The U.S. Census Bureau sets the official poverty thresholds used for calculating annual statistical data. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updates the poverty guidelines, which are a simplified version of these thresholds used to determine financial eligibility for federal programs such as Medicaid or Head Start.
2026 Poverty Level Scale
Key Points:
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Annual Adjustment:Poverty guidelines are updated yearly to reflect changes in the cost of living, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
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Program Eligibility:These figures serve as a baseline for determining financial eligibility for programs like Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), and Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
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State Variations:Alaska and Hawaii have separate, higher poverty guidelines due to their higher costs of living.Source: Census.gov and HHS.gov
