US Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Percentage Calculator
Where your income stands against the poverty guideline, and the income at any cut-off.
HHS poverty guidelines for 2026 Published by HHS in the Federal Register · Sources
Not an eligibility decision: each program sets its own percentage and its own rules for who counts in the household and what counts as income.
Income at each percentage
| Of the guideline | Income a year and a month | Your income is |
|---|
Poverty guidelines by household size
| Household | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|
Official sources
- HHS ASPE — poverty guidelines (with the guidelines API)
- Federal Register notice — HHS poverty guidelines for 2026
- Federal Register notice — HHS poverty guidelines for 2025
- HHS ASPE — prior poverty guidelines and Federal Register references
- HealthCare.gov — federal poverty level (which year’s figures Marketplace savings and Medicaid use)
Results are estimates for general information and planning, not financial advice. Banks and institutions may calculate differently (rounding, fees, rate changes). Confirm figures with your lender or a qualified adviser before deciding.
About the US Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Percentage Calculator
Many US programs — Medicaid and CHIP, Marketplace health insurance savings, SNAP, school meals, Head Start, energy assistance — set their income limits as a percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL), more exactly of the HHS poverty guidelines that the Department of Health and Human Services publishes each year in the Federal Register. This calculator takes your household size and income (a year, a month, every two weeks or a week) and shows it as a percentage of the guideline for the 48 contiguous states and DC, Alaska or Hawaii, and the yearly and monthly income at common cut-offs such as 100%, 138%, 200% and 400% — or any percentage you add.
It holds the latest guidelines it has and the year before, because some programs use the previous year’s figures. It does not tell you whether you qualify for anything: each program decides who counts in the household, what counts as income and which percentage applies.
How to use it
- Choose the guideline year and where you live: the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, Alaska or Hawaii.
- Enter the number of people in your household and your household income before taxes, and say whether it is per year, per month, twice a month, every two weeks or per week.
- Read your income as a percentage of the poverty guideline. The table shows the income at each percentage, a year and a month, and how far you are below or above it.
- Add the percentage a program uses if it is not listed (for example 160 or 225), then copy the summary or download the CSV.
Examples
Guideline $27,320 · 164.7% of the FPL · 200% would be $54,640
$24,000 a year ÷ $15,960 = 150.3% of the FPL
$22,024.80 a year · $1,835.40 a month
Guideline $41,250 (it is $33,000 in the 48 contiguous states)
HealthCare.gov uses the previous year’s figures: $21,150 (2025 guidelines)
Poverty guidelines and poverty thresholds
There are two federal poverty measures (HHS ASPE). The Census Bureau’s poverty thresholds are used for statistics — the official count of people in poverty. The poverty guidelines are HHS’s simplified version for administrative use: one amount for the first person and a fixed amount for each extra person, with higher figures for Alaska and Hawaii, updated each year with the Consumer Price Index. They are what programs mean by the “federal poverty level”, a phrase ASPE calls ambiguous. The guidelines apply to households, families and individuals regardless of age.
Which year’s guidelines?
Guidelines are named for the year they are issued, usually in January, and take effect then unless a program sets another date. Programs choose which year’s figures they use: HealthCare.gov uses the previous year’s figures for Marketplace savings and the current figures for Medicaid and CHIP (HealthCare.gov). That is why the calculator offers both years; pick the one the program asks for.
How programs use the percentages
A program may use the guidelines as they are or a percentage multiple of them — for instance 125% or 185% (HHS ASPE). HealthCare.gov, for example, explains that with income between 100% and 400% of the FPL you qualify for the premium tax credit in every state, and that below 138% you may qualify for Medicaid in states that expanded it. Programs that do not use the guidelines include TANF and SSI cash assistance and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Each program also defines household and income its own way — the Federal Register notice leaves “income” and “family” to the programs. Medicaid and Marketplace savings, for example, use modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). Check the program’s own rules before you rely on a percentage.
Limitations
- Not an eligibility decision: programs count household members and income differently, and some add asset tests or other conditions.
- There are no HHS poverty guidelines for Puerto Rico or the other territories and freely associated states; the office that runs each program decides what to use there.
- Percentages are shown cut to one decimal (138.96% reads 138.9%); the table compares your income with each cut-off exactly, to the cent.
- The calculator holds only the guideline years in its list. HHS publishes new guidelines every year, so check that the year a program asks for is there.
Privacy
Everything happens in your browser. What you enter or open here is not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the federal poverty level for a family of four?
Under the HHS poverty guidelines for 2026 it is $33,000 a year in the 48 contiguous states and DC, $41,250 in Alaska and $37,950 in Hawaii. Each additional person adds $5,680 ($7,100 in Alaska, $6,530 in Hawaii).
How do I work out my percentage of the poverty level?
Divide your yearly household income by the guideline for your household size and multiply by 100. Under the HHS poverty guidelines for 2026, a household of 3 with $45,000 has 45,000 ÷ 27,320 × 100 = 164.7%.
What is 138% of the federal poverty level?
Under the HHS poverty guidelines for 2026, for one person in the 48 states it is $22,024.80 a year ($1,835.40 a month). Enter your household size to see it for your household; the table always lists 138%.
Who counts in my household?
It depends on the program. For Marketplace savings HealthCare.gov counts the tax filer, a spouse and tax dependents, with limited exceptions (household size); other programs set their own rules. Use the count the program asks for.
Should I use gross or net income?
Use the income the program’s rules describe. Marketplace savings, Medicaid and CHIP use modified adjusted gross income (MAGI): adjusted gross income plus any untaxed foreign income, non-taxable Social Security benefits and tax-exempt interest (HealthCare.gov). Other programs count income in other ways.