2026 Federal Poverty Level Basics
The 2026 FPL (federal poverty level) for a single person residing in the 48 contiguous states or Washington, D.C. is $15,960 per year ($1,330/month). In Alaska, the 2026 federal poverty level for a single person is $19,950 and in Hawaii it is $18,360.
Common FPL percentages and what they mean
Assistance programs use FPL percentages to set income cutoffs. Here are the most common thresholds:
- 100% FPL — SNAP net income limit; Medicaid baseline for many categories
- 130% FPL — SNAP gross income limit for most households
- 138% FPL — Medicaid expansion income limit (ACA expansion states)
- 150% FPL — SNAP gross limit for some state expansions; various assistance programs
- 200% FPL — CHIP eligibility in many states; expanded SNAP in some states
- 250% FPL — Extra Savings on marketplace plans (Silver CSR)
- 400% FPL — Traditional upper limit for ACA premium tax credits
How to use the FPL calculator
Option 1 — Enter your annual, monthly, or weekly income along with your household size to find out what percentage of the federal poverty level your income represents. This tells you which programs you may qualify for.
Option 2 — Select a specific FPL percentage (such as 130% or 138%) and your household size to find the dollar income threshold for that percentage. Useful for social workers, navigators, and program administrators.
Programs that use FPL income guidelines
The federal poverty level is used by dozens of federal and state programs to determine eligibility, including:
- SNAP Food Assistance (food stamps)
- Medicaid and CHIP
- ACA Marketplace health insurance subsidies
- WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)
- LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance)
- Head Start and Early Learning programs
- Medicare Savings Programs (MSP)
- Low Income Subsidy (LIS/Extra Help) for Medicare Part D
- School lunch and breakfast programs
2026 Federal Poverty Level — Key Program Thresholds
Monthly income limits at major FPL percentages used by federal assistance programs. View complete tables →
| Household size | 100% | 130% | 138% | 150% | 185% | 200% | 400% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% FPL | 130% — SNAP gross | 138% — Medicaid | 150% — LIHEAP | 185% — WIC | 200% — CHIP | 400% — ACA limit | |
| 1 person | $1,330/mo | $1,729/mo | $1,835/mo | $1,995/mo | $2,461/mo | $2,660/mo | $5,320/mo |
| 2 people | $1,803/mo | $2,344/mo | $2,489/mo | $2,705/mo | $3,336/mo | $3,607/mo | $7,213/mo |
| 3 people | $2,277/mo | $2,960/mo | $3,142/mo | $3,415/mo | $4,212/mo | $4,553/mo | $9,107/mo |
| 4 people | $2,750/mo | $3,575/mo | $3,795/mo | $4,125/mo | $5,088/mo | $5,500/mo | $11,000/mo |
| 5 people | $3,223/mo | $4,190/mo | $4,448/mo | $4,835/mo | $5,963/mo | $6,447/mo | $12,893/mo |
| 6 people | $3,697/mo | $4,806/mo | $5,101/mo | $5,545/mo | $6,839/mo | $7,393/mo | $14,787/mo |
| 7 people | $4,170/mo | $5,421/mo | $5,755/mo | $6,255/mo | $7,715/mo | $8,340/mo | $16,680/mo |
| 8 people | $4,643/mo | $6,036/mo | $6,408/mo | $6,965/mo | $8,590/mo | $9,287/mo | $18,573/mo |
| Each additional person | +$473/mo | +$615/mo | +$653/mo | +$710/mo | +$876/mo | +$947/mo | +$1,893/mo |
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Poverty Guidelines. Monthly amounts shown.