How do 2026 federal poverty guidelines differ between the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii?
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].