2026 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and FPL Calculator
The 2026 HHS poverty guidelines for every household size, and a calculator that puts your income on them: your percentage of the federal poverty level and the 138%, 200% and 400% lines in dollars. Open enrollment for 2027 Marketplace coverage uses these 2026 figures.
What is the federal poverty level for 2026?
For 2026 the federal poverty level is $15,960 for a household of one, $21,640 for two and $33,000 for four, plus $5,680 for each additional person, in the 48 contiguous states and DC. Alaska and Hawaii have their own, higher guidelines: $19,950 and $18,360 for one person. These are the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, published January 15, 2026 (91 FR 1797; HHS poverty guidelines (ASPE)). For the ACA premium tax credit they apply to 2027 coverage; 2026 coverage still uses the 2025 guidelines ($15,650 for one person), because the credit uses the guidelines in effect when open enrollment for the year begins (26 CFR §1.36B-1(h)).
| Household size | 48 states + DC | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $19,950 | $18,360 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $27,050 | $24,890 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $34,150 | $31,420 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $41,250 | $37,950 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $48,350 | $44,480 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $55,450 | $51,010 |
| 7 | $50,040 | $62,550 | $57,540 |
| 8 | $55,720 | $69,650 | $64,070 |
| Each additional person | +$5,680 | +$7,100 | +$6,530 |
FPL calculator: your income as a percentage of the poverty level
Figures from the HHS poverty guidelines (91 FR 1797 for 2026, 90 FR 5917 for 2025). A percentage of the poverty level is not an eligibility decision: each program sets its own income definition, household rules and effective date (ASPE FAQ), so confirm with the program or HealthCare.gov before acting.
Which poverty guidelines apply to what
HHS updates the guidelines every January; they may be used as soon as they are published, unless a program chooses a later effective date (ASPE FAQ). Programs that use them include parts of Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Medicare Savings Programs, the subsidized portion of Medicare prescription drug coverage, SNAP, WIC, Head Start and LIHEAP, per the same HHS page.
The ACA premium tax credit is the one with a built-in lag: it uses the guidelines in effect on the first day of open enrollment for the coverage year (26 CFR §1.36B-1(h)). Coverage in 2026 runs on the 2025 guidelines ($15,650 for one person, $32,150 for four); coverage in 2027, which you choose during open enrollment this fall, runs on the 2026 guidelines above. The 2027 figures in that framing, with the 400% cliff by household size, are on the 2027 federal poverty level page; the 2026 coverage-year thresholds as a downloadable dataset are in ACA federal poverty level thresholds 2026.
To price this year’s credit in dollars, with your benchmark premium and ages: ACA subsidy calculator 2026 →
The lines that matter: 100%, 138%, 400%
Below 138%: if your state expanded Medicaid, you may qualify for Medicaid (HealthCare.gov). 100% to 400%: you qualify for the premium tax credit on a Marketplace plan (HealthCare.gov). Above 400%: no premium tax credit; the applicable percentage table for 2027 stops at 400% of the poverty line, as the 2026 table did (Rev. Proc. 2026-26). The other percentages in the calculator (133%, 150%, 200%, 250%, 300%) are the edges of that table’s bands, where the share of income you are expected to pay toward the benchmark plan changes; the percentages for each band are on the 2027 ACA subsidy percentages page.
Because the 400% line is a cliff, a retiree or early retiree on Marketplace coverage who is near it in December should check what an IRA withdrawal, a Roth conversion or a capital gain does to the year’s income before taking it. The ACA bridge optimizer plans those years together.
Common questions
- What is the federal poverty level for 2026?
- $15,960 for a household of one, $21,640 for two, $27,320 for three and $33,000 for four, plus $5,680 for each additional person, in the 48 contiguous states and DC. Alaska ($19,950 for one) and Hawaii ($18,360 for one) have their own, higher figures. These are the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, published January 15, 2026 (91 FR 1797).
- What is 138% and 400% of the federal poverty level in 2026?
- For one person, 138% of the 2026 guideline is $22,024.80 and 400% is $63,840; for a household of two, $29,863.20 and $86,560; for four, $45,540 and $132,000. Below 138% you may qualify for Medicaid if your state expanded it; between 100% and 400% you qualify for the premium tax credit (HealthCare.gov).
- What is 200% of the federal poverty level for 2026?
- $31,920 for one person, $43,280 for two, $54,640 for three and $66,000 for four (48 states and DC). The calculator above gives every line for your household size and state.
- Which year’s poverty guidelines set my ACA premium tax credit?
- The guidelines in effect on the first day of the open enrollment period before the coverage year (26 CFR §1.36B-1(h)). So the 2026 guidelines on this page set the credit for 2027 coverage, and 2026 coverage uses the 2025 guidelines ($15,650 for one person, 90 FR 5917). The calculator shows your percentage under both.
- Is the federal poverty level based on gross income?
- It depends on the program: HHS notes that some agencies compare before-tax income to the guidelines and others after-tax income (ASPE FAQ). For the ACA premium tax credit the income is your household’s modified adjusted gross income: AGI plus tax-exempt interest and the Social Security that is not taxed (IRC §36B(d)(2)).
- Does the 400% FPL cliff still apply in 2027?
- Yes. The applicable percentage table the IRS published for 2027 stops at 400% of the poverty line (Rev. Proc. 2026-26), as the 2026 table did, so a household above 400% of the 2026 guidelines gets no premium tax credit for 2027 coverage. See the full table on the 2027 ACA subsidy percentages page.