Each year the Department of Health and Human Services publishes the poverty guidelines, the income figures many federal programs use to decide who qualifies. For 2026, the guideline is $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for a household of four in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. [1]. Alaska and Hawaii have their own, higher figures [1].
At a glance
- One person (48 states and D.C.)
- $15,960 [1]
- Household of four
- $33,000 [1]
- Each extra person over 8
- +$5,680 [1]
- Alaska, one person
- $19,950 [1]
- Hawaii, one person
- $18,360 [1]
| People in household | 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 |
Who uses these numbers
HHS lists Head Start, SNAP (food stamps), the National School Lunch Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program among the programs that use the guidelines [1]. Programs often set their limit as a percentage of the guideline, such as 130% or 200%, so the figure that matters for you is the program’s own cutoff.
Cash assistance programs such as TANF and SSI generally don’t use the guidelines, and neither does the Earned Income Tax Credit [1].
Guidelines and thresholds aren’t the same thing
You may also see the Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds . HHS explains that the guidelines are a simplified version of the thresholds, made for administrative uses like deciding who qualifies for a program, while the thresholds are used mainly for statistics [1]. When an application asks about the “federal poverty level,” it almost always means the HHS guidelines on this page.
Sources
Common questions
What is the 2026 federal poverty level for a family of four?
$33,000 a year in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. It's $41,250 in Alaska and $37,950 in Hawaii.
What is the 2026 poverty guideline for one person?
$15,960 a year in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., $19,950 in Alaska and $18,360 in Hawaii.
Do SSI and TANF use the poverty guidelines?
Generally no. HHS says cash assistance programs like TANF and SSI, and the Earned Income Tax Credit, generally don't use them.