What is the poverty line in 2026?

The 2026 federal poverty level (FPL) is approximately $15,650 for a single person and $32,150 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states. Alaska and Hawaii have higher thresholds. The poverty line is used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, housing assistance, and other programs. Many economists argue it's outdated because it doesn't account for regional cost differences, childcare, or healthcare costs.

What percentage of Americans live in poverty?

Based on the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 12.5% of Americans (about 40.7 million people) live below the poverty line. The annual Current Population Survey (CPS), which the government uses for the official single-year poverty rate, has historically shown a slightly lower figure (around 11%) due to differences in survey methodology and reference period; the ACS 5-year figure is the more reliable source for state-by-state comparisons.

What's the difference between the official poverty rate and the Supplemental Poverty Measure?

The official poverty rate only counts pre-tax cash income against a fixed threshold, while the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) also factors in government benefits, taxes, and regional cost-of-living differences, which is why the SPM rate (12.4%) runs slightly higher than the official rate (11.1%).

What is the 'cliff effect' in poverty assistance programs?

The cliff effect happens when a raise pushes a family's income just over an eligibility threshold, causing them to lose benefits like SNAP or childcare subsidies worth more than the raise itself, leaving them financially worse off despite earning more.

Poverty in America: Statistics, Thresholds & Trends by State (2026)

40.7 million Americans – 12.5% of the population – live below the poverty line, based on the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Here’s what the data reveals about who’s affected, where, and how the poverty line actually works.

Poverty Rate Snapshot (Census ACS Data)

Metric	2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Overall poverty rate	12.5%
Child poverty rate (under 18)	16.1%
Senior poverty rate (65+)	10.8%
People below the poverty line	40,735,661

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates, fetched 2026-08-25.

Federal Poverty Level (2025-2026)

Household Size	48 States & DC	Alaska	Hawaii
1 person	$15,650	$19,563	$18,000
2 people	$21,150	$26,438	$24,323
3 people	$26,650	$33,313	$30,645
4 people	$32,150	$40,188	$36,968
5 people	$37,650	$47,063	$43,290
6 people	$43,150	$53,938	$49,613
Each additional	+$5,500	+$6,875	+$6,323

What the poverty line means in practice: A family of four living at the poverty line has $2,679/month ($32,150/12) for ALL expenses — housing, food, transportation, healthcare, clothing, and everything else.

Poverty Rates by State

This data is pulled directly from the Census Bureau API and refreshed each year when a new ACS 5-Year release is published.

10 Highest Poverty Rates

Rank	State	Poverty Rate	# in Poverty	Median Household Income
1	Louisiana	18.9%	848,967	$60,756
2	Mississippi	18.9%	538,793	$56,447
3	New Mexico	17.8%	370,915	$64,059
4	West Virginia	16.7%	287,953	$59,608
5	Kentucky	16.1%	708,321	$63,726
6	Arkansas	16%	473,903	$60,773
7	Alabama	15.6%	772,360	$63,999
8	District of Columbia	15.4%	101,008	$109,870
9	Oklahoma	15.3%	599,071	$65,039
10	South Carolina	14.1%	725,690	$69,324

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates, fetched 2026-08-25.

10 Lowest Poverty Rates

Rank	State	Poverty Rate	# in Poverty	Median Household Income
42	Hawaii	10%	141,401	$100,389
43	Massachusetts	10%	684,548	$103,960
44	Virginia	9.9%	837,363	$93,170
45	Washington	9.9%	760,577	$98,141
46	New Jersey	9.7%	891,891	$103,556
47	Colorado	9.4%	542,093	$95,470
48	Maryland	9.4%	574,017	$103,678
49	Minnesota	9.3%	522,508	$89,062
50	Utah	8.5%	283,680	$95,166
51	New Hampshire	7.2%	98,248	$99,031

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates, fetched 2026-08-25.

See the full 50-state ranking with child and senior poverty rates.

Poverty by Demographics

By Age Group

Age Group	Poverty Rate	# in Poverty	Notes
Under 6	15.3%	3.7 million	Highest rate — children most affected
6-17	13.2%	6.8 million	School-age children
18-24	14.5%	4.6 million	Young adults, students
25-34	10.5%	4.8 million	Early career
35-44	9.2%	3.8 million	Peak earning years beginning
45-54	9.0%	3.6 million	Mid-career
55-64	9.8%	4.1 million	Pre-retirement
65-74	8.5%	2.7 million	Early retirement
75+	10.2%	2.2 million	Fixed income, rising healthcare

By Race/Ethnicity

Race/Ethnicity	Poverty Rate	# in Poverty
White (non-Hispanic)	8.6%	16.8 million
Black	17.1%	7.3 million
Hispanic/Latino	16.9%	10.3 million
Asian	8.8%	1.7 million
American Indian/Alaska Native	23.0%	0.5 million
Two or more races	12.5%	1.4 million

By Family Type

Family Structure	Poverty Rate	Why
Married couple families	4.7%	Two potential earners, shared costs
Single mother families	23.4%	One earner, childcare costs
Single father families	11.2%	One earner, but higher avg income
Individuals (no family)	19.8%	No shared expenses

What Poverty Actually Looks Like

Monthly Budget at 100% FPL (Family of 4: $32,150/Year)

Expense	Amount	% of Income	Reality
Housing	$800	30%	Requires subsidized housing in most areas
Food (SNAP + out-of-pocket)	$600	22%	SNAP benefits cover much of this
Transportation	$350	13%	Older car, public transit
Healthcare	$0-$100	0-4%	Medicaid covers most
Utilities	$200	7%	May qualify for LIHEAP assistance
Phone	$35	1%	Lifeline program
Childcare	$0-$300	0-11%	Subsidized or family help
Clothing	$50	2%	Thrift stores, donations
Everything else	$44-$344	2-13%	Virtually no savings or discretionary
Total	$2,379 - $2,679

The “Cliff Effect”: Losing Benefits

Income Level (Family of 4)	Key Benefits Lost	Net Loss
$32,150 (100% FPL)	—	Full benefits
$40,188 (125% FPL)	Some SNAP reduction	~$100/month benefit reduction
$48,225 (150% FPL)	Reduced childcare subsidy	~$300-$500/month
$60,000 (187% FPL)	No more CHIP (some states)	~$200/month healthcare cost
$64,300 (200% FPL)	SNAP eliminated	~$400/month food cost
$70,000-$80,000	Most benefits gone	May be worse off than at $50K

The “cliff effect” means a raise from $50,000 to $65,000 can actually leave a family worse off after lost benefits.

Historical Poverty Rate Trends

Year	Poverty Rate	# in Poverty	Key Context
1960	22.2%	39.9 million	Pre-War on Poverty
1970	12.6%	25.4 million	Post-Great Society programs
1980	13.0%	29.3 million	Recession
1990	13.5%	33.6 million	Recession
2000	11.3%	31.6 million	Dot-com peak
2010	15.1%	46.3 million	Post-Great Recession
2015	13.5%	43.1 million	Recovery
2019	10.5%	34.0 million	Pre-COVID (near historic low)
2020	11.4%	37.2 million	COVID impact
2021	11.6%	37.9 million	Expanded benefits partially offset
2024	11.1%	36.8 million	Benefits expired, inflation pressure

Child Poverty: America’s Challenge

Country	Child Poverty Rate (OECD Measure)	How US Compares
Denmark	2.9%	5x lower than US
Finland	3.3%	4.5x lower
Netherlands	5.3%	3x lower
Germany	8.5%	2x lower
Canada	9.4%	1.6x lower
United Kingdom	10.5%	1.4x lower
United States	15.3%	—
Mexico	19.0%	Higher
Israel	21.2%	Higher

Working Poor: Employed but Still in Poverty

Statistic	Value
Workers below poverty line	6.3 million
Working full-time, below poverty	1.5 million
Working part-time, below poverty	4.8 million
Most common industries	Food service, retail, agriculture
Federal minimum wage	$7.25/hr ($15,080/yr) — below poverty for family of 2+
States with highest working poverty	Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico

Full-Time Minimum Wage vs Poverty Line

Family Size	Poverty Line	Federal Min Wage ($7.25 FT)	$15/hr FT	Gap at $7.25
1 person	$15,650	$15,080	$31,200	-$570
2 people	$21,150	$15,080	$31,200	-$6,070
3 people	$26,650	$15,080	$31,200	-$11,570
4 people	$32,150	$15,080	$31,200	-$17,070

A full-time worker at federal minimum wage cannot lift a family of 2 above the poverty line.

Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.

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