What are the 2026 federal poverty guideline income thresholds for each household size in the 48 contiguous states and DC?
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Executive summary
The official federal poverty guideline numbers used for 2026 coverage come from the 2025 HHS/ASPE poverty guidelines; for the 48 contiguous states and DC the single‑person 100% FPL figure is $15,650, and the guideline increases by $5,500 for each additional household member (figures and per‑person increment reported by multiple sources) [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a single consolidated table of every household size for “2026 federal poverty guideline income thresholds” in one place for the contiguous U.S.; instead they publish the base 100% FPL and the per‑person increment used to build the table [1] [2] [4].
1. What the number means and which year it actually governs
The dollar amounts cited in press and guidance for “2026” coverage are the 2025 Federal Poverty Guidelines published by HHS/ASPE; those 2025 figures are used to determine eligibility for programs and marketplace subsidies for coverage in 2026 [1] [4]. Reporting sites and guidance repeatedly note that marketplace premium tax‑credit eligibility for coverage year 2026 is based on the 2025 poverty guidelines [2] [1].
2. The base amount and how to compute household thresholds
For the 48 contiguous states and DC, the 100% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) amount for a one‑person household is $15,650, and the FPL increases by $5,500 for each additional person in the household; applying that increment yields the standard thresholds used in practice [1] [3]. Multiple non‑government and reference pages echo the same increment and base figure, indicating consistency across published summaries [3] [1].
3. Why sources differ about “2026” wording and extra‑person increments
Several secondary pages and state guides republish HHS figures but label them differently—“2025 guidelines (for 2026 coverage)” or “2026 federal poverty levels”—which creates confusion for readers trying to pin a single year to the table [2] [5]. Some republications list differing additional‑person add‑ons (examples in the search set show $5,140, $5,380, $5,500, $6,330, $6,880), reflecting transcription errors, state‑specific scales, or editorial mistakes; those discrepancies are present in the collected sources [6] [2] [3] [5].
4. Practical example calculations (how to build the table yourself)
Using the accepted base and increment reported above, compute by starting at $15,650 for 1 person and adding $5,500 per extra person: 2 persons = $21,150; 3 = $26,650; 4 = $32,150; 5 = $37,650; 6 = $43,150; 7 = $48,650; 8 = $54,150. Sources instruct users to add the per‑person increment for households above eight [1] [3]. Available sources do not publish a single government PDF in this result set with a complete contiguous‑U.S. table labeled “2026 FPL by household size”; instead they provide base numbers and increments to construct such a table [4] [2].
5. Where to find the official, machine‑readable data
ASPE (HHS) hosts the poverty guidelines and an API with the 2025 data that is the authoritative source for program administrators and public use; the ASPE page and related federal notices are the official reference for the guidelines [4] [2]. If you need the legally published figures, consult ASPE’s poverty guidelines or the Federal Register notice referenced on these pages [4] [2].
6. Caveats, state variations, and program timing
Alaska and Hawaii use different FPL figures; the contiguous‑states/DC numbers above apply only to the 48 states + DC [1]. Program rules sometimes use the prior year’s guideline (for example, coverage year determinations) so always confirm whether a program references the current‑year guideline or the previous year’s guideline for a given coverage or eligibility period [1] [4].
7. Bottom line for your immediate need
If you need a ready list of thresholds for household sizes, compute them from the 1‑person base $15,650 plus $5,500 per additional person [1] [3]. For formal, legally authoritative figures and any nuance (Alaska/Hawaii, program‑specific adjustments), use the ASPE HHS poverty guidelines or the Federal Register notice cited by ASPE [4] [2].
Limitations: sources provided here are a mix of government pages, state documents and third‑party summaries; some republish inconsistent add‑on amounts. For an authoritative government table for publication or legal use, consult ASPE/HHS directly [4] [2].