How do 2026 federal poverty guidelines differ between the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
The federal poverty guidelines for 2025 (used for many 2026 coverage and eligibility determinations) set a base annual FPL of $15,650 for an individual in the 48 contiguous states, with higher single-person levels in Alaska ($19,550) and Hawaii ($17,990) cited in reporting [1]. HHS publishes the official guidelines annually and notes Alaska and Hawaii are the two exceptions where the FPL is higher to reflect cost differences [2] [3].
1. What the rules say: one national schedule with two upward adjustments
HHS issues a single poverty-guideline schedule each year but explicitly provides higher dollar amounts for Alaska and Hawaii; federal guidance and consumer-facing sites repeat that pattern and point users to the official HHS tables [2] [3]. Reporting and aggregator sites present the 2025 baseline of $15,650 for the 48 contiguous states and list the higher Alaska and Hawaii amounts as exceptions [1].
2. How much higher are Alaska and Hawaii in practice
Public reporting gives concrete examples for 2025: an individual FPL of $15,650 in the contiguous U.S., $19,550 in Alaska and $17,990 in Hawaii — differences of $3,900 and $2,340 respectively versus the contiguous-states baseline [1]. Those figures are the ones commonly used by programs that apply HHS poverty guidelines for eligibility calculations [4] [3].
3. Why the difference exists: cost-of-living and administrative choices
HHS and downstream explainers treat Alaska and Hawaii as exceptions because living costs there are higher; the agency therefore sets higher poverty guideline dollar amounts for those states rather than calculating a separate formula per state [2] [3]. Sources emphasize that these are administrative adjustments in the HHS guideline—not alternative poverty measures such as the Census Bureau thresholds, which are different concepts [2].
4. Where those numbers are used — and where to be careful
The 2025 poverty guidelines are used for many 2026 eligibility determinations: marketplace premium tax credit calculations for 2026 coverage use the 2025 guidelines, and Medicaid/CHIP determinations use the current-year guidelines until the next update is adopted by states [4] [5]. Individual programs (SNAP, Medicaid, state waivers) decide how to apply the guideline — rounding, what income counts, and household definitions vary — so the raw FPL number is the starting point, not the whole story [6].
5. Variation in “add-on” rules and large households
Tables and program materials show that for households larger than eight members federal guidance instructs adding a fixed dollar increment per extra person, but the increment amounts cited differ across documents and program years (examples: add $4,540 or $5,140 or $5,500 in different program materials), which underlines that implementation details can vary by federal program or fiscal year [7] [8] [9]. Agencies and states can use slightly different add-on amounts depending on the guidance they follow.
6. Practical impact: eligibility thresholds and subsidy timing
Because premium tax-credit eligibility for a coverage year uses the prior year’s FPL, people applying for 2026 Marketplace subsidies will be measured against the 2025 guidelines (the ones that include the Alaska/Hawaii differentials) [4]. For Medicaid and CHIP, states typically move to new guidelines in the months after HHS publishes them; health-insurance guides note the 2025 numbers govern eligibility through the spring of 2026 until the 2026 numbers take effect [5].
7. Sources, limitations and how to confirm for your case
This account draws on HHS reporting about the poverty guidelines and multiple secondary summaries that list 2025 FPL amounts and implementation notes [2] [4] [1] [3]. Available sources do not mention the full 2026 HHS table or any 2026-updated Alaska/Hawaii dollar levels; to confirm the exact 2026 figures or program-specific add-on rules you should consult the HHS poverty-guidelines Federal Register publication or the specific program’s eligibility guidance when it posts its 2026 thresholds [2].
8. Bottom line for readers
The operational difference is simple: HHS sets a single guideline schedule but raises the dollar amounts for Alaska and Hawaii; for 2025 (used in many 2026 decisions) that meant $15,650 for the contiguous U.S., $19,550 in Alaska and $17,990 in Hawaii as commonly reported [1]. Exact eligibility outcomes still depend on program rules, timing, household composition and any add-on amounts — so use the HHS tables and your program’s instructions to calculate final eligibility [2] [6].