer: Divide your yearly income by the 2026 poverty guideline for your household size, then multiply by 100. The HHS ASPE guidelines for 2026 are $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., adding $5,680 per extra person; Alaska and Hawaii have higher tables. A family of three earning $30,000 a year is at 109.8% of its $27,320 guideline; a single person earning $2,500 a month ($30,000 a year) is at 188% of $15,960. The guidelines were published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026.
Your income as a percent of the 2026 guideline
Result
Press Calculate to see your percent of the poverty level.
The 2026 poverty guidelines
| Household size | 48 states and D.C. | 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 |
| Each additional person | +$5,680 | +$7,100 | +$6,530 |
These are the HHS poverty guidelines, which ASPE describes as a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes. The Census Bureau’s thresholds are the statistical measure used for official poverty estimates; the guidelines are the administrative version that programs plug into their eligibility rules. The 2026 guidelines were published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. ASPE notes that because the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish CPI-U data for October 2025 during the federal government shutdown, the 2026 calculation compares 11 months of 2025 with all 12 months of 2024. The guidelines are not defined for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and several other jurisdictions; the federal office running a program there decides how to handle it.
How the percent is calculated
The calculator converts what you enter to a yearly amount (monthly times 12, biweekly times 26, weekly times 52), looks up the guideline for your household size in the table you choose, and divides. For a household above eight people it adds the published per-person amount for each extra person, which is the method the guidelines state. It then lists the common multiples, 100%, 133%, 138%, 150%, 185%, 200%, 250%, 300% and 400%, with the dollar amount of each for your household and whether your income is at or below it. ASPE says programs such as Head Start, SNAP, the National School Lunch Program, LIHEAP and CHIP use the guidelines, often at percentage multiples, while TANF, SSI and the Earned Income Tax Credit generally do not.
Worked examples
| Household | Income | Guideline | Percent of FPL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 people, 48 states | $30,000 a year | $27,320 | 109.8% |
| 1 person, 48 states | $2,500 a month ($30,000 a year) | $15,960 | 188% |
| 4 people, Alaska | $60,000 a year | $41,250 | 145.5% |
For the family of three, 100% of the guideline is $27,320 and 138% is $37,701.60, so $30,000 sits above 100% and below 138%. For the single person, 200% is $31,920, so $30,000 is below it. The Alaska family of four is measured against the Alaska table, $41,250 rather than $33,000, which is why the same income reads as a lower percent there.
Which year of guideline a program uses
The percent you get here is against the 2026 guideline. Programs adopt a new year’s guideline on their own schedules, which is the most common reason two calculators disagree: a program year that started before January 2026 may still be measuring applicants against the 2025 figures, and the ASPE page itself says the federal office administering a program decides how to apply the guidelines. The pages linked above on the 138%, 200% and 400% lines explain where each multiple is used. Household size is the other place to be careful: a program counts the people in the applicant’s tax or assistance unit, which is not always everyone under the roof.
Method
The three tables and the per-person amounts were read from the HHS ASPE poverty guidelines page on November 11, 2026. Percent of FPL is yearly income divided by the guideline, shown to one decimal. Multiples are the guideline times the percentage, with monthly figures as one twelfth, unrounded; programs round their own way.
What this does not cover
- How a program counts income (gross, net or MAGI) or who is in the household.
- Whether a program has moved to the 2026 guideline yet.
- The Census poverty thresholds, which are a different series used for statistics.
- The 2027 guidelines, expected in January 2027 and not published when this page was built.
Figures read from the sources below on November 11, 2026. Last updated November 11, 2026.
Sources
- HHS ASPE: Poverty guidelines (2026 tables for the 48 states and D.C., Alaska and Hawaii; program notes) (retrieved November 11, 2026)
Common mix-ups
-
Often assumedThe poverty level is the same number everywhere in the United States.
What the source saysHHS publishes three 2026 tables: $15,960 for one person in the 48 states and D.C., $19,950 in Alaska and $18,360 in Hawaii. [1]
-
Often assumedPoverty guidelines and poverty thresholds are two names for one figure.
What the source saysASPE calls the guidelines a simplification of the Census thresholds for administrative use; the thresholds are the statistical series. [1]
-
Often assumedEvery program measures income against the current year’s guideline.
What the source saysASPE says the federal office administering a program decides how to apply the guidelines, and programs adopt a new year on their own schedules. [1]
-
Often assumedSSI and the Earned Income Tax Credit are set as a percent of the poverty level.
What the source saysASPE lists TANF, SSI and the EITC among programs that generally do not use the guidelines. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my percent of the federal poverty level?
Divide your yearly income by the 2026 guideline for your household size and multiply by 100. For three people in the 48 states the guideline is $27,320, so $30,000 is 109.8%.
What is 100% of the federal poverty level in 2026?
$15,960 for one person, $21,640 for two, $27,320 for three and $33,000 for four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., plus $5,680 for each additional person.
Are Alaska and Hawaii different?
Yes. HHS publishes separate tables: $19,950 for one person in Alaska and $18,360 in Hawaii, with larger per-person additions.
What is the difference between a poverty guideline and a poverty threshold?
The guidelines are the administrative figures programs use; the Census thresholds are the statistical measure for official poverty estimates. ASPE calls the guidelines a simplification of the thresholds.
Which programs use the poverty guidelines?
ASPE names Head Start, SNAP, the National School Lunch Program, LIHEAP and CHIP, often at percentage multiples. TANF, SSI and the EITC generally do not.
Why does another calculator give me a different percent?
Usually a different guideline year, a different household count or a different income definition. Programs decide for themselves when to adopt the 2026 figures.
When were the 2026 guidelines published?
In the Federal Register on January 15, 2026, according to the ASPE page.
Is anything sent to your servers?
No. The calculator runs in your browser.
Not an eligibility decision
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not financial or legal advice, and it is not an eligibility decision. Amounts come from the agencies named on the date shown; each program applies its own household, income-counting and deduction rules. Use the agency itself, or a qualified professional, before you rely on a figure. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. It runs in your browser.