Key Takeaways
- The 2026 federal poverty guideline is $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for a family of four.
- Most programs use a multiple: 130% for SNAP, 138% for Medicaid expansion, 400% for marketplace subsidies.
- Marketplace subsidies for 2027 coverage still use these 2026 guidelines, so the table applies all year.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes the 2027 guidelines in mid-January.
The 2026 federal poverty guideline is $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for a family of four. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published it in January, and it took effect January 13, 2026.
Those numbers run eligibility for Medicaid, food assistance and health insurance subsidies. They also apply to the 2027 marketplace plan you pick this fall.
That last part surprises people, and it’s the one I’d double-check first.
2026 Poverty Guidelines by Household Size
These apply in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. Alaska and Hawaii have their own higher schedules.
| Household size | 2026 guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 |
| 2 | $21,640 |
| 3 | $27,320 |
| 4 | $33,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 |
| 6 | $44,360 |
| 7 | $50,040 |
| 8 | $55,720 |
| Each extra person | Add $5,680 |
The guidelines rose 2.63% from 2025. That’s the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) from 2024 to 2025, which is how HHS updates them every year. The full schedules, including Alaska and Hawaii, are on HHS’s poverty guidelines page.
The Cutoffs Programs Actually Use
Almost no program uses 100% of the guideline as its limit. They use a multiple of the federal poverty level (FPL).
This is the table I’d actually bookmark. It turns the percentages into dollars:
| Household size | 130% (SNAP gross) | 138% (Medicaid expansion) | 400% (ACA subsidy cliff) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $20,748 | $22,025 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $28,132 | $29,863 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $35,516 | $37,702 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $42,900 | $45,540 | $132,000 |
How each one uses it:
- Medicaid: in states that expanded Medicaid, most adults qualify up to 138% of the FPL. Non-expansion states set lower limits.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): most households must pass a gross income test at 130% and a net income test at 100%. My SNAP benefit amounts by state show the monthly limits.
- Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace subsidies: premium help runs from 100% to 400% of the FPL. Above 400%, it stops entirely now that the enhanced credits expired at the end of 2025. My ACA subsidy guide walks through that cliff.
- The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): usually 150% of the FPL or 60% of state median income, whichever is higher. See my state energy assistance guide.
One exception. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) uses its own EITC income limits, not a poverty multiple.
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Why 2027 Health Coverage Uses the 2026 Numbers
Marketplace subsidies for a coverage year are based on the guidelines published before open enrollment starts. So when you sign up this fall for 2027 coverage, the 2026 table above is the one that counts.
Rosa and her husband have two kids and expect to earn $128,000 in 2027. That’s 388% of the FPL for a family of four, so they still get premium help for 2027.
Now give them a $5,000 raise. At $133,000 they cross 400%, and the help disappears. All of it, not just a little. If you’re anywhere near that line, I’d run your estimate twice before you pick a plan, and remember that a pre-tax 401(k) or health savings account contribution lowers the income the marketplace counts.
The income that matters is your modified adjusted gross income. My AGI vs. MAGI explainer shows what goes into it.
Guidelines vs. Thresholds
People mix these up constantly. It matters.
Poverty guidelines come from HHS every January. They’re the simpler version, and nearly every benefit program uses them.
Poverty thresholds come from the Census Bureau, usually in the fall. They’re for statistics, like counting how many Americans live in poverty, and they vary by more factors, including the age of the head of household.
Checking whether you qualify for something? Use the guidelines. Every time.
Mistakes People Make Reading the Poverty Guidelines
Treating 100% as the cutoff. Check the multiple your program uses. It’s usually 130%, 138%, 150% or 400%.
Using last year’s chart in February. New guidelines come out each January, and many programs switch soon after. The big exception is the marketplace, which keeps using the prior year’s numbers for the whole coverage year.
Forgetting Alaska and Hawaii. Both have higher schedules. Most quick charts online skip them, which is a good reason to check the HHS page directly if you live there.
Counting your household the same way everywhere. SNAP, Medicaid and marketplace coverage each define a household a little differently.
When the 2027 Guidelines Come Out
HHS usually publishes the next year’s guidelines in mid-January. The size of the bump follows the CPI-U change for 2026. No other formula, no vote.
Medicaid also changes in 2027. Work requirements for adults in the expansion group start January 1, 2027, and my Medicaid work requirements post covers who’s exempt. I’ll replace this table with the 2027 figures the week HHS publishes them.
